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This summer, our family took a trip to Spain and France and spent four nights in a charming little French fishing town named Cassis. This French town is situated about 18 miles east of Marseille and is just a short drive off the main train line that runs along the French coast. During our visit, we took a calanques boat tour from Cassis. This was something that everyone needs to experience for themselves!
So, today, I wanted to share some practical tips for taking these tours, as I couldn’t find any accurate information online about the process. The good news is that taking a Calanque boat tour is actually much easier than we anticipated! You book last minute, which is often nice when you want to keep your itinerary flexible.
Our Calanques Boat Tour From Cassis
The town of Cassis is located on the French Riviera, but it exudes a more authentic, less touristy atmosphere. Cassis is an upscale fishing port known for its wine and as an entry point for adventurers to explore the neighboring Calanques National Park. It’s frequented mainly by locals vacationing from Marseille and other parts of France.
You’ll find fewer American tourists here, fewer Instagrammers, and a less pretentious vibe. The town is filled with great restaurants and shops. It is situated on a picturesque little harbour with a beach that overlooks massive coastal bluffs. Cassis is a fantastic French Riviera vacation destination. However, it still maintains a quaint coastal fishing town atmosphere, especially during the weekdays and off-season.
In the coming weeks, I will post new blog posts about where we stayed and what we did while vacationing in Cassis, France, with our two teenagers.
Cassis Is Near The Parc National Des Calanques
One of Cassis’s major draws is its proximity to a large national park called the Parc national des Calanques (“Calanques National Park”). This gorgeous French national park is punctuated by coastal inlets, creating a series of rugged valleys and peaks affording beautiful vistas and great hiking.
While in Cassis with our teenagers, we had the opportunity to explore the calanques on foot, by boat, and by kayak. It was a bucket-list experience, and I definitely recommend it, especially for nature lovers and adventurous travelers.
What Is A Calanque?
A calanque is a narrow, steep-walled inlet or cove in limestone or dolomite cliffs. It is created from erosion by rivers, the sea, and wind and forms a deep, fjord-like valley. The waters in these French calanques are crystal clear and turquoise colored. Calanques are often flanked by dramatic cliffs and end in pebbly beaches.
Taking A Calanques Boat Tour From Cassis
Booking a calanques boat tour is easy but not well publicized. It’s actually a bit old-fashioned and doesn’t require advance reservations or online booking. Maybe that is why other travel bloggers aren’t sharing more about these walkup boat tours in Cassis.
There is a large boat operator at the Cassis harbour that offers many tours daily. Different boat tours cover different numbers of calanques, from 3 to 9. The tour company is shown on Google Maps as “Visit of Creeks,” and its website is www.lavisitedescalanques.com. The website has a lot of great information on the various tours, prices, and schedules. However, tickets must be purchased in person at the Cassis harbour ticket booth on the day of your tour.
Purchasing Tickets For A Calanques Boat Tour
You will purchase your calanques boat tour tickets at a ticket booth on the east side of the harbor, between the harbor and the small public park. The booth, pictured below, has tan-colored umbrellas in front of it alongside its many boats.
Calanque boat tour tickets currently cost between 19€ and 33€ for adults, with discounts for children and babies. Tours operate daily, weather permitting. The duration of these Cassis tours varies depending on how many Calanques your tour will visit. It ranges from 1 hour for the three-calanque tour to 2 hours and 20 minutes for the nine-calanque tour.
Important Info About Booking A Calanques Boat Tour
You simply need to show up about 30 minutes before a tour to purchase tickets. However, if you are staying in Cassis, I recommend getting up somewhat early and heading to the ticket booth to take one of the earlier tours. The real magic of Cassis is in the mornings and evenings when the town is still sleepy and the sun paints the sky with colors. There is a visible change in the city as the day trippers, often from cruise ships docked in Marseille, flood into town.
As these calanque boat tours are first-come, first-served, you’ll want to purchase tickets before the boats fill up. During peak season, I don’t really recommend buying tickets in the middle of the day, between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Between these times, daytrippers on excursions from cruise ships docked in Marseille come to Cassis. Additionally, more people visit by train from other nearby cities. Therefore, the extra traffic means that calanque boat tours can be very full.
When To Arrive For Your Calanque Boat Tour
You must be at the boat’s point of departure from the harbour half an hour before the tour starts. I recommend getting there the full 30 minutes before so you can be at the front of the line and have your choice of seats when boarding begins about 15-20 minutes before the tour.
When we were there in June, most of the boats were full, and the last few groups had to either separate or ask people to shuffle around. Some boats have an upper deck, limited inside or shaded seating, etc. So, if you have a preference, the early bird gets the worm.
The schedule for these calanque boat tours can vary, so I recommend bookmarking this site and referring to it as you plan your activity schedule. Times and prices will also be posted on the side of the ticket booth, so you can always check the current schedules when you arrive in Cassis. The tours run at different hours of the day depending on the month, so be sure to read the details.
If you notice the schedule has changed, leave us a comment below, and we will update this Casssis travel blog post!
Our Cassis Calanques Boat Tour
The calanques boat tour boat we took seated around 40 passengers. They have 15 boats, and each vessel has a slightly different design, with some larger than others. You won’t know what type of boat you are on until you purchase a ticket and they tell you where to go!
These boats typically have bench-style seating that allows three or four people to sit comfortably in a row. The center of the boat often has some covered seating, but with reduced visibility. The back and the very front of the vessel give the best views. The boats do not have restrooms on board, so plan ahead. There is a public restroom by the beach down a stairwell next to the harbour.
TIP: The calanques boat tour heads west along the coast. Sit on the RIGHT side of the boat, facing forward, to get the best views of the calanques while the Captain is narrating. On the way back, you will likely take a straight shot, letting you also take in beautiful sea views!
Here is a view of Cassis from the right side of the boat as we departed on our calanques boat tour from Cassis.
What You Will See On A Cassis Calanques Boat Tour
The boat tour heads west out of the harbour and moves across the gorgeous blue waters of the Côte d’Azur. You’ll see the massive bluffs that overlook Cassis, and watch as the forested limestone cliffs of Parc National Des Calanques come into view.
The tour will take you into the narrow calanques as far as is navigable, allowing you to see the beauty of these natural wonders. Each calanque is unique in size and structure. Some end in beaches, while others do not. There are 26 total calanques along the coast of the park, but the nine most prominent are (from east to west): Port-Miou, Port-Pin, En-Vau, Sugiton, Morgiou, Sormiou, Podestat, Marseilleveyre, and Callelongue.
The Most Popular Cananques
The three calanques closest to Cassis are the most popular. Port-Miou is traversed by a spectacular trail and has a marina at its terminus. Port-Pin has a smaller yet popular beach and is a great kayak destination.
En-Vau is extremely popular and beautiful, with towering bluffs, a fantastic secluded beach, and amazing kayaking and cliff diving. This is the calanque that you see in most photographs. As I mentioned above, we also did a kayak outing, and this was by far our favorite stop!
Our calanque boat tour from Cassis lasted an hour and twenty minutes and took us to five calanques. We explored the five calanques and gorgeous rock formations rising out of the sea, some of them with rock climbers on the faces! We even saw a few coastal caves!
It was a bright, sunny day, and our time on the water was beautiful and memorable! Seeing the calanques made me appreciate the innumerable places of natural beauty hidden all over the world.
Our entire family said that our calanque boat tour and time spent in Cassis were among the highlights of our vacation to France.
Calanques Boat Tours Departing From Marseille
There aren’t many private guided tours that depart from Cassis. However, many calanque private boat tours depart from Marseille. Marseille has a much larger harbor and is a more populated city, so there are more options.
Here’s a list of some of the most popular and highly rated calanque boat tours on Get Your Guide. We have always loved taking guided tours and enjoy using Get Your Guide because it’s user-friendly and easy to book on the go. They’ve never let us down! Be sure to read the tour description and understand the meeting point, amenities, duration, and any restrictions.
From Marseille: Iconic Calanques Boat Tour with Swimming
From Marseille: Calanques Catamaran Cruise, Picnic, & Swimming
From Marseille: Calanques Catamaran Cruise with Lunch & Wine
Our Adventure Seeing The Calanques In Cassis
We absolutely loved our calanques boat tour from Cassis! The entire family enjoyed the relaxing, breathtaking, and totally fun chance to discover more of the natural beauty of the French coast.
Exploring the Parc National Des Calanques was a highlight of our summer trip to France, and we were glad we took the time and money to experience it in so many different ways.
Cassis was probably our favorite city to visit on this trip, and I can’t recommend it enough for families seeking a slower pace on the French Riviera. While we spent four nights there, I could have easily stayed another four. This is one European city that I can’t wait to go back to!
Click here for more things to do in Cassis, France. And if you want to see the Calanques from above, consider a hiking tour!
Find More Europe Travel Inspiration
Now that our kids are older, our family has been traveling to Europe multiple times each year. We love exploring the big cities but also savoring the smaller towns, especially along the coastline. Places like Antibes, France, and Camogli, Italy, have a special place in my heart. As we explore more of these charming coastal communities, including places like Cinque Terre, I fall deeper in love with Europe!
If you are planning a trip to Europe, I have many great, first-hand travel tips and photos here at Our Little Lifestyle. You can simply browse the Europe Travel section of my blog or use the main menu to choose a specific country.
Here are some great started blog posts to help you plan a trip to Europe yourself!
- How To Plan A European Trip
- International Travel Tips
- Europe Travel Essentials
- Finding Flight Deals
- Travel Hacking 101
PIN: Calanques Boat Tour From Cassis For Later
