Photo : Pablo Sievert / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Les calanques de Cassis
Between Marseille and Cassis, over some twenty kilometres, the limestone coast is cut into a succession of narrow, deep inlets called calanques. These rocks formed in the Secondary era, and the present relief results from erosion by former watercourses combined with variations in sea level. The area has been protected since April 2012 by the Calanques National Park, the first peri-urban national park in Europe.
On the Cassis side, three calanques are the best known. Port-Miou, about 1.2 km long and easy to reach, is the only one on the commune's territory. Port-Pin is about 2 km away, while En-Vau, the most spectacular, is reached on foot, allowing about an hour's walk from Port-Pin. Further east, Cap Canaille peaks at about 394 metres and is among the highest sea cliffs in France.
The massif attracts hikers, climbers and boaters. Visitor numbers are high, and booking and access-limiting measures are applied in high season.
