The Best Small Towns in Louisiana To Chill Out

Louisiana is one of the most diverse states and chillest places in the nation, with festivals, water pursuits, cultural strolls through the food scene, and scenic history. The Pelican State is bordered to the north by Arkansas, with Mississippi in the east and Texas in the west. The Gulf of Mexico bounds the state in the south and east. Chill out along the low land east of the Mississippi River in the East Gulf Coastal Plain, hilly sections in the north with Louisiana’s highest point, Driskill Mountain, or the West Gulf Coastal Plain with wetlands and prairie all the way to the southern sandy barrier island beaches. Visit these chill towns in Louisiana to enjoy the best natural and cultural offerings of this diverse and unique state.

Abita Springs

The small town of Abita Springs is just under an hour's drive north of New Orleans across the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway. Abita Springs is a historic village with centuries-worth of sights and culture from when it was first named after the Choctaw word for the medicinal water from underground aquifers. Try these waters and the town's award-winning Abita Beer over the most chill weekend of your life. Avid beer lovers can even tour a unique brewery to learn the secrets behind the brewing process and visit the tasting room to try different varieties on tap.

Visit in the spring or fall to enjoy the live music show, Abita Springs Opry, in an intimate setting with world-class artists. See why it is broadcast nationwide with regional and national folk and roots music performers for under $20—a real steal. The Abita Mystery House is a unique museum with a bizarre hoarding collection, from eccentric memorabilia to insane dioramas and everything in between. This eclectic locale is not to miss and will make you feel better about your modest hoarding habits. While in the area, take a day trip south to Lewisburg to spend time by the scenic waters of this cute lakeside town.

Breaux Bridge

This lovely town with French and Cajun vestiges is a must-experience for culture lovers along the meandering Bayou Teche through the historic downtown area. This scenic waterway, once lined by speakeasies and gambling saloons in the 1920s, is the town's chillest place today with a vast gourmet Cajun dining scene and shopping through antique stores and brassy boutiques. Pont Breaux, in French, is a culturally rich community where food and live music are part of religion.

Find Cajun everything at Pont Breaux's Cajun Restaurant, with a stage and authentic cuisine. Visit La Poussière on the weekend, an old-school Cajun dancehall, and come celebrate at the annual Breaux Bridge Crawfish Festival in May. The town that already feels too perfect is also your base for ecotourism around the area, from swamp tours to gator watching from a kayak at Lake Martin. Join a fascinating boat tour from the nearby Henderson levee through the enormous Atchafalaya Basin from the TV show Swamp People.

Farmerville

Farmerville is a must-visit place if you want to chill in some of the state's best nature. The bounding Lake D’Arbonne State Park, together with the scenic Lake D'Arbonne, is a natural haven with a recreation-laden shoreline like tennis courts and a swimming pool. Fish from the pier or dangle your feet over the waters as you take in the views and sunsets.

This lovely small town will become your favorite hangout spot once you discover its charming locals and bucolic charms. With limited hilly places in the state, Farmerville has the best piney slopes along the lake for a lovely hike and picnic with loved ones. Fun times await at the vibrant Watermelon Festival, a really juicy event during the last weekend of July, with thematic seed spitting and best-dressed contests in between all the mingling under the sunshine.

Grand Isle

This town on the state's only inhabited barrier island, in the Gulf of Mexico, is ideal for seafood lovers to chill out like never before. Have an authentic Louisiana experience at countless restaurants for all styles of dining, along with welcoming locals you will love chilling out with. Head outdoors for scenic nature and activities like fishing, bird watching, swimming, and sandy shore strolls. Lounge along seven miles of public, beautiful beaches made for summertime chillaxing.

In just two hours, making a hook southward from New Orleans down the easy LA1 highway, you will be on your way to a quick getaway for an unbeatable budget vacation in Louisiana. The pristine beaches guarded by the Grand Isle State Park authorities feature waterside lodgings and camping opportunities. Spread a tent for quick water access, and you will always remember the nighttime atmosphere amid Grand Isle State Park. 

Minden

This dreamy Northwest Louisiana town is picture-perfect, with red-brick streets lined by eclectic shops and restaurants. Visit the Dorcheat Historical Museum for "Minden through the ages" and discover the German utopia in the early 19th century at the Germantown Colony Museum, set embraced by Minden's greenery for a stroll or a picnic to reminisce after. The Caney Lakes Recreation Area offers a set of experiences and activities for all tastes and groups amid the great outdoors.

Enjoy fishing or immerse yourself in nature by camping along the lake for a memorable experience with those you love. Take the iconic "Film Trail" through town to drool over Minden's twenty filming sites with other like-minded fans or enjoy the trail on an easy, memorable hike. The adventurous love the Muddy Bottoms ATV and Recreation Park, with over 5,000 acres of trails and host of the Bayou Mudfest.

St. Martinville

Chill out Cajun and Creole-style just over two hours west of New Orleans in St. Martinville. The cultural essence permeates the atmosphere with experiences and scenic history alive on the streets and food almost a religion. Enjoy a picnic with your special someone under the Evangeline Oak, a tree where, allegedly, the poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow reunited lovers in his "Evangeline" composition.

The notable Acadian Memorial with a bronze Wall of Names honors the arrival of thousands of Acadians to the state in the 18th century, along with a mural of this event by Robert Dafford, an eternal flame, and a museum. St. Martinville is a great place to chill out with friendly people, incredible food, and cultural vestiges in sights and attractions.

Ville Platte

Get away from it all in Ville Platte, a real hidden gem in Louisiana made for chilling with a change of pace and scenery from your city life. The waterfront cabins at Chicot State Park offer jaw-dropping nature and memorable experiences for the active or to achieve the peace and quiet you desire. Enjoy days of trekking the surrounding trails, fishing, and canoeing in the lake, and lounging bankside for sunset views.

Visit the coolest, oldest state-supported Louisiana State Arboretum in the country and stroll its Preservation Area, a natural environment that feels utopian, where butterflies flutter over vividly gorgeous flowers. Enjoy an active hike through the Crooked Creek Recreation Area with more fresh air pursuits around, like sailing, picnicking, and even skiing in the winter.

The 18th state of Louisiana was first settled 12,000 years ago with various Native American tribes until, in 1541, the explorer Hernando de Soto claimed it as Spanish territory. Named after King Louis XIV and under French rule since 1682, the land went back and forth between the nations until the US bought it from France in 1803 as part of the Louisiana Purchase. These towns are permeated with the essence of the state's vibrant heritage, which you can enjoy through sights and attractions from Africa, France, and Spain amid the natural beauty innate to Louisiana. Pick a town to suit your taste, from seafood to Creole and Cajun cooking, the beaches, or flower fields, for a chill-worthy respite.