Has anyone used Cassis as their "home base"? I'm thinking I might like it better than Aries because of Les Calanques. We're first time European travelers. Is this a good idea? where do you recommend staying? We'd have a moderate budget unless there's something pretty special located there. Thanks!
Posted by
L'Occitanie, France
10208 posts
Not a very good choice because Cassis is pretty far from the autoroute and out of the way. You have quite a distance on a winding approach road once you leave the autoroute. It's west of Marseille, while all the other places you named are east or north.
Posted by
OP
20 posts
Thank you! It looks like there may be quite a lot to do out in nature: hikes, beaches, boat tours. It looks like it might take more than one day there to feel satisfied.
Posted by
Seattle, WA, USA
784 posts
You don't say how long you will be in Provence, but assuming you will be there several days, and since you are interested in the outdoor activities in and around Cassis, I suggest you spend 2 nights there, then move west to someplace like St. Remy, which is more central for other sites in Provence. Since you like the outdoors, you might also enjoy La Camargue, which is the estuary of the Rhone river and South of Arles.
Posted by
Florida
509 posts
Bets makes good point about Cassis not being an ideal base. Spring 2016: we based in L'Isle/Sorgue and "did" Cassis as a day trip. The Calanque boat trip; the Route des Cretes above the town (spectacular views; a nice way to enter Cassis by approaching it from the south and taking the "Route" north into town.); some shopping; and a nice lunch on the harbor. You might enjoy a more central base (e.g. any one of several Luberon villages) and decide whether Cassis really offers more than a days' worth of activity for your tastes. (We were frankly underwhelmed by the Calanques -- expected longer, fjord-like structures vs the rather short, bay-like structures we saw from the boat. If you plan to explore by hiking, you may enjoy a far more rewarding experience. Additional research may be necessary.)
Posted by
California USA
3958 posts
You don't say what time of year you'll be in southern France but we spent a month near Aix en Provenance and took a day trip to Cassis for our nearby charming beach town. One thing to be aware of is that during certain high fire season times, many of the hiking trails through the pine trees are closed. We experienced one small forest fire less than a mile from where we were staying and couldn't use any of the hiking trails on the edge of our village during the August we were there.