The country around Lafayette is the real Cajun heartland — small towns, prairies, swamps, and a vast wilderness to the east. Most destinations are within an hour by car. Pair a town visit with a dance hall in the evening for the full effect.
The Atchafalaya Basin is the biggest draw: the largest river swamp in the United States, about 30 minutes east of Lafayette, where you can take a flat-bottomed boat tour through a million acres of cypress, black water, and alligators. Henderson is the departure point for most tours; Breaux Bridge, just off I-10 on the way, is worth a crawfish lunch stop.
