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Beyond the Water: Unexpected Outdoor Finds in Cajun Country

St. Martin excursions for the bipedal and bilingual

While the wilds of the Atchafalaya Swamp are often heralded as the main event, there are all sorts of other attractions to explore in St. Martin parish that don’t involve boarding a boat. If you have kids to entertain, schedule a stop at the Atelier de La Nature, a 25-acre nature education center in the hamlet (and surprisingly sophisticated rural arts center) of Arnaudville. The learned folks who run Atelier de La Nature make it their mission to teach about the importance of native plants and local ecosystems of the Cajun prairie through interactive art and science projects. Their innovative events run the gamut from sustainable cooking workshops to nature walks on the property. Check out their event calendar to find workshops and activities currently on offer. 

It might come as a surprise to discover that one of the most frequently visited destinations in St Martinville is a single tree. Named “The Evangeline Oak,” for the heroine of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s epic poem, Evangeline, A Tale of Acadie, it has drawn visitors from around the globe to Evangeline Oak Park since the late 1800s. Longfellow described an ancient live oak on the banks of the bayou as the legendary meeting place of Evangeline and her beloved Gabriel, two young lovers cruelly separated during Le Grand Derangement, the mass deportation of the Acadian people from Nova Scotia by the British between 1755 and 1764. Today, the tree is surrounded by a shaded park that makes an ideal location for sharing a picnic and taking advantage of the photo opportunities provided by verdant greenery, gazebo, and Southern Gothic atmosphere. 

After visiting the Evangeline Oak, it’s worth spending several hours absorbing the beauty and carefully preserved history of St. Martinville. Take a self-guided walking tour to visit ten key locations around town. Each stop is marked by a plaque engraved with an important episode in the story of the Acadians. The website also provides downloadable brochures that introduce tour stops in English or French.

Discover more exciting activities and upcoming events in St Martin Parish at CajunCountry.org.