Just a short, 45-minute bus ride out of downtown Marseille, there is a beautiful region along the coast known as Les Calanques. In the 12-mile stretch between the town of Cassis and the city of Marseille, rocky limestone cliffs tower high over the turquoise waters of the Mediterranean. In-between each cliff, enchanting coves of rocky beaches offer visitors gorgeous views and an invitation to swim or dive into the water.
The Parc National des Calanques is a national park charged with protecting this natural wonder. The best way to explore the area is to hike one or more of the many walking trails available in the park. There exist many species of plant and wildlife along the promontories, visitors should treat the park as a natural reserve.
There are also boat excursions and kayak tours that easily take visitors to the more remote beaches along Les Calanques, if visitors do not wish to hike it.
During the hottest parts of the summer, some trails of the park close down due to the danger of forest fires. One can check current trail conditions by visiting the following: http://cg13.eway.fr/conditions.php
During the hottest parts of the summer, some trails of the park close down due to the danger of forest fires. One can check current trail conditions by visiting the following: http://cg13.eway.fr/conditions.php
La Calanque de Sugiton
I had the incredible opportunity to hike this amazing natural wonder during my short two-day visit in Marseille. It was nice to get out of the city and be on a hiking trail, something I'm very familiar with back home in Seattle, Washington.
The Calanque de Sugiton is the easiest of the beach coves to access for travelers in Marseille. It's often crowded by tourists, but if you time it right, you can get there early to stake your claim on the beach or avoid the crowds altogether.
Getting to the Trailhead
In the southern part of Marseille, there is a busy roundabout along Rue de Rome in a neighborhood known as Castellane. This roundabout is a transit hub, with a metro station and many bus lines that go through it.
The trailhead is located high in the mountains south of the city at Marseille University in Luminy. From the Castellane bus stop, the bus number 21 is the only one that goes the 30 stops up D559 to Luminy. Ride it all the way to the end of the line, getting off at Luminy-ESCAE.
From the bus stop at Luminy, continue up Avenue de Luminy, passing a parking lot and gated university building on the right. Eventually, you'll get to a wide, dirt road with a sign that says "Sugiton" on it. This is the trailhead.
A Wide Landscape of Many Walkways
There are many ways to get to La Calanque de Sugiton. Some have a gradual slope, others are essentially stairways. Some are rugged and rocky, others are smooth and paved. After getting lost a couple of times, we finally found some direction from a park ranger who was doing guided tours in the area. In hindsight, I should have done more research and brought a map along with me!
The walk up from the trailhead is really easy. There is no steep incline and plenty of shade from the trees. We were on the trail pretty early, so there weren't many people around. Occasionally, we'd see a couple of joggers or mountain climbers, but no crowds.
After reaching a paved opening underneath Mont Puget, we went to the left towards Puget. We were looking for the "easier" path down to Sugiton. At this point in the trail, the landscape really starts to reveal itself. There are stunning views of the Mediterranean coast and the limestone cliffs towering alongside it.
We actually missed the turn we were supposed to take down towards the right, but the views were stunning! We didn't mind being a bit lost.
We turned back to the first fork in the road (we missed before) and headed downwards. The trail became a winding road with a gradual decline. Most of the road is paved at this point, making the walk down easy. However, as we continued further, the slope got steeper and steeper, reminding us that the trip back up wouldn't be as easy!
Around one of the corners of the walled footpath, a miraculous view of La Calanque de Sugiton opens up. For many, this would be a great place to snap a photo and turn back around, but we wanted to go all the way down to the beach.
From this point, the trail goes back to being unpaved, and the walk finally begins to feel like a true hike. Just past the shady "viewpoint" about midway to the bottom, the trail becomes even more rugged along the tall, limestone cliffs.
The final part of the trail to the bottom is essentially a scramble on some really steep rocks. It isn't impossible to get down, but it isn't exactly the easiest. Just remember: be safe, go slow, and maintain three points of contact!
Rocky Beaches and Frigid Waters
While the summer might bring in crowds of visitors who are willing to jump in it's cool waters, around this time of year, the water is still ice cold! La Calanque de Sugiton also doesn't have sand, only pebbled beaches. I recommend bringing sandals if you intend to wade or swim in the water.
The views from below are also very beautiful! Tall, rocky cliffs surround the small pebbled beach as turquoise waves roll into the cove.
A Natural Wonder Right Next to the City
In my entire visit to Marseille, exploring Les Calanques was my favorite part! If I had more time, I'd explore more of the landscape. Nonetheless, I'm glad I was able to see La Calanque de Sugiton.
If you're in Marseille, make time to visit this natural wonder!
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