Cassis Travel Guide

Charming port area of Cassis

The South of France is filled with quaint provencal towns and glitzy waterfront villages, but Cassis blew us away by it’s understated charm, crystal-clear beaches and delicious waterfront restaurants. Only 20 minutes from Marseille, it feels a world away with quiet side streets and a bustling market. Read below for our full travel guide and why you should add Cassis to your next South of France itinerary.

One of the side streets in Cassis

TO DO

Parc National des Calanques

You would be remiss to not include a visit to the Parc National des Calanques during your stay in Cassis. This beautiful national park borders Cassis and is accessible by hike or boat. We accessed the park by foot and by boat, and both visits were full of stunning scenery.

By foot: It’s possible to hike from town into the park, but we decided to drive closer to the park entrance since we were traveling with two small children and wanted to maximize their energy and minimize their whining. We parked at the parking lot for La Presqu'ile Restaurant which had plenty of paid parking options. From there we began our descent into the park. There are three beaches to hike to from that access point, and we chose Port Pin for it’s proximity. It was around a 35-minute hike to get to the beautiful beach of Port Pin. The beach of En Vau is also stunning, and the 1.5 hour hike (each way) means you will encounter fewer people. Be sure to bring lots of water and snacks as there are no services at Port Pin.

By boat: The port of Cassis is filled with large tour boats taking loads of visitors to visit the Calanques every hour. Based on what we saw, most of these large tours don’t allow passengers to swim or explore the park off the boat. We opted for a private tour with L’Eden on one of their smaller boats, and I would 10/10 recommend this option as opposed to the larger, more crowded boats. Our small tender allowed us to get up close to rock formations, explore caves and find the best swim spots. We used L’Eden Boats and had a wonderful experience. In a four-hour cruise we were able to check out all 8 calanques in the park.

Kayak: It’s also possible to rent kayaks at the main beach in Cassis and paddle out to one or two closer calanques. We did not opt for this option, but saw lots of people making the journey by kayak. It looked long, so be sure you’re comfortable paddling for long distances before you decide to make the journey.

Plage de la Grand Mer, the main beach in Cassis

Beaches

There are several beaches you can easily access from the main town of Cassis. The first, Plage de la Grand Mer, is right in the center of town. While the water is a beautiful turquoise, this beach in August was packed. As in wall-to-wall people on both the beach and in the water. There are beach clubs here if you would like to rent a sunbed and have a little more breathing room.

Our favorite beaches, however, were a few minutes walk from the main area of Cassis. Plage du Corton and Plage de l'Arène are both beautiful rocky beaches with fewer people than Plage de la grand mer. They also have options for renting chairs and ordering refreshments.

Shopping

There is some great shopping up and down the side streets of Cassis. Unlike the larger cities that have been inundated with global chain stores (Zara, H&M, etc.), Cassis is full of wonderful local shops to peruse. Additionally, be sure to check out the local market on Wednesdays and Fridays from 8am-1:30pm. We made sure to stock up on fresh fruits, cheeses, and cured meats here. They also have lots of vendors selling artisinal soaps and clothes.

Port of Cassis

Stay

One of the reasons Cassis may not be on the radar of many outside of France is it’s lack of large or luxury hotels. We booked last minute and opted for a cute Airbnb above a bustling cafe overlooking the port. The most luxurious option in town is Hotel Les Roches Blanches. It is set a few minutes from the main area of town, and has some sea access, but no beach.

View of Port Piu in Calanques in Cassis.

EAT

We were amazed by the amount and variety of restaurants contained in the relatively small footprint of Cassis. The entire port is filled with restaurants facing the water, with more restaurants found up and down the charming side streets. Read our full guide to the best restaurants in Cassis here.

Getting There

Cassis is an easy 20-minute drive from Marseille. We opted to rent a car in Marseille to have more freedom for day-trips up and down the coast, but we largely kept it parked while we were there. If you are planning on staying in Cassis, we would recommend taking an Uber or Taxi from Marseille as almost everything you need is available on foot.