This Underrated Louisiana City Is Ideal for Any Traveler

Lafayette, Louisiana is a great place to live and a wonderful city to visit. Most who visit Louisiana focus on New Orleans or Baton Rouge, but there are lots of other lesser-known destinations in The Pelican State that are worth a closer look, and Lafayette is one of them. With a population of around 120,000, Lafayette is big enough to offer plenty of interesting restaurants, shops, and attractions, but it's small enough that it's easy to navigate and explore without much effort or overwhelm.

This welcoming and friendly city is about two hours west of New Orleans and about an hour west of Baton Rouge. It would be quite simple and worthwhile to visit all three cities in one week-long trip — you'll find that each of the three cities has a very unique and vastly different character from the others.

Lafayette was originally called Vermillionville and was incorporated in 1836. First settled primarily for agriculture, oil was discovered in the area in the 1940s, and the city grew by leaps and bounds from that point on. Today, many locals still work in the oil and gas industry, but Lafayette is also a hub for health care, social services, banking, aerospace, retail, and education. The University of Louisiana at Lafayette has an enrollment of over 16,000 students annually.

This vast diversity in industry makes Lafayette an interesting place to live and visit. The population of Lafayette is diverse, too, with a large population of not only Louisiana Creole and Cajun people among its residents, but also quite a few foreign-born residents. Furthermore, Lafayette is considered to be one city in the south that has been especially welcoming to members of the LGBTQ+ community since as far back as the late 1960s.

There are lots of things to see and do in Lafayette. History buffs will love exploring attractions like Vermillionville, a 23-acre village with replica homes from the 1700s, or Acadian Village, which features genuine, relocated Cajun homes from the 1800s plus a Native American museum. Families will enjoy visiting the Lafayette Science Museum on the University of Louisiana campus or the interactive and hands-on Children's Museum of Acadiana.

If you like art, you'll love the Acadiana Center of the Arts, which offers live music and visual art exhibits year-round. Or, if you want to spend some time outside in nature, there are plenty of opportunities to do that, too. You might walk the trails at the Acadiana Park Nature Station or bird watch at the Lake Martin Rookery. There's truly something for everyone in Lafayette.

And, according to statistics, Lafayette has some of the most restaurants per capita in the state of Louisiana, so visitors won't have any difficulty finding a good meal while in town. Bon Temps Grill is well known for offering Cajun favorites and fresh daily seafood dishes, and is an excellent choice for all. Those seeking a perfect Po Boy sandwich will want to make a beeline to Old Tyme Grocery, where some of the best of the best have been served since 1982. Johnson's Boucanière is another fantastic choice, especially if you love BBQ and smoked meats. This iconic Lafayette staple has been serving great food since 1937.

These restaurants and attractions above are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to things to see, do, and eat in Lafayette. There is so much to explore and enjoy in this often-overlooked Louisiana city, and you're sure to fall in love with it upon your very first visit. If you're looking for a great place to stay with a real southern feel, you might consider Maison Mouton Bed & Breakfast, but there are dozens of other great options in town as well. Book one and plan a trip soon! You'll wonder why you never made it to Lafayette, Louisiana sooner. And if you're looking for more recommendations for what to do in the area, check out our itinerary planner.