More scenic yet a little longer, the blue track hugs the coastline making it much more motivating once you start heading uphill. You can continue on the white and red path which is a more direct route straight up through the bushland, or you can follow the blue route. Once you’ve caught your breath there’s two options to get to Calanque d’En Vau. Popular during the summer months, here you’ll find people picnicking, sunbathing and swimming, more than likely perched from the beach all the way along the rocky shores.Ĭalanque de Port Pin to Calanque d’En Vau If it’s a warm day you’ll start second guessing your decision to do the hike once you’ve made it to the top of the first hill…or at least I did! The path starts to get a little hazardy with slippery stones and an uneven track but if you’re not prone to tripping over, it’s totally fine.Ībout 20-30minutes into the hike you’ll arrive to the clear waters of Calanque de Port Pin, a welcome little cove that’s a good place to take a break. The hiking trail uses a colour coded system (as seen in the image above) and you’ll see painted stripes on rocks that let you know you’re heading in the right direction.įrom Port Miou follow the white and red stripes. Once you hit the slight incline at the end of a long flat section, that’s where the hiking really begins. Here’s a map that shows the hiking trail – please note this map shows the route to the beach at Calanque d’En Vau, if you’re hoping to capture the views from above, stick to the coastal path from Calaque de Port Pin…I’ve explained more in detail below.įrom Port Miou the path leads alongside the long and skinny harbour filled with sailing and speed boats. It means a whole lot less walking and you skip any unnecessary walking down streets, you’ll kick things off right from the waterfront and cut about an hour from the hike.Īre you spending time in Provence this summer!? Grab your downloadable copy of ‘A Photographer’s Guide to Provence Villages + Lavender Fields’.

There’s a large outdoor car park here where you can pay 8euro and leave your car for the day while you explore the calanques. Hiking to Calanque d’En Vau takes roughly two hours from Cassis Harbour, or alternatively I strongly suggest you begin at Port Miou. The most beautiful of them all? Calanque d’En Vau. The scenery is a dramatic palette of blues, greens and whites all blending together under the sunny skies of Provence.īetween Marseille and Cassis you’ll find a 20km coastline home to a number of calanques that can only be explored by foot or by sea. Okay so first up I know what you’re maybe thinking…what the hell is a calanque? Exactly my thoughts when I moved to France! A calanque is a steep walled inlet found along the Mediterranean coast and is known for white rocky cliffs descending to clear teal seas. If you find yourself in the south of France and want to explore one of the most beautiful sites in the country, grab some joggers, camera and swimmers then head to Cassis.Ī colourful fishing port just east of Marseille, Cassis is where you can begin exploring the Parc National des Calanques. Some places are worth all the uphill hiking in the world, and the Calanque d’En Vau is one of them.

Venture plan wow