Houma Louisiana

A blue heron coasts over the backwaters

Matthew Noel

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Handling a small friend at Greenwood Gator Farm and Tours

Matthew Noel

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Fresh beignets and coffee, a sweet sampling of the local Cajun food offerings

Matthew Noel

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Moss-draped cypress trees in the bayou

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Taking a spin on the Jolly Inn’s dance floor

Matthew Noel

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The LSU float at Mardi Gras

Matthew Noel

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Learning about Cajun history from a guide

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The pretty pink exterior of Southdown Museum

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Taking in the scenery on a swamp tour

Matthew Noel

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Getting to know some turtles at Wildlife Gardens

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Spring

19 - 29 ºC

Summer

22 - 32 ºC

Fall

11 - 23 ºC

Winter

9 - 19 ºC

January

6 - 17 ºC

February

9 - 19 ºC

March

12 - 22 ºC

April

15 - 26 ºC

May

20 - 29 ºC

June

23 - 32 ºC

July

23 - 33 ºC

August

23 - 33 ºC

September

21 - 31 ºC

October

16 - 27 ºC

November

11 - 23 ºC

December

7 - 19 ºC

Major Airports:

Louis Armstrong New Orleans (MSY)
States:

Louisiana

Cajun hospitality in Louisiana’s Bayou Country

Just 88 kilometers southwest of New Orleans, but another world away, Houma is known as Louisiana’s Bayou Country, with about 6,500 square kilometers of mysterious swamps and vast wetlands. Bordered by the bountiful Gulf of Mexico, surrounded by rich, coffee-colored bayous and shaded by an endless canopy of moss-draped cypress trees, Houma is home to a rare blend of nature and deep-rooted Cajun culture and hospitality. Discover a unique dialect, lively music, world-famous cooking and a history that’s rich in heritage and hospitality.

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Southeastern History & Culture

Bayou Country is all about discovering the joie de vivre, or love of life, that’s ingrained into every aspect of this centuries-old culture. Step right into it on a tour of Southdown, a 19th century sugar plantation manor which also houses the Terrebonne Museum, featuring historical exhibits and artifacts that explore the plantation’s richly complex past. Ardoyne Plantation’s Victorian Gothic design is worth a selfie, but don’t miss seeing the original furniture, art and antiques inside. Set on the banks of a bayou in a shrimping village, Chauvin Sculpture Garden is considered one of the top examples of folk art and sculpture in the world.

Bayou Wildlife

Explore Houma’s watery paradise via the Wetlands Cultural Byway, a trail that will take you past shrimp boats in the harbor, over swamps, through stands of cypress trees and up close to historic cabins. For an experience of bayou life like none other, climb aboard the Cajun Man, a swamp boat run by Cajun Man’s Swamp Cruise. You’ll be led deep into the cypress swamps, treated to live Cajun music and regaled with stories of swamp life. Didn’t see enough gators with Cajun Man? There’s a farm for that. Greenwood Gator Farm will take you on a rip-roaring swamp buggy ride, but it’s the farm tour – where you not only learn about gators but hold them – that provides the biggest thrills.

Cajun Cookin’ and Dancin’

In Houma, you’ll find an unbridled love of life, music, food and camaraderie that’s woven itself into a rich, robust and sometimes unexpected tapestry. Case in point: Jolly Inn Cajun Dance Hall, offering live music and dancing every Friday and Saturday night, as well as Cajun cooking and a cozy lounge. Taste the rich flavors of the bayou at local institution A-Bear’s Restaurant, which offers no-fuss down-home fare (think catfish and boudin). The last stop on your culinary tour should be Boudreau & Thibodeau’s Cajun Cooking for slaw, oysters, crawfish and hushpuppies.