randonneur de dos dans le massif des Calanques

Visit the calanques on foot: walks and hikes

Exceptional natural sites, the calanques are one of the must-sees on your trip to the southern region. Between land and sea, they offer an exceptional panorama of Marseille and the surrounding area. If you’d like to visit the calanques on foot, there are plenty of walking trails to suit all profiles, from the less athletic to the seasoned hiker.

Sugiton and Morgiou calanques from Luminy

For a relatively easy tour of Marseille’s calanques, turn to the calanques of Sugiton and Morgiou, both accessible on foot from Luminy.

Visit the Calanque de Sugiton

Beyond being one of Marseille’s largest calanques, the Calanque de Sugiton is a tourist favorite thanks to the dreamy setting it offers. Surrounded by mountainous relief and extensive natural areas, it features a beach where you’ll love lounging or taking a dip in the turquoise waters.

You can also admire the panoramic view from the Tour d’Orient, the name given to the Sugiton lookout, where an orientation table is set up. Culminating at 245 meters, this lookout offers one of the finest views of the parc national des Calanques in its entirety. If you’re facing the sea, Mont Puget – the highest point of the Calanques massif – will be on your left.

Starting from Luminy (accessible via bus line B1 or 521), it will take you around 30 minutes to walk to the lookout and 45 minutes to reach the calanque. For the return journey, allow an hour’s walk, as the path’s steep gradient can prove difficult, especially in summer. In summer, the calanque de Sugiton is a victim of overcrowding, particularly where swimming is concerned, and access to the calanque is forbidden to vehicles during this period.

Visit the Calanque de Morgiou

Neighbor to Sormiou, the Calanque de Morgiou has a history intimately linked to professional fishing. Fishermen and shepherds were the first people to settle in Morgiou. Freshly caught fish was sold at the town’s markets. Even the King of France – Louis XIII – visited the cove to fish. A staircase bears witness to this event: it was cut into the rock to allow the monarch to climb aboard the pointu from which he fished.

More intimate, the Calanque de Morgiou gives access to a sublime cove flowing into the Mediterranean. To visit it, we recommend taking bus line 22 to the Les Baumettes terminus. The access road is usually congested, especially in summer. For this reason, we recommend using public transport. From the Les Baumettes or Luminy parking lots,the hiking route – fairly straightforward – takes around an hour.

La calanque d’En-Vau from la Gardiole or Cassis

Considered the most beautiful calanque by some, the Calanque d’En-Vau shelters a small pebble beach between two high cliffs. A veritable haven of peace, it attracts a huge number of tourists every year.

Access to this calanque via La Gardiole is the least difficult option. However, this is not a fitness trail, as the walk can prove strenuous in summer for the unaccustomed. As the return journey is in the same direction as the ascent, it’s best to be prepared to take part in this 6-kilometer hike.

The starting point for the hike is at the Carpiagne Gineste bus stop on the M08 bus line. You reach the Gardiole site via the Gaston Rébuffat trail and the green-marked path. Then descend to the Calanque d’En-Vau along the red path. For the return journey, retrace the path you took on the outward journey. Good to know: the M08 bus doesn’t stop in the Cassis-Marseille direction, so take the bus in the opposite direction to return to Marseille.

You can also discover La Perle des Calanques from the Presqu’île de Cassis car park. The proposed hiking trail will allow you to make a stop at the Calanque de Port-Pin before continuing.

La calanque de Marseilleveyre from Callelongue

If you’re looking for a walking tour of the calanques that will blow you away, choose the 8-kilometer hike linking Callelongue to the Calanque de Marseilleveyre. You start out from Marseille’s southern districts, which have the feel of fishing villages. After passing along the Pointe Rouge, Montredon and Goudes districts, you arrive at the parking lot above the Calanque de Callelongue. From here, follow the red-marked path of the Miougranier valley, which avoids the somewhat constricting passage of the Géants staircase. If you’d like to get some height, you can climb to the top of Marseilleveyre at an altitude of 440 metres, where you’ll enjoy a panoramic view that won’t leave you indifferent.