Cassis, a childhood dream on the French Riviera-
Is there a place in the world that you can see when you close your eyes, that you can picture along with every tree, every silhouette and every edge, as sharply as if it had been painted on the inside of your eyelids? A place you feel driven to with quenchless longing, a place you loved as a child, where you would get married, and where you might go to die one day, when your time has come? For me, that place would be Cassis.
Port-Miou, one of the many “calanques” in Cassis.
Cassis is a small port village located east of Marseille, in this region we call “Bouches du Rhône”, French for “Rhône river’s mouth”, where France’s mightiest river reaches the sea. Of course, lovely coastal towns abound in the south of France, but Cassis is spellbinding, and many French people would tell you they hold it very close to their heart. Cassis is famed for a particularly dramatic kind of natural beauty we call the “Calanques”: rocky white inlets, framed by high and steep limestone cliffs, which stretch all the way from Cassis to Marseille and create one of the most beautiful shorelines I have ever seen.
Cassis’ calanques as seen from the sea.
Cassis’ harbor.
I grew up in the north end of Provence, on the banks of the river Rhône. At night when everything was silent and I lied awake in my bed, I could hear the barges heading south, going along with the flow. I pictured myself on their decks, going down the river throughout the night, to behold a sunrise by the sea.
The river Rhône, and the cliffs on which I grew up.
Every year when spring and milder weather finally returned, we would wake up early on a Saturday morning and drive to the sea. My father, who had spent his childhood in Morocco, has kept from those early sun-soaked years a deep longing for the Mediterranean – which means “middle sea”, and that’s what she was, the very core of our southern universe – and his obsession awakened the same desire in me. I loved every beach and every harbor, but there was one city on the coast which epitomized everything I yearned for: Cassis. My night visions always lead me there, as if the stream of my dreams were southbound too, reaching the sea beneath Cassis’ high white cliffs.
Idyllic visions in Cassis.
Geological peculiarities.
Every time I go to Cassis, I live my childhood dreams anew. I usually start from Marseille and follow the incredibly scenic “Route de la Gineste”, which winds through the mountains and on the crest-lines. This road is a narrow and dangerous one, but it rewards you with the most beautiful arrival in Cassis: my heart always skips a beat when the shimmering city appears below me in the distance. Blue boats sail on the blue, blue, crystal-clear sea – the Mediterranean at its most beautiful. A medieval fortress guarded by cypresses overlooks the colorful harbor. Set between the high chalky walls, the city looks like a pearl hidden within the oyster’s shell.
The town as seen from the Ridge Road which goes from Cassis to La Ciotat.
Cassis’ beach and castle.
The medieval fortress.
The “Calanques” are innumerable and all gorgeous. Sugiton is probably the most beloved – and most crowded – one, because you can reach it quite easily from Marseille. You just have to park on the campus of the university in Luminy. I wish I had been a student there. I’m pretty sure I would have made the hike everyday between classes.
Sugiton.
Sugiton.
If you start from Cassis, Port-Miou (which is a harbor) and Port-Pin (a beach inlet) are the most accessible ones.
Port-Miou.
But the most astonishing and perfect one, the one you will never forget, is En-Vau. En-Vau, the deep set, steep, mystical “calanque”, a fortress of salt and stone, is the very heart of the sea. Ominous rock formations stand on top of the inlet, and they are being called “God’s fingers”. Somehow, lone pines manage to take root in the white vertical walls, and leap into the bright blue void like tightrope walkers hanging by a single thread, casting distorted shadows on the pristine seabed. En-Vau is a sublime place where the imagination runs wild and free.
En-Vau.
En-Vau as seen from the sea.
There are different ways to see or reach En-Vau.
Mariners in Cassis offer boat tours along the coast – if you go for it, I would suggest taking the full ride, the two-hour tour which shows you eight “calanques”, as well as the Frioul archipelago facing Marseille. It will enable you to discover caves the sea has carved in limestone, and the famous “needle’s eye” of Eissadon.
The needle’s eye.
But the boat tour will also frustrate you, because you will only be able to peek at the “calanques” from a distance, and you will long for more, for the rocky beaches and the water so clear and transparent that the deep seabed seems tangible. You can hike to En-Vau – starting from Cassis, you will need three hours to reach it, and it’s a beautiful walk on the wild side through the mountain range, but the trails quickly get rocky and tough, and it may feel like the way of the cross in the hot summer sun.
Hiking in the mountain range.
Me, hiking towards En-Vau. (Actually: Pilgrim in a Rocky Valley, by the German Romantic painter Gustav Carus. Alte Nationalgalerie in Berlin, Google Art project.)
The best is probably to rent a kayak in Port-Miou, the first “calanque” on Cassis’ side, and to paddle your way to En-Vau. You will need approximately forty-five minutes to reach it, and be blessed with the breathtaking vision of an arrival by sea, floating over the blue splendor of the deep inlet, slowly getting closer to the shore, like a pilgrim from ancient times in search of the promised land. I owe my most beautiful memories of Cassis to such rides.
Kayaking to En-Vau.
Don’t leave Cassis without taking the famous “Route des crêtes” (Ridge Road) which leads further East, up to the wide open bay in La Ciotat. This biker’s dream will grant you with beautiful panoramas over both cities, which awaken one’s desire for adventure.
Route des crêtes (Ridge Road).
Maybe there are certain places in the world where we hide the secret key to our deeper selves. Places which have the power to restore us, to allow us to start afresh, as if nothing had been lost or damaged, as if we hadn’t betrayed any of the promises we had made to our inner child, once upon a time. As if we could wake up unbroken again and reflect all the light that shines in the world, like a crystal no stain or scar has ever dimmed. And there we could find life, love and hope at the source to quench our thirst for happiness and fulfillment. I want to believe in such places, in this worldly chance for atonement. Throughout my travels, I have created a handful of such places for myself – holy shrines of my very own religion. Cassis is one of these. And I believe you will fall in love too.
In Cassis, the sea always looks like a painting.
Visions of the coastline.
Me (the little red dot) standing over Cassis, happy.
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49 commentaires pour
“Cassis, a childhood dream on the French Riviera”
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le 11 December, 2015 à 10 h 45 min a dit :
Beautiful place! I miss this sunny views right now! 🙂
le 11 December, 2015 à 15 h 57 min a dit :
Thank you, Traveling Rockhopper! I really enjoy your beautiful blog.
le 11 December, 2015 à 20 h 43 min a dit :
Wow, tes photos sont sublimes ! Elles me font rêver de ces qualanques que j’ai arpentées tant de fois, maintenant que j’en suis si loin… Je comprends ton amour pour cette région, elle est éblouissante. Elle est mon paradis sur terre.
J’habite à Lyon – quand je suis en France – mais j’ai de la famille dans le Sud, près de Martigue. Adolescents, ma maman nous y trainait, bon gré mal gré, mon frère et moi. Je trainais des pieds, parce que chaque mois je quittais mes amis et mon ordinateur pour un week-end. Un long weekend… Qui se revelait en fait bien trop court ! Une fois arrivée, je rangeais de moi-même mon téléphone portable sur ma table de nuit et le laissait se reposer pour la journée : là-bas, j’étais coupée de mon quotidien, isolée de la réalité, confortablement installée dans mon paradis fait d’amour et de nature.
Maintenant, je n’y retourne malheureusement qu’une fois par an. Non plus avec ma maman, mais avec mon copain, à qui je me délecte de montrer toutes les beautés de cette région qu’il ne connait pas, tous les bienfaits d’une vie loin de tout. Et j’en profite, aussi, pour lui faire partager mon amour pour mon oncle, ma tante et leurs enfants ; pour les longues discussions qui alimentaient nos randonnées et refaisaient nos vies.
Oui, décidément, je comprends tout ce que tu évoques ici, et cela fait écho en moi. Merci pour ce merveilleux partage.
le 13 December, 2015 à 7 h 23 min a dit :
Merci Julie, ton commentaire me ravit, car je vois que tu partages ce sentiment – il y a des lieux qui sont uniques pour nous, qui provoquent quelque chose en nous et qui restent…
le 15 January, 2016 à 20 h 35 min a dit :
The pictures are stunning. I really, really need to do a road trip soon. Awesome <3
le 16 January, 2016 à 11 h 01 min a dit :
Thank you, dear Arzo! Please do, and let me know when you’re here in the South of France, I’d be most happy to show you my favorite spots!
le 19 January, 2016 à 21 h 37 min a dit :
Wauw, I never knew that this place existed. I did a road trip trough France in summer and didn’t visit this place. Shame on me! I need to go back just to see this amazing place. Thank you for sharing and writing in such detail.
le 19 January, 2016 à 21 h 56 min a dit :
Thank you, Stephanie! I’m really glad you enjoyed it. And if you come back to France, don’t hesitate, ask me for some tips! Have a lovely evening.
le 23 March, 2016 à 22 h 42 min a dit :
Wow! Cassis is gorgeous. I’ve never heard of Calanques before, but now I have to go visit one!
le 23 March, 2016 à 22 h 43 min a dit :
Thank you Jacob! I’m glad to hear that, if you want some tips to plan your visit, don’t hesitate, send me an e-mail 🙂
le 30 June, 2016 à 22 h 10 min a dit :
What a Dream! I didn’t even know where Cassis was before reading this. .but, now, I absolutely want To go there. Looks like paradise.
le 8 July, 2016 à 13 h 28 min a dit :
Thank you Roberta! I wish you to go there and discover it!
le 21 October, 2016 à 20 h 59 min a dit :
How beautiful is this place! I cant believe I have never heard of Cassis before !
le 21 October, 2016 à 21 h 25 min a dit :
I’m glad I could show you Cassis! Few people outside of France have heard of it, but it’s truly fantastic!
le 14 December, 2016 à 11 h 12 min a dit :
[…] This one is a rocky beach, so it doesn’t count. But it’s still incredibly beautiful. To find out more about En-Vau, read this post. […]
le 12 January, 2017 à 12 h 41 min a dit :
[…] If you wish to discover further beautiful mountain ranges in Provence, check out this post about the idyllic coastal town Cassis. […]
le 17 February, 2017 à 15 h 31 min a dit :
[…] Cassis. Pour moi un lieu mythique, d’une beauté rare. Je garde un souvenir ébloui d’une nuit à […]
le 11 March, 2017 à 19 h 10 min a dit :
Your pictures and your descriptions have me ready to book a flight to Cassis. This is the first time I’ve heard of it. It doesn’t sound overly talked about.
le 12 March, 2017 à 8 h 43 min a dit :
Thank you dear Ivanna! French people know and love Cassis, it’s very famous within the country, but somehow foreigners don’t know it yet!
le 11 March, 2017 à 19 h 26 min a dit :
Ahh how beautiful is Provence! I visited Cassis last year and absolutely fell in love 😀 The weather looked a little nicer for your visit though, lovely photos 😀
le 12 March, 2017 à 8 h 44 min a dit :
Thank you Sophie, so glad to hear it!
le 11 March, 2017 à 20 h 16 min a dit :
Wow it looks stunning. A great place for hiking and boating. I will definitely check it out when I finally make it to the French Riviera so I pinned for later.
le 12 March, 2017 à 8 h 47 min a dit :
Thank you Anisa, yes this place is a must!
le 11 March, 2017 à 20 h 17 min a dit :
This is one of my favorite areas of France! You capture its beauty so well in your photos 🙂
le 12 March, 2017 à 8 h 48 min a dit :
Thank you so much for the kind words, dear Emily!
le 11 March, 2017 à 21 h 20 min a dit :
never heard of this place. very inviting. love advice on how to view the beauty of Cassis. Great pics
le 12 March, 2017 à 8 h 48 min a dit :
Thank you Rosi, so glad you enjoyed!
le 11 March, 2017 à 21 h 40 min a dit :
Omg this place does look magical! I’ve only been to Paris before, but it looks like a second trip to France is definitely in order!
le 12 March, 2017 à 8 h 48 min a dit :
Thank you so much! yes, the south is the best 😉
le 11 March, 2017 à 21 h 55 min a dit :
Wow, this looks absolutely stunning!! The kayaking would be my favourite part. What beautiful views from the ridge road! I pinned so I can add it to my list when I travel Europe in 2018
le 12 March, 2017 à 8 h 29 min a dit :
Thank you Amanda, I think you will LOVE Cassis, it’s such a beautiful city!
le 11 March, 2017 à 22 h 31 min a dit :
I was in Marseille long time ago, but I didn’t know that something like this exists there. Beautiful place, nature…love boats…love everything very much 🙂
le 12 March, 2017 à 8 h 26 min a dit :
Thank you Suzana! it’s my favorite place ever!
le 11 March, 2017 à 22 h 54 min a dit :
Love this post and the beautiful
Assortment of pictures. Not only do you describe this place so beautifully, but the photos make it look likeheaven on earth. Would love to visit one day. Thanks for inspiring me.
le 12 March, 2017 à 8 h 26 min a dit :
Thank you dear Kelly for those kind words!
le 11 March, 2017 à 22 h 57 min a dit :
Très beau post sur cet endroit qui m’a tout l’air magique. Je cherche un endroit où prendre le soleil en France cet été, ton histoire de kayak va sûrement me faire choisir Cassis, comme je ne connais pas. Ca semble vraiment magnifique!
le 12 March, 2017 à 8 h 21 min a dit :
Merci Alice ! Si tu es branchée kayak, j’ai fait des posts sur le kayak à Cassis, à Giens et à Ramatuelle, ce sont pour moi trois super spots avec des tonnes de choses à découvrir que tu ne vois pas à pied !
le 11 March, 2017 à 23 h 08 min a dit :
Ah les calanques… un coin magique et unique du Sud de la France. La roche est blanche, les pins parasols et la mer turquoise…Elles méritent largement qu’on viennent passer un week-end 🙂 Couplées avec la visite de Cassis ou de Marseille, c’est même le rêve !! J’adore y aller et y retourner encore et encore !
le 12 March, 2017 à 8 h 20 min a dit :
Je suis mille fois d’accord ! c’est sans doute l’endroit que je préfère dans notre pays 🙂
le 12 March, 2017 à 0 h 07 min a dit :
If your beautiful and poetic words about your love of this place isn’t enough, your breathtaking photos sure are! I’ll have to remember this gem, I’d love to explore it!
le 12 March, 2017 à 8 h 11 min a dit :
Thank you so much Stephanie! Cassis is very special.
le 13 March, 2017 à 20 h 25 min a dit :
Stunning scenery! Especially when I am looking out my window at snow!!!
le 15 March, 2017 à 23 h 52 min a dit :
Thank you Leigh, I hope spring will come soon!
le 9 November, 2018 à 9 h 55 min a dit :
Thank you! This is so amazing! I have never heard of Cassis so I didn’t know this city is this stunning! Love the photos.
le 7 May, 2019 à 21 h 48 min a dit :
It was a gorgeous day in October in 1998 my husband and I were leaving our hotel in St. Rémy. The bellhop asked where we were going. I said Hyere. His immediate reply was “ On a day like today the French go to Cassis.” So we went to Cassis. We just returned from our third visit there. Still mesmerizing. The color of the sea, the mistral that roared through the trees and the glorious sun were all magical.
le 10 June, 2019 à 11 h 45 min a dit :
I just returned from a wonderful vacation and visited cassis. In the photo with the caption “cassis’ beach and castle,” there is a light-colored formation high up in the distance. Someone told me it’s called Josephine’s hat. Can you tell me where I can get more information? Merci beaucoup!
le 10 June, 2019 à 11 h 47 min a dit :
Thank you dear Eunice! I had never heard of this expression “chapeau de Joséphine”, I’ve just googled it and couldn’t come up with anything, I am so sorry! It sounds nice though 🙂 Glad you enjoyed Cassis!
le 3 November, 2019 à 18 h 53 min a dit :
[…] partage la passion collective pour Cassis. Les calanques, cette citadelle de dentelle blanche où des pins funambules viennent se pencher […]
le 2 May, 2020 à 20 h 13 min a dit :
[…] The most popular way to explore the calanques is to hike. You can start either in Marseille, or in Cassis, which is an absolutely beautiful village by the sea. In Marseille, the pathway starts from the […]