Calanques: RIB exploration guide
The term "Calanques" alone is enough to evoke the wild beauty of the coastline between Marseille and Cassis.
Carved by the sea into the limestone rock face, these deep incisions form crystal-clear coves, often surrounded by steep cliffs, and constitute a unique eco-system in France.
Created in 2012, the Calanques marine and terrestrial park covers more than 520 km², including almost 100 km² of sea. It is home to exceptional biodiversity: brown groupers, corbs, red gorgonians, posidonia, peregrine falcons and gulls.
It's one of the few urban national parks in the world, accessible from a major metropolis yet offering a sense of total isolation.
Sailing in a RIB is the ideal way to explore these hidden treasures: the boat's lightness means you can slip into the narrowest coves, approach secret beaches and get up close to sea caves.
In this article, Orca Retail offers you a complete guide to the most beautiful calanques in the Mediterranean! Where to go? What's there to see? How to respect this exceptional area?
We tell you all about it!
The calanques from Marseille
At the gateway to France's second largest city, the landscape opens out onto a succession of calanques and coves. From Marseille's Old Port, it takes just 20 to 60 minutes to sail along this breathtaking coastline.
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Mont Rose: accessible from the Madrague de Montredon, this is the first natural stopover on leaving Marseille. Perfect for a morning swim.
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L'Escalette: a former lead factory, this disused industrial site offers a striking contrast with the white cliffs nearby.
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Les Goudes and Cap Croisette: a picturesque little port at the southern tip of Marseille. A semi-rigid boat will take you along the Maïre and Jarre islets, perfect for diving.
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Callelongue: terminus of the GR98, this cove marks the gateway to the National Park. It features a charming protected cove.
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Marseilleveyre: a wide bay dominated by the massif of the same name. It can be reached in 40 minutes from the Old Port. Ideal for lunch on board.
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Sormiou: a genuine little fishing village, with its colorful huts and emerald-green waters. A 45-minute sail takes you there.
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Morgiou: famous for the Cosquer cave, a sunken prehistoric site. The seabed is extremely rich.
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Sugiton: recognizable by its "torpedo boat", an elongated islet in the center of the calanque. Perfect for snorkeling.
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Devenson cliffs: one of Europe's highest maritime escarpments (up to 300 m). Photographers will find a breathtaking panorama here.
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En-Vau: undoubtedly the most spectacular, framed by high white cliffs plunging into turquoise water. Accessible only by boat or by long footpath.
The calanques from Cassis
Cassis has just one calanque on its territory, Port-Miou, but its port is the ideal base from which to explore the wonders nearby.
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Port-Miou: a veritable Provencal fjord, lined with pine trees and sailboats. This is the departure point for Port-Pin.
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La pointe de la Cacau: a wild cape offering exceptional views of the open sea and the cave of the same name.
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Port-Pin: small, shady and accessible in 15 minutes from Cassis, it's a delightfully tranquil spot.
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En-Vau: 25 minutes by boat, nestling at the bottom of a majestic canyon.
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Cassis terroir: between terraced vineyards and the cliffs of Cap Canaille, the Route des Crêtes offers breathtaking views.
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Cap Canaille: rising to 394 meters, it overlooks the sea in golden hues at sunset.
The calanques of La Ciotat
To the east of Cap Canaille, the calanques of La Ciotat offer a gentler face and spectacular volcanic rock formations.
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Cap Canaille: a natural extension of the Cassis cliffs. You can sail around it to reach Figuerolles.
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Figuerolles: famous for its red rock and jagged shape. Just 10 minutes from the port of La Ciotat, it's a popular spot for diving and sunsets.
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Le Mugel and le bec de l'Aigle: peaceful coves nestled at the foot of a rocky massif in the shape of an eagle.
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Ile Verte: the only wooded island on the Bouches-du-Rhône coast, accessible in 15 minutes by boat. It features a path, a restaurant and sheltered coves perfect for anchoring.
Marine biodiversity of the Calanques
The Parc national des Calanques is home to an exceptional wealth of marine life, at the crossroads of temperate Mediterranean and tropical influences. No fewer than 60 heritage marine species have been recorded here, some of them rare or protected.
In the Posidonia meadow
A symbol of the Mediterranean, Posidonia forms veritable underwater meadows, refuges and nurseries for numerous species. You'll come across saups, sars, girelles and seahorses, as well as fascinating invertebrates such as thediadem sea urchin (whose spines sometimes reach 10 cm) and the large mother-of-pearl, the largest shellfish in the basin, which can measure up to one meter.
In the coralligenous
At greater depths, the coralligenous offers a colorful spectacle. Yellow gorgonians and red tree corals line the rock faces, forming veritable underwater forests where sponges, crustaceans and fish mingle. This fragile ecosystem plays an essential role in the Park's ecological balance.
Fish, turtles and cetaceans
Among the stars of the Calanques are the brown grouper, protected by a moratorium, and the corb, a discreet species living in the crevices of the rocks. Offshore, the lucky ones can observe the bottlenose dolphin, the blue and white dolphin, and even the majestic fin whale, the second largest animal on the planet after the blue whale. There's also the loggerhead turtle, which comes to feed in these waters rich in plankton and small fish.
Beneath the surface, limestone algae, strict cystoseire, peacock's-tail padina andsea parasol make up an abundant and fragile flora, to be photographed with respect and discretion.
The wrecks of the Calanques: an underwater museum
The proximity of Marseille, France's largest port and oldest city, explains the unique concentration of shipwrecks in the waters of the National Park. From ancient relics to Second World War aircraft, the Calanques are a veritable underwater museum.
Ancient shipwrecks
Among the most famous, the 30-metre-long Tiboulen de Maïre holds an impressive load of Greek and Roman amphorae; theÉcueil de Miet 3 (6th century BC) housed Etruscan amphorae and ritual bowls known as canthares, while Plane 2 bears witness to trade between Greece, Carthage and Massalia with its cargo of copper, amphorae and ceramics.
Treasures from the Middle Ages
The most famous wreck is that of the Grand-Saint-Antoine, linked to the plague of 1720. Not far away, Plateau des Chèvres 1 reveals a 16th-century ship carrying a cargo of ceramics from Fréjus: pegasus, jugs, bowls and bowls bear witness to the maritime trade of the time.
The modern era
In the 20th century, two shipwrecks left their mark on the Calanques:
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Le Liban (1903), tragically sunk near Île Maïre after a collision.
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The Chaouen (1970), carrying oranges, ran aground at Planier, now a popular diving site.
Aircraft wrecks
The Calanques are also home to a number of aerial relics. The most mythical isSaint-Exupéry's plane, which disappeared off the coast of Marseille and whose wreckage was found decades later.
Not far away, in La Ciotat, lies the P-38 of American Lieutenant Harry Greenup, shot down in 1944. His aircraft, visible at a depth of 40 metres, remains a place of remembrance for divers.
Regulations: preserving a fragile area
The Parc national des Calanques is a protected area where the preservation of flora and fauna takes precedence over all human activity. Certain practices are strictly regulated. Here's what you need to remember before heading out to sea:
Before setting out
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Check the weather forecast: the wind (especially the Mistral) can pick up very quickly.
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Check your safety equipment (life jackets, flares, VHF, first-aid kit).
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Consult the SHOM chart or official nautical charts: some areas are forbidden to anchor.
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If you're kayaking, paddling or diving, specific rules apply (safety distances, authorized zones, buoys to be respected).
Sailing and anchoring
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To protect sensitive habitats, certain areas are forbidden to sailing, anchoring or landing.
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Yellow buoys indicate areas where navigation or anchoring is forbidden: it is forbidden to hang on to them.
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White buoys indicate ecological anchorages: at Port-Miou, they are reserved for passing yachtsmen.
Rental and passenger transport
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Only professionals approved by the National Park can offer boat trips in the heart of the park.
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Rental by private individuals is tolerated, up to a limit of 5 times per year and per vessel, with a compulsory online declaration.
Fishing and biodiversity
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10% of the park's marine territory is classified as a no-take zone (ZNP), where all fishing, even recreational, is prohibited.
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An enhanced protection zone (ZPR) also limits professional fishing to a restricted list of vessels.
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Underwater hunting of certain sensitive species (grouper, corb, denti) is prohibited.
Marine heritage
All discoveries of wrecks or archaeological objects at sea must be reported within 48 hours to the Direction Départementale des Territoires et de la Mer. It is forbidden to move or remove these objects.
The Mes Calanques app: your travel and preservation companion
To help you prepare your outing or explore the Calanques in complete safety, the Mes Calanques mobile application, the official application of the Parc national des Calanques, is an indispensable tool. App Store and Google Playthis civic-minded application lets you discover the region's natural and cultural heritage, while helping to preserve it.
Thanks to geolocation, it provides information updated in real time: opening or closing of forest areas, status of the route des crêtes, access conditions, authorized diving or fishing zones... Users receive alert notifications to be informed immediately of any changes.
Water sports and outdoor enthusiasts - boaters, divers, hikers, kayakers and climbers - will find interactive maps indicating accessible areas and regulations to be respected. The application also features 23 geolocated walking itineraries, educational fact sheets on flora and fauna, and numerous cultural and historical points of interest.
Mes Calanques goes beyond simple discovery, inviting visitors to become involved in the preservation of the park. Everyone can share their observations, ask questions, report anomalies or take part in participatory projects around themes such as diving, climbing or hiking.
Finally, the application is also available in English, so that international visitors can fully enjoy the experience and contribute to the protection of this exceptional natural site.
Conclusion
Exploring the calanques in a semi-rigid boat is an experience that combines adventure and contemplation.
From the secret coves of Marseille to the translucent waters of La Ciotat, each stop reveals a fragment of the Mediterranean's natural heritage.
But this beauty demands respect and vigilance: the sea and rocks are alive, fragile and precious. By following Orca Retail's advice, you'll be able to enjoy them to the full - and for the long term.
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