Calanques National Park (Parc national des Calanques)

The Calanques National Park (Parc national des Calanques) is a protected area of white limestone cliffs and narrow sea inlets on the coast of the Bouches-du-Rhône, between the southern districts of Marseille, Cassis and La Ciotat. Created by decree on 18 April 2012, it suits hikers, swimmers, climbers, kayakers and divers, and it is free to enter.

8,500 hectares on land and 43,500 at sea

The park's core covers about 8,500 hectares on land and 43,500 hectares at sea, so the marine part makes up around 90 percent of the protected core. It is one of the few national parks in the world on the edge of a large city. The land area is a massif of white limestone cut by the calanques, narrow inlets that run down to clear water.

Sormiou, Sugiton, Port-Miou and En-Vau

From Marseille, Sormiou and Morgiou have small restaurants and cabanons; Sugiton and the Pierres Tombées are reached by a trail from the Luminy campus, where city buses terminate. From Cassis, Port-Miou is a short walk from town, Port-Pin follows, and En-Vau needs a longer, steeper hike. Boat trips along the cliffs leave from the Vieux-Port in Marseille and the harbour in Cassis and are the easiest way to see several inlets in one day.

Summer fire-risk levels and red-day bans

From 1 June to 30 September the prefecture sets a daily fire-risk level for the massifs. On red days land access is banned and the Route des Crêtes above Cassis closes. Check the Mes Calanques app or the prefecture's map in the evening before your visit, between 17:00 and 18:00.

Underwater cave and the replica at Villa Méditerranée

The park contains the Cosquer Cave, decorated with prehistoric paintings and engravings, whose entrance now lies under the sea. It is closed to the public, but since June 2022 a full-scale replica, Cosquer Méditerranée, has been open in the Villa Méditerranée in Marseille.