Cassis and the Calanques: Port-Miou, En-Vau and Cap Canaille
Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France
Badge Unlock
Mediterranean Eco-Trekker
Complete this challenge to add this badge to your collection.
325
XP
+100 France
= 425 total
1 day
Cassis and the Calanques: Port-Miou, En-Vau and Cap Canaille
325 + 100 XP
From Cassis, boats go into the Calanques National Park to Port-Miou, Port-Pin and En-Vau, and the classic path walks the same three calanques from Port-Miou. East of the town the Route des Crêtes climbs onto the Cap Canaille, 363 m above the sea, and runs on along the Falaises Soubeyranes to the 394 m point above the Bau Rous, the highest sea cliff in France. Cassis wine was the first appellation recognised in Provence, on 15 May 1936, and is seven-tenths white.
Required Activities
1
of 4
Take a boat trip from Cassis into the Calanques National Park, to Port-Miou, Port-Pin and En-Vau
2
of 4
Walk out from Port-Miou past the moored boats in the old quarry inlet to Port-Pin, and if the massif is open and you have the water for it carry on to En-Vau; on the way, find the rudist fossils in the white Urgonian limestone underfoot, the shells of a shallow tropical sea, and note how differently the red rock of the Canaille behind you weathers
3
of 4
Drive the Route des Crêtes east out of Cassis onto the Cap Canaille, 363 m of red puddingstone straight above the sea, and carry on along the crest towards La Ciotat to the 394 m point above the Bau Rous — the highest sea cliff in France
4
of 4
Taste a white at a Cassis domaine — the whole appellation is under 200 hectares on this one commune and seven bottles in ten are white — and get the grower to tell you the marsanne and clairette split in the blend, then taste the rosé beside it and decide which one the local rock-fish menu is built for
Take a boat trip from Cassis into the Calanques National Park, to Port-Miou, Port-Pin and En-Vau
Walk out from Port-Miou past the moored boats in the old quarry inlet to Port-Pin, and if the massif is open and you have the water for it carry on to En-Vau; on the way, find the rudist fossils in the white Urgonian limestone underfoot, the shells of a shallow tropical sea, and note how differently the red rock of the Canaille behind you weathers
Drive the Route des Crêtes east out of Cassis onto the Cap Canaille, 363 m of red puddingstone straight above the sea, and carry on along the crest towards La Ciotat to the 394 m point above the Bau Rous — the highest sea cliff in France
Taste a white at a Cassis domaine — the whole appellation is under 200 hectares on this one commune and seven bottles in ten are white — and get the grower to tell you the marsanne and clairette split in the blend, then taste the rosé beside it and decide which one the local rock-fish menu is built for
Before you go
From 1 June to 30 September access to the Calanques massif is regulated daily for fire risk and can be closed outright with no notice; check the Bouches-du-Rhône prefecture site or the official Mes Calanques app on the morning you go, not the night before. There is no drinking water anywhere in the massif and almost no shade, so carry everything you need. Some sections are exposed and are dangerous on the crests in a mistral. The Route des Crêtes is also closed in high wind or fire risk, and is narrow with tight bends, so think twice in a long motorhome.
Finding nearby campsites...
About Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
Loading region info…
Explore more about Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur:
Challenge Location
XP Breakdown
Challenge XP
325 XP
France country bonus
+100 XP
Potential total
425 XP
Country bonus earned on completion of your first challenge in France.
More challenges nearby
within 100km
The Calanque de Sugiton: White Limestone and Deep Water
France · Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
adventure
medium
1d
7 km away
La Ciotat: The Oldest Working Cinema in the World, the Birth of Pétanque and the Garden Under the Bec de l'Aigle
France · Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
sports
easy
1d
7 km away
Marseille: The Bonne Mère, the MuCEM and the Château d'If
France · Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
cultural
easy
2d
15 km away
Toulon: The Mont Faron Cable Car and the Memorial to the Provence Landings
France · Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
history
easy
1d
33 km away
Aix-en-Provence: The Cours Mirabeau, Cézanne's Studio and Sainte-Victoire
France · Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
wellness
medium
1d
36 km away
Sainte-Victoire: Climbing Cézanne's Mountain
France · Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
adventure
medium
1d
37 km away