Visit Cassis

Colourful boats beneath a castle, ochre cliffs plunging into turquoise water and, just behind the village, the white coves of the Calanques National Park. Two days are enough to hike to En-Vau, sail along the cliffs and taste the local white wine.

Why go to Cassis?

Cassis gives direct access to the Port-Miou, Port-Pin and En-Vau calanques, part of the Calanques National Park created in 2012. The village faces Cap Canaille, whose cliffs are among the highest sea cliffs in France. Its white wine received one of the country's first controlled designations of origin, in 1936.

Cassis must-sees

Coves, cliffs and vines: the essentials are less than two hours' walk from the harbour.

En-Vau calanque

The most spectacular calanque on the Cassis side, with limestone needles and a small pebble beach, reachable only on foot or from the sea.

Port-Miou calanque

A long calanque turned into a marina, marked by a former stone quarry, it is the first stage of the trail towards En-Vau.

Cap Canaille

Its ochre sandstone cliffs rise nearly 400 metres above the bay, with views over Cassis, the calanques and, on clear days, Marseille.

Calanques boat trip

Boats from the harbour offer tours of roughly three to nine calanques, the easiest way to see the cliffs without walking.

Cassis wine estates

Terraced vines run down to the sea and mostly produce a renowned dry white, best tasted directly in the estates' cellars.

What to do in Cassis?

The harbour and the old centre

The heart of Cassis fits into a few streets between the harbour, Place Baragnon and the Grande Mer beach: you can walk round it in half an hour. Fishermen's pointu boats sit beside excursion vessels, and the quayside terraces fill up from 7 pm in summer. This small Provençal port, one of the most photographed in France, is very busy from June to September: for a calmer visit, come in May or October, when the sea is still swimmable and the car parks are no longer full.

The Calanques massif on foot

From Cassis, the waymarked trail first follows the Port-Miou calanque, then reaches Port-Pin in about forty minutes and En-Vau in 1 hr 15 to 1 hr 30. The final descent to En-Vau is steep and rocky: good shoes are essential and you need at least two litres of water per person, as there is no water point along the way. From 1 June to 30 September, access to the massif depends each day on the fire risk: check the map published the evening before setting out.

The Soubeyranes cliffs and the Route des Crêtes

East of the harbour, the Route des Crêtes climbs to the Pas de la Colle, then runs along the Soubeyranes cliffs to La Ciotat, for about fifteen kilometres. Successive viewpoints look straight down on the bay of Cassis and the Île Verte. The road is narrow, without guardrails in places, and closed on days of strong mistral or high fire risk. Allow an hour by car with stops, ideally late in the afternoon when the cliff glows red.

Vineyards and nearby escapes

Around a dozen estates farm the terraced slopes of the Cassis appellation, mainly for white wine; most welcome visitors for tastings, often by appointment out of season. About thirty kilometres west, Marseille is 20 to 25 minutes away by regional train, so you can stay in the city and visit Cassis for the day, or the other way round. For a three-day stay, combine a hiking day, a morning on the boat and an afternoon at a vineyard.

Frequently asked questions about Cassis

Can you reach the En-Vau calanque without being an experienced hiker?
Yes, if you are fit and well shod. The trail from Port-Miou takes 1 hr 15 to 1 hr 30 one way, with a steep final descent over slippery rocks. The return is uphill: set off early in summer to avoid the heat.
Which boat trip should you choose from Cassis harbour?
Short tours, around 45 minutes, cover Port-Miou, Port-Pin and En-Vau. Longer ones, up to about two hours, push on to the calanques on the Marseille side. To see Cap Canaille, pick a trip that also follows the cliffs to the east.
Are the Cassis calanques closed in summer?
Not systematically. From 1 June to 30 September, each massif is given a fire risk level for the following day: open access, restricted to morning hours, or closed. Check the map the evening before. The calanques remain accessible by sea whatever the level.
Do you need to book to visit the calanques from Cassis?
On the Cassis side, Port-Miou, Port-Pin and En-Vau did not require booking in recent seasons. The national park's summer booking system mainly concerns the Sugiton calanque, on the Marseille side. Check the current rules on the park's website before your visit.
Which wine should you taste in Cassis?
The Cassis AOC white, made notably from Marsanne, Clairette and Ugni Blanc, dry and slightly saline, ideal with bouillabaisse or sea urchins. The appellation, granted in 1936, also produces a little rosé and red, rarer outside the estates.
Can you visit Cassis as a day trip without a car?
Yes. Regional trains link Marseille Saint-Charles to Cassis station in 20 to 25 minutes, then a bus runs down to the harbour. A day allows a boat trip in the morning and a hike to Port-Pin in the afternoon. Check the time of the last train back.

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