Calanque de Port Pin — Attraction in Marseille

Beautiful hike and unique beach setting. A bit hard on you body as it’s a stone beach. Bring beach shoes or flip flops if you want to be comfortable walking in the beach. The hike to the beach is ~30 min but it’s worth it, very picturesque. We parked on the Notre Dam ave using parking meter (you can switch to English and pay with a credit card). Parking for a full day was 9 euros from 11am, maybe a bit more if you arrive earlier. There is a parking lot at the end of the street for 8 euros all day. You have to track back from the parking lot around the bay with the boats to get to the other side so parking in the beginning of the street will shorten some walking time. There not a lot of shade, so getting there early is recommended. The hike requires going up and down a hill. Comfortable sturdy shoes are a must. Bring water and food as there is nothing at the calanque but the beach. Be aware of the jellyfish. Some can be big, we saw one 15-20 diameter right by the beach in shallow water and I got stung by one smaller one which hurt bad and next day I still have red sensitive spot in my arm. But despite all the hurdles, getting to this place...

The journey to the three calanques starts at Port pin. Its one of the best things to do if you are in and around Marseilles. We drove from Marseilles to Port pin. Infact on the way we found a shortcut to the next calanques but passer-bys warned us that it is illegal to drive till the second calanques during that time of the year. So we drove to Port pin and parked our car in a parking lot and walked all the way to the next calanques. I'd totally do the walking again as it was quite an experience but beware the path is full of rocks and a good shoes is advisable. You catch glimpses of the beautiful Mediterranean Sea along the way. Once you reach the second calanques , you definitely have to dive into the water and get lost in the mesmerizing waters of the Mediterranean. I have also heard that there is a restaurant at one of the calanques and with a prior reservation you are allowed to drive till the calanques. This is for the people who do not want to walk. The adventurous types will definitely enjoy...

A fantastic place to go to, make sure you bring scuba gear as it is one of the few shallow calanques with plenty of fish and other little creatures to admire underwater. Went for a swim in October with still acceptable temperatures. If you have limited mobility, make sure you don't take the short route from port miou, but the longer route around which is less steep for those with strollers and mobility issues. Interestingly, Port Pin is part of the marseille district while port miou part is of the Cassis district. Moreover, Port Pin for its name because it has a large number of pine trees growing on the surrounding rocks. Beautiful place, must see. Bring plenty of water and supplies as there is nothing but mother nature...