Calanques National Park
I once wrote an article about the West part of the French Riviera, where I talked about these impressive white cliffs & inlets between the cities of Marseille & Cassis: the Calanques.
Six years ago, I had the opportunity to visit them by boat with my family. It was a lovely sunny day, and I enjoyed it, but somehow it left me a bit hungry for more. Indeed it wasn't possible to be dropped off at any of the amazing beaches, which is completely understandable due to environmental issues (imagine thousands of people being dropped on tiny secluded beaches).
Some of the alternatives that were suggested to me at that time were: knowing someone who has a small boat, renting a kayak, or hiking one of the Calanques. Unfortunately, we didn't have time to do any of these. That's why when the opportunity came to spend a weekend in Marseille with my sister and our boyfriends, I got really excited to start planning a hike.
Tip #1: The hike to each Calanque is quite long. Don't visit more than one at a time, and keep some time to enjoy the beach.
DAY 1: SUGITON
Sugiton is a 25-min drive from Marseille centre, and can be accessed via Luminy University parking lot.
Tip #2: On your way there, make sure you have some cash or a credit card accessible because there are tolls on the highway.
When you get there, I would first recommend going up to the viewpoint to get a breathtaking view on the coast, and then get down to the beach to swim and relax. Bring a map, or don't hesitate to ask for directions if you're not sure where to go.
When you get down there, there are three little beaches, and an island where you can jump off cliffs. People mostly just sit along the cliffs and get a tan, as the water is very cold due to the depth of cliffs under the sea and karstic mountain streams.
Duration: At least 4 hours if you want to see everything and enjoy the beach.
DAY 2: EN-VAU
You can access this calanque via two different starting points: Col de la Gardiole or Cassis. The first one is shorter and easier, but won't offer you a breathtaking view from above. The second one is longer and a bit more rough, but you will see three different calanques and you'll get a gorgeous view on En-Vau. We chose the latter, and drove all the way to Parking de la Presqu'Île in Cassis, which was a 35-min drive from Marseille centre.
The itinerary starts at the calanque of Port-Miou, where there is no beach, but a port. Then you continue to Port-Pin, which has a gorgeous little beach. From Port-Pin, you will need to follow the blue path if you want to stay near the edge of the cliffs and get the beautiful view on En-Vau.
We didn't hike down to the beach as we were short on time, and the beach access is very steep (meaning that it's harder when you come back). Instead, we hiked back to Port-Pin and enjoyed the water there for a bit.
Tip #3: Bring lots of water, food and sunscreen as the weather is really hot, and you might find it tiring.
Duration: At least 5 hours if you hike down to En-Vau and want to enjoy the beach.
