Adventures at Cypremort Point  

Many tourists travel to Mississippi, Alabama, Florida or Texas for Gulf Coast beach adventures.  I’m glad that they do so.  It keeps our own Louisiana coastal destinations from being much more crowded. 

Don’t get me wrong.  There are more pristine and attractive beaches found in some Gulf Coast states.  There can also be more diversity of traveler attractions and accommodations for those driving stretches of coastal highway in Florida and Texas.  It’s been a tradition as well for many decades ago that Louisiana high school and college students traveled for graduation or school breaks to popular Florida or Texas beaches.    

Folks in north and central Louisiana don’t visit in huge numbers to places like Grand Isle, Holly Beach and Cameron, or elsewhere on the Louisiana coast.  These small towns and communities certainly have full-time, vacation, and holiday residents with houses and camps – often on stilts to protect from flooding.  A few attractions, like Grand Isle and Avery Island, have an interesting history of 19^th century millionaires building mansions and resorts there. 

My favorite Louisiana coastal destination is less known and traveled to than Grand Isle or Holly Beach.  I discovered it back in 1974 when I first lived in Lafayette and started exploring the surrounding areas.   

Cypremort Point is a cape on Vermilion Bay.  The name apparently derives from Native Americans in that area long ago, and a large cypress tree at the point that was said to mark tribal boundaries.  Cypremort is French for cypress (cypre) and dead (mort).  Traveling south on US Hwy 90 just an exit or two past New Iberia, you can take LA 83 south and then turn right on LA 319 to the little village.  You pass Cypremort Point State Park on the right a few miles before reaching the fishing village itself.   

I made a lot of return visits to Cypremort Point.  Several trips were with friends and work colleagues.  One friend had a Boston Whaler that we would take out a mile or so in Vermilion Bay for fishing speckled trout, sand trout, redfish, and whatever else might be biting that day.  I well remember occasions when playful dolphins, the young ones with pink bellies, would seem to dance all around our boat.  Other times, multiple thunderheads would develop quickly over the bay and one would chase us back closer to shore.  We’d usually try to wait out the passing storm and rain under a bridge or overhead shelter, all the time dangling strings with bait and trying to pull crabs onboard.   The combination of fresh trout and crab at the end of the day made our fishing expeditions seem hugely rewarding.    

Later trips weren’t quite as much fun and involved some serious net hauling by hand and resulting sore muscles.  That friend had a larger boat, and he recruited several of us for a day shrimping.  I was enthusiastic, if a bit underprepared the first time.  At the end of the day we did bring back about 200 pounds of shrimp.  My hands were in poor shape, though, from trying to separate the shrimp from the small trash fish caught in the nets.  I needed better gloves that day – not realizing the accumulated effect of the acids from the surfaces of the fresh shrimp and fish.   

My stomach for day-long Gulf fishing trips seemed stronger than average among my friends on these excursions.  I did learn, though, to take into full account Gulf forecasts before these outings.  When forecasts were accurate for continuous five to eight-foot waves, my limit was about six hours before sea sickness would become a serious possibility.  I avoided that fate, but the shore was a very welcomed sight in the late afternoons on more than one occasion.          

After a decades-long absence from Cypremort Point, my wife and I made a quick, scouting trip there on a recent steamy, summer day.  I wanted to research and try to book a fishing charter for a day in the late summer or fall.  Perhaps I can convince my brother and one of my nephews to join me then.  My teenage nephew views golf and fishing as leisure priorities.  My brother is just as enthusiastic about golf, but fishing never interested him that much.  I may have to find a substitute for him on the proposed fishing trip. 

There appear to be at least three established fishing charter outfits that operate out of Cypremort Point now.  These can seem expensive to book for a day or a half-day, particularly compared to the old days of “head” boats that often took many anglers who fished off the sides of boats.  Charters offer a small group of anglers expertise for a diverse set of possible fishing experiences.  Depending on conditions and the time of the year, charter skippers might be prospecting for redfish, flounder, speckled trout, black drum, or sheepshead.  Charters usually provide tackle, fish cleaning, and other services to justify their fees.    

At Cypremort Point State Park, shore and pier fishing options usually exist.  Right now, though, the park’s fishing pier is under repair and blocked from entry.  On a very hot afternoon at the park, we did spot one amorous couple who had waded out waist high and were casting.  They seemed to be enjoying the other’s company and staying cool more than making serious casts.     

The state park has six cabins for rent, and many covered picnic pavilions for parties or BBQs.  These can be booked online.  Sailing is one recreational option with a park ramp for launches.  Grassy and sand areas are also available for volleyball or pickup football games.  A half-mile, man-made, sand beach runs the length of the state park, offering opportunities for swimming, kitesurfing and windsurfing. 

A few caveats seem necessary to share.  As indicated on one Cypremort Point internet site, cell phone usage can be dicey in some locations there.  I had little luck accessing the internet from my phone while in the village, and my wife’s phone was only a little better.  There were helpful signs, though, pointing out local destinations.

You might want to pick up certain supplies in Lafayette or New Iberia for an extended Cypremort Pointe visit, since the village itself has relatively few commercial options.  The Bayview Inn General Store does serve burgers, sandwiches, and refreshments at its prime location on the point.  The view of the bay from there is impressive.

Cypremort Point has a special significance for me, as Grand Isle or Holly Beach, no doubt, has for others.  I’d certainly recommend extended trips to the New Iberia area, not just for seeing Cypremort Point, but for experiencing Jungle Gardens at Avery Island and Jefferson Island Gardens.  Weeks Island, very near Cypremort Point, as well as Jefferson Island and Avery Island, are good examples of the raised salt dome deposits and the different ecologies along coastal Louisiana. 

The COVID-19 threat has meant that many of us are more hesitant to take longer trips out of state by air or auto.  I’m sure that most of us still have new and interesting places and experiences here in Louisiana that we could finally explore.