The Calanques of Marseille

Hiking distance : 1er jour : 15.5 km ; 2ème jour : 12.9 km km ; Hiking time : 1er jour : 07.00 ; 2ème jour : 05.00
Mediterranean shore near the Melette islet
Mediterranean shore near the Melette islet

In south central France, everyone has heard of the “Calanques”, a zone of low but craggy white limestone peaks, arid valleys and narrow sea inlets between Marseille and Cassis. Calanque refers to a particular type of narrow inlet or cove – typically deeply indented into the coastline. In 2012 a national park was created here covering an area of land and sea. The Calanques area is frequented by many different users including divers, climbers, and hikers. For hikers, a waymarked trail runs more or less parallel to the coast all the way between Cassis and the southern end of Marseille. The trail is a stretch for a single day walk (22 km and about 2000 m cumulative climb) but easy to complete in 2 days so you usually need an overnight stay near one of the trail heads and an arrangement to be picked up at the chosen endpoint. Continue reading “The Calanques of Marseille”