Calanques National Park, Marseille

About the Calanques

A calanque is a narrow, steep-walled inlet cut into limestone: once river valleys or collapsed caves, later flooded by the sea. The Mediterranean's most famous calanques are in the Massif des Calanques between Marseille and Cassis, twenty kilometres of white cliffs, pines and turquoise inlets.

Since 2012 it has been a national park of 520 km², most of it marine. Efforts to protect the calanques date back to 1923, when locals campaigned against industrial building at En-Vau. Today it's one of Marseille's favourite places for hiking, swimming and climbing.

What to see

• Sugiton — the closest cove to Marseille, on foot from Luminy.
• Sormiou — a large cove with a beach and fishermen's cabins.
• Morgiou — a cove with a tiny harbour and boats.
• Port-Miou — a long fjord-like inlet next to Cassis.
• En-Vau — the most famous cove, with a white beach.
• By boat — every calanque from the sea in a couple of hours.

The coves

Closest to Marseille is Sugiton: a trail leads from the Luminy university campus, about an hour each way with a steep descent. In summer you can only go with a free booking on the park website. Sormiou and Morgiou are big coves with beaches and fishermen's cabins, reached by roads closed to cars in summer.

On the Cassis side are Port-Miou, a long narrow inlet full of yachts, and the famous En-Vau, with its white pebble beach between sheer cliffs. It's about an hour and a half to En-Vau on a rocky trail, so many people paddle in by kayak or see it from a boat.

The Calanques by boat

The easiest way to see the calanques is a boat trip. Sailings of one and a half to three hours leave Marseille's Old Port and Cassis harbour: the boat runs along the cliffs, slips into the coves and sometimes stops for a swim. From the water you see the white cliffs, the pines on the rocks and the colour of the sea.

For the active, there's kayaking and paddleboarding, with rentals in Cassis and in the coves. Under the sea off Cap Morgiou lies the famous Cosquer Cave, its prehistoric paintings reached through an underwater entrance; you can see its replica in a museum in Marseille.

Hiking trails

Dozens of trails of different difficulty cross the massif. The most popular lead to Sugiton from Luminy and to Port-Miou and En-Vau from Cassis. The trails are stony, with climbs and descents over rock, so wear trainers or hiking shoes, not sandals.

There's no water in the calanques: carry at least 1.5–2 litres per person, food and a hat. The massif's high point is Mont Puget (565 m), but for an ordinary walk you don't need to climb that high, as the views open up within half an hour.

Tips for your visit

Allow half a day to hike to one cove and swim, two to three hours for a boat trip. Set off early: the trails get hot by midday, and car parks and buses fill up.

The Calanques combine easily with Cassis: a boat to the coves in the morning, lunch in the harbour, the beach in the evening. If tough trails aren't for you, take the boat.

Don't take small children or pushchairs on the trails: the descents are steep and slippery. There are no cafés in the coves except Sormiou and Morgiou, so bring food and take your rubbish away.

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How to do it right

• Check access in summer.
• Wear hiking shoes.
• Carry 2 litres of water.
• Not a hiker? Take the boat.

Questions