Plage du Prophète

Plage du Prophète is a 260-metre beach of fine sand and pebbles below the Corniche Kennedy in Marseille's 7th arrondissement, between the Catalans beach and the Prado beaches. The city tourist office counts it among Marseille's oldest and most popular beaches. It suits families with children, volleyball players and residents coming down for a swim after work.

Shallow water, play equipment and summer lifeguards

The water is shallow near the shore. Facilities include showers, toilets, changing cabins, lockers, children's play equipment, a volleyball court and a snack kiosk. In the supervised season, roughly June to the end of August, lifeguards watch the beach from about 9:30 to 18:30, and the toilets open over the same hours. Smoking has been banned in Marseille's supervised bathing zones since 2021, and animals are not allowed on the beach.

Notre-Dame de la Garde and Frioul views

Residential districts climb the hill behind the beach, which gives it a local feel. The basilica of Notre-Dame de la Garde can be seen on its hill about 1.5 km to the north-east, and the Corniche walk from the Catalans beach gives views to the Frioul islands most of the way. The Villa Valmer, a 19th-century villa with a public park, stands about 1 km along the Corniche.

The Marseille tide gauge

Along the Corniche, at number 174, is the Marseille tide gauge, the marégraphe, built in 1883 and 1884. Its measurements of mean sea level, begun in February 1885, were used to fix the zero point for altitudes in mainland France, and the gauge still records sea level today.