Visit Cassis

What to do in Cassis

Cassis offers a magical setting for a day in the sun. Whether you prefer to stroll through its cobbled streets, polish your tan on the beach or take on the calanques, there’s something for everyone in Cassis.

The Parc National des Calanques

The Parc National des Calanques offers a splendid landscape: cliffs, turquoise water, exceptional flora… You’re in for an eyeful! Explore the site on foot along the hiking trails, on the water by boat or canoe, or underwater by diving. Leaving Cassis, the first calanque to come into view is Port-Miou (the only Calanque in the commune of Cassis). A former limestone quarry, it juts out into the land, welcoming numerous boats and sailboats to its port. Continuing on your way, you’ll discover the calanque of Port-Pin. This is the smallest and one of the most beautiful. With its Aleppo pines balanced on the rock and its small sandy beach, it offers an idyllic setting for a swim. The wonderment doesn’t stop there if you continue to the calanque d’En-Vau. Among the most beautiful and popular, but also the most secluded, the calanque d’En-Vau is well worth the detour.

The port of Cassis and the village

The village of Cassis and its charming little port are a real invitation to stroll. Enjoy its cobbled streets lined with colorful fishermen’s cottages, boutiques and warm terraces of cafés and restaurants. As you stroll through the village, you’ll discover the four banal, dating back to the 17th century and a reminder of an activity that’s long gone. Art and history lovers will push open the doors of the municipal museum of méditerranéen Arts and populars traditions. Housed in a former presbytery, the museum showcases Roman paintings and remains in permanent and temporary exhibitions. In the heart of the village, on Place Baragnon, on Wednesdays and Fridays, fill up on flavors at the Provencal market. If you visit Cassis in summer (July and August), you’ll discover the evening market, which stretches over the port, Place Baragnon and Place Clémenceau, and welcomes numerous painters, portrait artists, caricaturists, engravers and designers.

The beaches

Cassis is also appreciated for its beaches where it’s good to farnienter. The pebble beach of Bestouan offers a breathtaking view of Cap Canaille. At the foot of the Château hill, in the heart of the town, you can also lay your towel on the sand and pebble beach of Grande Mer. L’anse de l’Arène, with its natural rocky beach, more difficult to access, offers an intimate setting for a swim.

Route des Crêtes and Cap Canaille

The 15-kilometer “Route des Crêtes” winds through the massif, linking Cassis to La Ciotat. It offers breathtaking views over the Gulf of Cassis. You can cross it by car and stop at one of the rest areas to enjoy the view, or dare to explore it by bike or on foot along the hiking trails. Along the Route des Crêtes, you can reach the Cap Canaille, Europe’s highest sea cliff, with its peak the Grande Tête at 394 meters. Like a stone rampart over the city, Cap Canaille impresses from below as well as from above.