Calanques National Park

France'S First Peri Urban National Park, Created 2012: White Limestone Cliffs And Turquoise Inlets Between Marseille And Cassis · Marseille, Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur

The Calanques are a coast of white limestone cliffs cut by narrow, steep-sided inlets of clear turquoise water, running for roughly 20 kilometres between the southern edge of Marseille and the fishing port of Cassis. Created in 2012, the Calanques National Park was the first in mainland Europe to sit right beside a big city, and it covers both the land massif and a large area of sea and islands. The best-known inlets are Sormiou and Morgiou on the Marseille side, Sugiton below the university campus of Luminy, and Port-Miou, Port-Pin and En-Vau near Cassis. Most are reached only on foot, by boat or by kayak: roads to the few inlets that have them are closed to private cars in summer. The trails are rocky, steep and almost without shade, and there is no drinking water anywhere in the massif. In summer the land part can be closed on high fire-risk days, and a free reservation system has been used at Sugiton on peak days, so check the daily access map and booking rules before setting out. Boat tours from Marseille and Cassis show the cliffs without the walk.

Between Marseille and Cassis, Bouches-du-Rhône, Marseille, Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur, France

The park is open all year with no gates, but access to the land massif is controlled in summer. From roughly June to September the prefecture publishes a daily fire-risk map each evening for the next day, and the massif can be open, restricted to certain hours, or closed completely on high-risk days, which are often the hot, windy days when visitors most want to go; check it the evening before and again in the morning, as walkers are turned back and fined. At the height of summer a free online reservation has been required for the Sugiton inlet on busy days, with a daily cap; confirm whether it applies and to which inlets. The access roads to Sormiou and Morgiou are closed to private cars for most of the season except for residents and restaurant bookings, and the Port-Miou and Cassis car parks fill early. Boat tours from the Vieux-Port in Marseille and the harbour in Cassis run from spring to autumn and are cancelled in strong wind, especially the mistral. Kayak rental works the same season. In winter the trails are open every day and the light is sharp, but boat services are reduced and the inlet restaurants close.

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