Calanques in south of France

Posted by TravellingEnthusiast (Netherlands) on 07/01/16 12:48 PM

Hi,

End of July (29-31) my husband and I plan to be in Nice. One of the days we were thinking of visiting the Calanques in south of France. We will be staying in Nice and will have a car with to drive around.

From my search online, I see that hiking the calanques isn't an option in July-August. However some websites suggest that calanques Sugiton is open to hike all year round. Is that true?

If hiking is not an option, then which boat trips are good and give time to explore one of them at good length or any suggestions on which boat trips to take?

We would like to visit the calanques, but are not sure of the best way to do so.

Thanks in advance.

Posted by rca

Florida

07/01/16 01:44 PM

509 posts

You may have already looked into this (I can't help with Nice), but there are Calanques in Cassis -- about a 2 hour drive west. They are covered in the RS Provence/Riviera book. We drove down to Cassis in May from L'Isle sur la Sorgue on a day trip, and felt it was time well spent. In addition to the Callanques (we took a boat tour, but RS describes hikes), the Route de Crete above the town is a rewarding drive on the way into town, with great views of the Med and down to Cassis. The harbor and shopping area were also pleasant. More comments at: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g196673-d548838-Reviews-Calanques-Cassis_French_Riviera_Cote_d_Azur_Provence.html. I'm not aware of seasonal closings, but the literature warns of short term closings when risk of fire is high. An early arrival in Cassis is recommended. Parking can be tricky, but RS has tips, including a lot with shuttles to the harbor.

Posted by TravellingEnthusiast OP

Netherlands

07/01/16 02:08 PM

57 posts

Thanks rca for the reply. We also want to hike, but i doubt if we will be able to... We are looking at the calanques in Cassis in particular. If you don't mind, could you let me know which boat tours did you take? how long and how much did it cost?

thanks again.

Posted by Nancy

Seattle, Washington

07/01/16 02:42 PM

682 posts

We just went on this boat ride from Cassis this morning! We did the 8 Calanques tour and it cost €22 per person. The ride was 1.5 hours long and well worth the money. Our B&B host suggested that we do it in the morning when the water is calmer and she recommended this longer tour because the various Calanques are different. The place where you buy the tickets is right down on the water and easy to find (not far from the TI). We boarded the boat as soon as we bought the tickets (about 25 minutes before departure) in order to get a good seat. Sunscreen and a hat recommended! Here's the website with all of the information - http://www.lavisitedescalanques.com/uk/grand-public/circuits.php.

Posted by Elizabeth

L'Occitanie, France

07/01/16 06:41 PM

10625 posts

Be careful driving. That is the heaviest traveled weekend of the year and the autoroute A8, which you take, will be the heaviest of them all. It's normally 2.5 hours, but you'll have very heavy traffic going from the Riviera to Provence. Don't even consider a coastal road. All the July vacationers are going north and the August people are going south. If you go Friday morning, the 29th, you might be ok.

The trails are closed due to fire risk. They have had several destructive fires. I was part of the Cassis hiking club when we stayed there for six months. The club folded up early in May and restarted in September due to the heat.

Calanque Sugiton is closer to Marseille, three hours from Nice. The train is three hours, too. I'd opt for a boat ride over a visit to a small Calanque. However, frankly, if you have only three days, there is a lot of absolutely stunning nature in the Nice area. I'd save the Calanques for another visit when you can go to Cassis without traffic jams, hike the Calanques, hike to the top of Cap Canaille, enjoy a good meal, and take a boat ride.