The Calanques and the beaches: a day at the sea from the Luberon

The calanques are narrow inlets cut into the white limestone coast between Marseille and Cassis, where pine-covered cliffs drop straight into clear, turquoise water. The whole massif and its sea became the Parc national des Calanques in 2012, the first national park in Europe on the edge of a major city.

It is protected land and sea: picking plants is forbidden and fined, and the rules exist to keep it beautiful. The park’s own website, calanques-parcnational.fr, is the best place to check before you go.

The easiest way to see the calanques is a boat trip from Cassis harbour. Tickets are sold on the quay from the boatmen, shortly before departure, and trips run all year, weather and sea permitting. The three-calanque trip is perfect with children; the longer trips show you the high cliffs of Devenson and the calanques on the Marseille side. The Cassis tourist office has the details.

The coastal path from Port-Miou leads to Port-Pin and on to En-Vau. The park describes the walk to En-Vau by Port-Pin as 7.8 km and about 3 hours there and back, and rates it difficult, with a steep, rocky final descent. Wear proper walking shoes, carry at least 2 litres of water each and sun protection, and keep a close eye on children near the cliffs.

Parking in Cassis fills early in summer. Use the park-and-ride at Les Gorguettes and the shuttle into town, or the town-centre shuttle to Port-Miou.

From 1 June to 30 September, access to the massif depends on the fire risk. The Bouches-du-Rhône prefecture publishes a colour-coded map each day at risque-prevention-incendie.fr; on red days the paths are closed all day. Check it the evening before. You can still reach the calanques by boat, and swim at the town beaches.

In 2026 the roads to Sormiou, Morgiou and Callelongue were closed to cars from 7:00 to 19:00 every day from mid-June to the end of August, and at weekends in September; local buses run to the start of the paths. Sugiton and Les Pierres Tombées need a free booking on the busiest summer days. Dates change each year, so check the park’s website before you plan.

Cassis itself is a pretty fishing port with pastel houses, cafés on the quay and its own white wine. The Plage de la Grande Mer is right in town, easy with small children. Above it, Cap Canaille is the highest sea cliff in France at 394 metres, and the Route des Crêtes to La Ciotat runs along the top with extraordinary views; it closes in strong wind.