Infections with Vibrio parahaemolyticus, a gram-negative bacterium found in salt water, are mainly gastrointestinal or cutaneous. The development of sepsis is not uncommon. We report the case of an 85-year-old patient who developed lower limb cellulitis caused by V. parahaemolyticus, originating from leg ulcers and complicated by septicaemia and septic shock, after a sea beach holiday. We discuss the epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical manifestations and treatment of V. parahaemolyticus infections.