Les Calanques, Marseille

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Ready for some fascinating landscape? Take a bus to Luminy and do a little walking!

Luminy seems to be the University area of Marseille, but also the starting point for some wonderful hikes to and along the Calenques. There is a 3 km trail with interesting information posts. At the end we had the choice to either take another trail up to one of the mountains, one trail down to the sea or a short trail to a place called “Bellevue” – the beautiful view, so that was where we went! Beautiful views, indeed, but boy, that Mistral really blew hard!!! (see my warning and danger tip!)

Our first Calanque hike was from Luminy to Callelongue...the nicest part of the Calanque for me! In fact, it was a recommandation of a hiker women we met in the bus to go to Luminy! It is in fact the GR along the sea. This GR can found on a map of IGN-map (to buy in a library).
Luminy is the university village situated on the heights of the calanques. There are busses going to Luminy quite often (every 15 minutes I think) and the journey lasts about 30 minutes starting from Rue de Rome.
The hike takes about 6-7 hours (with some stops to take foot bathes) to Callelongue. The most wonderful "calanques" are in the first part of the walk : Calanque de Sugiton, Morgiou et Sormiou. The path is there sometimes difficult (with a lot op ups and downs) but get easier and more flat at the end...

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I visited Les Calanques in October, and the boat departed from the old harbour
(le vieux port) in Marseilles.

If you want more information, contact: www.croisieres-marseille-calanques.com
or email: accueil@croisières-marseille-calanques.com

The little calanque of Callelongue is our latest calanque of our hike from Luminy...we are finally in Marseille.
Hidden behind rocks of Saint Michel (321 m, containing 3 grottos) and Les Goudes (258 m), it is the terminus of the coastal street, the "end of the world" of the inhabitants of Marseille.
It inspired a lot of movie maker : Pagnol in "César" (1936), Verneuil pour "La table aux crevés" (1953),....

you'll be welcomed by wild lavender before starting to hike the mountain of Calanques in Sugiton; water is so clear and you can see the bottom even at the top of the mountain; it's so windy at the top and my hat was nearly blown away; or you may go down the mountain and towards the beach, many young people go camping during weekend there....
take the metro line 2 from Saint-Charles towards the direction Ste Marguerite and stop at Rond Point du Prade, then take bus 21 to 'Luminy'....this is the cheapest way to get to the 'entrance' of this fantastic view.

This is my first impression of the Calanques...not bad isn't it? This is the small calanque of Sugiton (30 minutes from the University).
-You can choose a path going up to the Belvedere with a wondeful point of view on the calanques to the north and to the south ;-) But be careful to the wind!!!! I really thought I could fly!!!!
-Or you can go down to the little inlet to begin the hike to the Calanque of Callelongue...

Sormiou is the largest Calanque in the direction of Marseille. There is a little village and a UCPA sport center ...There is also a nice beach and the nicest things are the shades if blue and green in the water...really impressive!

The garrigue is
a low vegetation mix, characteristic of the chalky hills of the Mediterranean, composed essentially of bushes (of which the broom, the juniper, the wild thyme, the rosemary and lavender) and of holly-oak. It is the consequence of the destruction, due to the slaughtering of wood, the culture and the fires, of the Mediterranean forest that growed once in the region.
This "garrigue" is the flora found in the Calanques. You will find it for example here on the path from Luminy University leading to the Calanque of Sugiton.

Hello, I am the owner of Blue Attractions Marseille, Blue Attractions is the english version of the well known marseille's company "bleu evasion". We offer trips in the Calanques on comfortable boats, with swimming and a lot of possiblities, even a tour by night for an unforgettable sightseeing. Our website is http://www.attractions-sightseeing-marseille-calanques-cassis.co.uk/

Sincerly,Thomas

Sormiou is the calanques with the nicest colors...under the sun, you will be astonished by the contrast of the turquoise and blue water, the white houses and stones, the red roofs, the green nature...