Access to the Calanques

Access to the Calanques is regulated because this part of Marseille is unique and preserved. Find out all the conditions of access to the Calanques National Park, before enjoying its exceptional landscapes. A walk in the Calanques is worth it! You will first have to get to the start of the different access paths, which are more or less easy, and then start your descent to finally reach the different creeks. Don’t forget that this is a medium mountain massif and it is preferable to be prepared and well equipped.

Reaching the gates of the Calanques

By public transport

If you come by public transport, you will have to walk down to the Calanque you want. It is essential to have hiking shoes, a sufficient supply of water and, depending on the season, to wear a hat and sunglasses.

To Callelongue

From Place Castellane (metro line 1 or 2 or tram line 3) – take Bus n°19 to the terminus ” Madrague de Montredon”( the GR 98 starts here). Then there is the bus n°20 which ends its journey at Callelongue.
From 27 May to 3 September 2023, there will be a shuttle service running directly between La Pointe-Rouge and Les Goudes.
Departure from La Pointe-Rouge: from 8.50am to 7.50pm (departures every hour)
Departure from Les Goudes: from 9.20am to 8.20pm (departures every hour)

To Sormiou

From the Prado roundabout ( metro line 2 direction Sainte-Marguerite – stop” Rond-Point du Prado”) take the bus n°23, stop ” La Cayolle”, continue on foot along the road to reach the Calanque path. You can also get there by bus n°22 ( as if to get to the Calanque de Morgiou), stop ” les Baumettes” then walk to the Parc des Baumettes ( follow the direction Calanque de Sormiou).

To Morgiou

From the Prado roundabout (métro line 2 direction Sainte-Marguerite – stop”Rond-point du Prado”) take the bus n°22 to the terminus “Les Baumettes”. Continue on foot to the Parc des Baumettes and then follow the direction of Calanque de Morgiou.

See the bus schedules

randonneur de dos dans le massif des Calanques

By car

Only a few calanques are accessible by car (only during certain periods of the year). It is recommended to get closer to the massif by public transport, then to walk ( be careful even on foot sometimes the massif is closed!). Parking spaces are limited and the traffic is heavy depending on the period.

Calanque of Callelongue

It is possible to go by the seaside taking the Corniche Kennedy and to continue straight along the coast to and through the village of ‘Les Goudes’. Continue straight ahead on this road: you feel like you are at the end of the world! And you reach the Calanque of Callelongue. The few parking spaces and the heavy traffic on week-ends and during the summer season make taking the bus the best choice.

Calanque of Sormiou

You will have to go to the Cayolle district where you will find a parking lot (be careful, it is not supervised and it is recommended not to leave anything lying around inside the cars). The Calanque can be reached by car only during low season and under certain conditions.

Calanque of Morgiou

The Calanque can be reached by car only during low season and under certain conditions. You will have to reach the Baumettes neighborhood, just after the prison ( about 1 hour walk from the parking lot.

/!\ Each year, the city of Marseille publishes municipal decrees regulating traffic and parking on the access roads to the Sormiou, Morgiou and Callelongue creeks. In 2021, the periods during which the roads are closed to the traffic of motorized vehicles, between 7am and 7.30pm are daily from Saturday 29 May to Sunday 3 October. On days qualified as ‘red’, the end of the ban schedule may be extended to 10pm.

Calanque of Sugiton

The hiking trail starts near Luminy university campus in the 9th district, just after the Superior School of Fine Arts and Architecture: the parking lot is in front. It takes about 1 hour to walk.

Cap Croisette and the esplanade de la Gardiole (road Gaston Rébuffat)

Both roads are now definitively closed to motorised traffic.

Route des Crêtes between Cassis and la Ciotat

Between the 1st of June and the 30th of September, on ‘red’ days, the D141 departemental road, known as the “routes des crêtes”, is closed to motorised traffic.This is also the case during extraordinary weather events. For these 3 cases, the mobile application “mes calanques” allows you to be notified in real time.

Visit the calanques

to each his own way

By boat

It is possible to visit the creeks by boat from the Old Port or the ‘Pointe-Rouge’. Several companies offer boat trips: they all have an authorization issued by the Calanques National Park. Cruise boats, canoes, kayaks, private hire of motor boats, there is something for everyone!

Be careful, access by sea is also regulated, so if you want to go by your own means to check with the Calanques National Park before, and to check the weather. People of Marseille know it well: the wind of Marseille (called the Mistral) and the swell can occur suddenly!

Discover the Calanques by boat

On foot

It is of course possible to discover the Calanques of Marseille on foot, and to enjoy magnificent hikes. There are many paths leading to the creeks, some steeper and more complicated than others. That’s why it’s important to be well informed before starting. From the ‘Côte Bleue’ to the Calanques National Park, all these walks are more beautiful than the others.