Hiking in the Calanques National Park

The Calanques National Park encompasses the mountainous coastal region between the cities of Marseille, Cassis, and La Ciotat, the offshore islands, and a large part of the Mediterranean Sea bordering the coast.

The Provençal term "calanques" refers to bays surrounded by steep slopes. It is a combination of two words. The old Provençal word calo means small rocky bay. The suffix anca indicates a steep slope.¹

Along the coast between Marseille and Cassis lies the Calanques Massif, composed primarily of white limestone. Rivers have carved deep valleys with steep rock faces into the rock. Due to rising sea levels in the Mediterranean, the valleys have over time filled with seawater, forming bays. Well-known are the Calanques of Sormiou, Morgiou, Port-Pin, Sugiton, and the Calanque d'En-Vau. The highest point of the massif is Mont Puget (563 meters).²

North of the calanques we find the Saint-Cyr massif, which consists of sandy dolomitic limestone.¹ The highest peaks are the Carpiagne (645 metres) and Saint-Cyr (610 metres).³

The Canaille Massif lies between Cassis and La Ciotat. It consists of a combination of limestone, sandstone, and puddingstone, resulting in a dominant red ochre color that contrasts sharply with the white limestone of the calanques.¹ On the coast side we see the Falaises Soubeyranes, with a highest point of 394 meters the highest sea cliffs in France.² In the east, the massif extends into the calanques of La Ciotat and the tree-lined island of Île Verte.

The calanques extend into the Mediterranean Sea. Cliffs extend below the water's surface. Near Cassis, there's a gorge that descends to a depth of over 1,500 meters.¹