Planning Your Visit to the Stunning Calanques National Park

Last updated on January 26th, 2023 at 07:17 pm

If you are planning to visit Southern France, then you absolutely need to visit Calanques National Park. This stunning area has some of the most beautiful water and hiking trails in France. In this post, I have compiled all the information you will need in order to make your visit to Clanques National Park a success.

Please note that while there are multiple calanques to visit in this park, this post will be focused specifically on the Calanques de Cassis. (Cassis is a beautiful coastal village in southern France.) In my opinion, these inlets are easily accessible and hike-able. By starting your journey here, you will get to admire multiple points of interest and have some wonderful spots for swimming.

***Disclaimer: Always be sure to check the current entry restrictions and regulations for France as well as any activity you would like to participate in before booking any part of your journey!

What is a Calanque?

So, at this point, you might be wondering what on earth a calanque is? I know I did when I first started doing research for our visit. In short, a calanque is a narrow, steep-walled inlet that is developed in limestone, dolomite, or other carbonate strata and found along the Mediterranean coast. To some degree, it is similar to a fjord, as you will see from the photos.

How to Get to Calanques National Park

Staying in Cassis vs Marsielle

We stayed in Marseille, France and drove to the Calanques National Park for the day. Honestly, it worked out pretty well since Marseille is just over a 30 minute drive away. And, if you are looking to visit Marseille, I would recommend doing this.

That said, looking back on our experience, I really wish we had stayed in Cassis, France. It is such a cute village with lots of little shops and seaside restaurants. There is also a little lighthouse and a beach area which you can see in the photo below. I’m not that much of a big city person and this place was more my speed. Also, staying here would have given us more time to explore this area.

Visit Calanques National Park by Car

If you’re not planning to stay in Cassis, the best way to get Calanaques National Park would be via car. This gives you the most flexibility overall since you won’t be bound by time tables.

Parking Your Car

If you are looking for close parking, then I would recommend parking here. But, there is limited space and it is a bit more expensive.

For us, we decided to park for free at Parking des Gorguettes. From here, we paid a nominal fee for a shuttle bus that took us to down to Cassis. Overall, we were very happy with this parking experience. And, I have to add that the free toilets were very clean and well stocked.

Visit Calanques National Park by Bus From Marseille

There is a bus you can take from Marseille, the M08. To find out more and view the timetable, please click here.

Boat Options from Cassis

If you’re not up for hiking to the calanques, it is possible to take a boat to the inlets. To check out options for boating and kayaking, please click here.

Important Things to Consider for Your Visit to Calanques National Park

There are multiple things you should consider before embarking on your journey. This section is not meant to scare you, but to inform you of the risks and how to best prepare yourself for your experience.

Consider the Weather

The Calanques National Park area is particularly at risk for fires during the dry summer months. Because of this, there are times where the park might be closed in order to protect the lives of visitors. The park has poor cell phone reception in many parts. And, due to its secluded nature, it can also be difficult for rescue teams to access certain areas. Thus, it is important to respect any signage warning against entry into the park.

Be Prepared for Hiking

In the warmer months, a dip in the refreshing waters of the Mediterranean sound like just the perfect solution. And nothing looks more inviting than these jeweled waters. But, you must consider that you will have to hike to get to them. Mostly the path was rocky or sandy, but it was often not flat and there were some steep sections. Please consider this before heading out.

Appropriate Gear and Supplies

I cannot stress it enough: wear good shoes. Do not wear flip-flops!! Put those in your beach bag and switch out your foot gear once you’ve arrived at the beach. Also, bring a hat and wear appropriate clothing for hiking (have your bathing suit on underneath your hiking clothes). Also, there is little to no shade along the trail, so don’t forget your sunglasses and sunscreen.

Additionally, there is no place to buy food or drinks once you enter the national park. So be sure to bring plenty of water and snacks to fuel your journey and avoid a dangerous situation.

Finally, I highly recommend starting as early in the day as possible to avoid hiking in the worst of the heat. This will also help you have more time in the calanques without such big crowds.

Map of the Hike

Below I’ve included a map of the hike with the stops along the way. Please note that according to Google Maps it will take approximately 1.5 hours to get from the center of Cassis to Calanque d’En-Vau. Of course, if you’re able to park in the closer parking lot, it will take a little less time.

Please note that this is estimate does NOT include any stops for swimming, photos, water/food breaks, etc. along the way! You pace might also vary depending upon the members of your party. I would plan for at least 4 hours of hiking round trip (not including stops for swimming).

Jaw Dropping Stops Along the Trail

1. Visit Calanque de Port-Miou

This narrow port is the first glimpse of a calanque on your journey. Here you will get your first views of the stunning waters as you watch boats glide in and out of the natural harbor.

From here, it’s about a 20 minute walk to the first swimming stop of the journey, Calanque de Port Pin.

2. Visit Calanque de Port Pin

At this calanaque, you will discover some welcome shade. But, you might find yourself fighting for a place if you arrive too late in the day. Since the inlets are narrow, that means that the beach area is also narrow. Around the beach, is pretty rocky, so there aren’t as many good places to set up.

We got a late start to our day, and it was definitely crowded when we arrived. Even the water was pretty full of people all the way down the narrow waterway. I would say that part of this is due to the fact that it is the easiest/closest inlet to hike to. But, don’t despair if it is crowded! There is another beautiful beach area ahead.

(For comparison: the photos on the far left shows the number of people around mid-day vs the picture on the right which was taken on our return journey later in the afternoon.)

From here, it’s about a 10-15 min walk to the Pointe d’EnVau.

3. Enjoy the View at Pointe d’En-Vau

This stop will add a little extra time to your journey, but it is worth it for the stunning views out across the Mediterranean as well as looking back towards the Calanque de Port Pin. Above, you can the Pointe poking out on the right hand side of the photo on the left. The photo on the right was taken looking back towards the Calanque de Port Pin (where you just came from).

From here, it’s about a 35 minute hike to the second swimming stop of your journey at Calanque d’En Vau. This part of the journey was probably my favorite because you end up in a deep canyon with towering rock faces. It was so beautiful and provided some much needed shade.

4. Visit Calanque d’En-Vau

This beautiful spot was our last stop of our journey. We encountered fewer crowds here and it was a more relaxing place for me personally. Part of that might be due to the fact that it is a longer hike to get here and more people prefer the closer inlet. But, it might also be because it was a bit later in the day and most people had already started heading back towards Cassis by the time we arrived. In any case, I enjoyed climbing along the steep rock walls of the inlet and refreshing my tired legs in the water.

You can stay here as long as you like before heading home. Just remember that from here, it will take about 1 hour to get back to Cassis. So, keep a close eye on the time so you’re not walking back in the dark! 🙂

In Conclusion

I hope that this post has left you feeling well informed for your visit to Calanques National Park. I wish you a wonderful time and I hope you get some fabulous photos of this beautiful area!

Happy Travels,
<3 Christine