parc national des calanques

We have parked the car and walked to hidden bays to take a swim and been lucky enough to go out on a friends boat, so by far the best way to see the Calanques is from the water.Either way take plenty of water, sunscreen and a picnic lunch as there are very few amenities.

You can enjoy in the Calanques beautiful sightseeing of a mixed rocks and see. In fact the calanques are kind of Fjords very steep and abrupt rocks, when you finish your descend you can enjoy a swim in the Mediteranean see.I have travelled a lot in my life and I have never enjoyed such a beatiful place.

The Calanques are gorgeous. We did a ferry trip from Vieux port - excellent way to see the Calanques from the sea. The trip lasted for about 3 hours, and it was very nice. Wish they had english commentary, but never mind, the beauty of the Calaques is definitely beyond words.

Les Calanques are a magical place. Anybody who visits Marseille needs to visit Les Calanques. We went there by foot and when you're at the top of the hills, you have a feeling of being at the top of the world. The pictures are not 20% as beautiful as it is in real life. My boyfriend and I brought a lunch in our backpacks and ate by the sea and then went for a swim. Such a wonderful life experience, I can't wait to go back!

The views from the cliffs are fantastic. I didn't go down to the beach but it looked inviting. We were warned by the locals about robberies which made us cautious though we saw nothing suspicious.

You just walk, walk, and once arrive to the beginning of wonderland! Beautiful wiew, you forget the daily routin, the distance of the bus station and other problems. The wind is blowing, sun is shining and you feel :This is one of the best moment of my life! Unforgottable

Le Parc National des Calanques is an area of outstandingly beautiful limestone cliffs and inlets on the Mediterranean coast. Its principal feature is rugged limestone outcropings. There are also some areas of mainly coniferous forest with patches of broadleaf trees. It is possible to take a brief boat tour around some parts of Les Calanques- many boat trips start and finish in the Old Port of Marseille. However, there is no substitute for walking. The walking paths are well maintained and sign posted, but plan to have a guide book or map to get more from your walk. Wear strong sneakers, or even better, hiking boots. Sunglasses, sun block, and appropriate clothing are recommended at all times of year. This is a protected area and there are no restaurants or cafes, so bring food and water for longer hikes.Almost all of the walking routes in the Calanques are accessible by public transport from Marseille and its exurbs. This is France's tenth national park, established in 2012.During the warm months, you can walk right down to sea and swim in any of the numerous little coves. However, during periods of elevated heat and aridity, the Park might possibly be closed, except during the early morning hours, because of fire risk.There are many guide books to the hiking paths of the Calanques. The walks listed in any decent book should be graded according to difficulty, duration and elevation. We use a very small book of 28 routes, 'Les Calanques à Pied'. If you are interested in more extensive walking, the IGN (National Geographic Institute) map 'Les Calanques de Marseille à Cassis' scale 1:15,000 ( 1 cm = 150 M) is excellent. One walk which is particularly interesting and beautiful is the 'Petit Prince' walk near Cassis. It is named after the 'Petit Prince' from the children's book by the author and aviator Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. You can look out from a viewpoint on this route to the area where Saint-Exupéry's military spotter plane crashed into the Mediterranean in July 1944. His identity bracelet and the remains of his plane were not discovered for another fifty years.This park is physically outstanding as well as historically fascinating: make time to visit it.

Wonderfull nature! We had a boat-trip from Cassis, a small town at 25 km from Marseille. Lovely town!

This area is stunningly beautiful. The site, the history, the nature, all are not to be missed. We spent the better part of a day there and did not tire of the area at all. Really splendid.

Grab yourself a pair of hiking shoes and make it to the Calanques. The views are gorgeous, and swimming in its turquoise waters is the perfect reward. You are not going to be alone, though.

We were in awe at the beauty of the vistas once you reached the top of the canyon area. The trails are well marked and every turn offers another wow perspective. The trail we were on went to the end of the peninsula and it wasn't particularly difficult, but I would suggest good hiking shoes. This area was one of the highlights of our 2 month European holiday.

Great boat trip on beautiful day. Buy ticket in advance but get there early to get decent upstairs seat on the boat.

Whether you start out in Marseille or Cassis, it is definitely worth hopping on a boat for a tour of the beautiful calanques. The water is stunningly blue and the cliffs springing right out of the sea provide many great opportunities for picnicking, swimming, and hiking.

The Vieux Port was a clanque developed by the Phonecians and luckily there is a large National Park on the eastern otskirts of Marseille that preserves the wild coast and the smaller calanques formed here. The park is easily accessible by public transport and has excellent paths. Easy walking (for the most part) and spectacular scenery.

We spent a day hiking the calanques. We started in Cassis by the Port-au-Pin calanque and hiked to Port-Miou and finally En Vau. All 3 calanques are different and have amazing views. We went at the end of September on a week day to avoid crowds and we were not disappointed. We brought our swim suit and were able to swim. The water was clear, turquoise and at a great temperature :) The hike is not easy to the calanque of En-Vau. We followed the blue trail and the trail is on rocks that can be slippery at times. Cannot be afraid of hikes! Overall, great hike and must see scenery!! Bring your hiking shoes, sandwich and towel for a great day!!