On weekend, a stopover, or a vacation in Marseille? You've come to the right place and Love Spots will help you experience the best of the city this summer. Follow the guide !
1 – Head to the islands
So far yet so close (only 30 minutes by ferry from the Old Port), the Frioul Archipelago is a world apart. Wild and rocky, it can be explored by the paths which are dotted with creeks and coves.
After a cultural stop at Château d’If, two options are available to you when you disembark in Port-Frioul. To the right Ratonneau, with its idylic coves (Calanque de Morgiret and especially Saint Estève), its imposing forts (Brigantine and Rateauneau at the top) and its majestic Caroline Hospital at the far end. To the left, and wilder Pomègues with it also its forts, its semaphore, its aquaculture farm and its innumerable tiny creeks from which it is good to dive from the rocks. Plan a fine-weather day if you really want to enjoy it.
The Good Plan: Find accommodation (an apartment or a boat in the dock) to spend the night there. There are several small restaurants and the gastronomy has improved significantly in recent years.
2 – Relax in the small ports (Vallon des Auffes & Malmousque)
The small port of the Vallon des Auffes (named after the plant used to make ropes and basketwork) is one of the most popular postcard images of Marseille. With its fishing boats, and its small colourful houses nestled under a magnificent bridge, we must admit that it ticks all the picturesque boxes; especially when the sun sets under the three arches.
However the Vallon becomes overcrowded in summer, like the port of Malmousque and its rocks which are stormed by swimmers who come to bask in the sun. So why not escape into the small lanes and stairs that wind their way through these two small villages to discover the small, quieter coves.
The promenade facing the sea in front of the centre for convalescents and those on leave from the Foreign Legion will delight the thoughtful; before their eyes lay the isle of Gaby and the Frioul archipelago offshore.
The Anse de Maldormé is the only cove offering a small pebble beach (come early) at the foot of the magnificent Villa. Meanwhile, in front of the legendary Petit Nice hotel those accustomed to tanning themselves have jealously guarded their flat piece of rock for decades. They all watch the intrepid kids throwing themselves into the sea from the Corniche, on the other side of the Fausse Monnaie.
The Good Plan: Many nearby shops now offer take-away baskets for picnics or aperitifs on the rocks (remember to bring back your waste!)
3 – Do an architecture tour (La Joliette)
From the right-hand end of the Old Port, the Joliette district offers an exceptional panorama of modern and contemporary architecture. In front of the buildings and the Sanitary Station built by Pouillon after the war, you can admire two strong architectural gestures: The Mucem by architects Ricciotti and Carta with its thin concrete footbridges connecting it to Fort Saint Jean; Stéfano Boeri’s Villa Méditerranée, set to become the Cosquer Cave Museum in 2022, is right next door with its astonishing cantilever.
Continue on the quayside and you will pass the former headquarters of the Compagnie Maritime built by Gaston Castel in 1928 with its famous Clock Tower, as well as the old J1 landing stage, also from the 1930s, which will soon be transformed into a leisure complex.
Facing the modern Mall of the Terrasses du Port you will discover the famous Docks of Marseille, built during the boom in maritime trade in the 19th century, around the symbolism of the calendar: 365 meters long as the number of days, 4 courtyards / atrium as the seasons and 52 doors like the weeks. Recently renovated, they house shops and restaurants on the ground floor and offices on the upper floors.
Behind the Docks, the Regional Contemporary Art Fund (Frac Paca), designed by Kengo Kuma for 2013 European Year of Culture, is also worth a visit with its “pixelated” glass facade and interior streets.
By extending the Boulevard de Dunkerque, the new towers are gradually drawing the new skyline of Marseille within the perimeter of Euroméditerranée. Zaha Hadid’s CMA Tower has been joined by Jean Nouvel’s La Marseillaise and Jean-Baptiste Pietri’s Porte Bleue which is under construction.
The Good Plan: If you’re an architecture fan, rent a bike or scooter to see other iconic architectural buildings in the city such as Le Corbusier’s famous Cité Radieuse.
4 – Read the walls (Le Panier & Cours Julien)
Two districts of Marseille have over the years become open-air street art galleries.
It was Cours Julien, a former historic student and bohemian district, that started the trend for painted facades in the 1980s. Bombs ended up covering the walls, doors and even the stairs leading to Cours Ju. Famous (C215, Monsieur Chat, Mahn Kloix) and lesser-known names create new frescoes each year that give colours to the neighbourhoods but also messages.
The oldest district of Marseille, the Panier attracts visitors for its picturesque steep and narrow streets and its typical squares. Street art has also been featured on the walls for a few years with frescoes, collages and even ceramics. Brazilian artist Nhobi is the most verbose there, but new frescoes cover more each year, making the decor changing and ephemeral.
The Little Extra: Guides who are familiar with all the routes will help you navigate the neighbourhood in search of the most beautiful pieces.
5 – Go to the end of the road (Les Goudes / Callelongue / Cap Canaille)
The Village des Goudes is so far from the Old Port that it no longer seems to be in the Phocaean city. Its remoteness has made it possible to preserve its way of life around the port surrounded by fishermen and huts. It is the ideal place to eat a fresh fish of the day in one of the harbour restaurants, on terraces above the water (Grand Bar des Goudes), or in between the boats (Chez Paul).
From the village, you have two choices; a spectacular road facing the sea and the islands which leads to Callelongue – the last small port before the calanques, and just as lovely – or a more chaotic road leading to Cap Croisette, nicknamed the “end of the Marseille world” because of its rocky universe so cinematic. Its an ideal place for to take a dip, its not for nothing that the UCPA has been there for ages. La Baie des Singes is the name of a restaurant and private beach that has given its name by extension to the small beach with turquoise waters.
The Good Plan: Take the ferry from the Old Port to avoid the traffic jams and at the same time offer yourself a nice cruise
6 – Take the blue train
To get to the Côte Bleue, forget the car and take the “Blue Train” the 32 km TER line which goes from Marseille to Miramas. A panoramic route where viaducts and tunnels follow one another over protected creeks with turquoise waters. Stop at Niolon and its picturesque little port and take the coastal path to Carry le Rouet. Or stop off at Ensuès-la-Redonne to discover typical cabins and idyllic creeks; la Madrague de Gignac, la Redonne (and its port), Figuières, and Méjean. Or start with Carry-le-Rouet, a small family seaside resort where there are very good restaurants and boats for those who wish to visit the Blue Coast from the sea and then retrace your steps.
To get to the Côte Bleue, forget the car and take the “Blue Train” the 32 km TER line which goes from Marseille to Miramas. A panoramic route where viaducts and tunnels follow one another over protected creeks with turquoise waters. Stop at Niolon and its picturesque little port and take the coastal path to Carry le Rouet. Or stop off at Ensuès-la-Redonne to discover typical cabins and idyllic creeks; la Madrague de Gignac, la Redonne (and its port), Figuières, and Méjean. Or start with Carry-le-Rouet, a small family seaside resort where there are very good restaurants and boats for those who wish to visit the Blue Coast from the sea and then retrace your steps.
The Good Plan: On the way back, stop at L’Estaque to eat “chichis” or ‘panisses” and to take the ferry that will take you back to the Old Port by sea.
7 – A trip on a paddle board or canoe
With its 16 km of coastline, Marseille and its countless beaches, coves and creeks is a paradise for paddle boarding or canoeing. You can feast your eyes on the Marseille coastline.
The start and end of the day are the best times for your excursions. You will avoid the heat and the thermal winds which often creates a chop in the harbour. Do not forget a picnic in you bag (waterproof), and also take a mask and a snorkel to dive in the coves which are a real aquarium. You can find rentals in the Vallon des Auffes, at the Pointe Rouge, and even on the Ile du Frioul.
8 – Go on a cruise (by day or at night)
The Old Port of Marseille is now full of boats which offer day cruises to discover the islands of the bay and the calanques (with swimming in the turquoise waters), or in the evening for a romantic dinner or frenzied fiestas with friends.
Some will prefer the magnificent old sailing rigs (Le Don du Vent, Alliance, and Antares), sportsmen and party animals the latest catamarans (Levantine), meanwhile small groups can rent the smaller boats (Ze Boat, Bleu Evasion, Localanques)
The Good Plan: the city’s ferry shuttles – to the Pointe Rouge, Goudes and Estaque – allow you a mini cruise of 45 minutes to explore the Marseilles coast for a low price.
9 – Discover the specialities of Marseille
There are still three artisanal soap factories in Marseille – La Savonnerie du Midi, Fer à Cheval and Le Sérail – where you will discover (almost) all the secrets of making soap and also the industrial history of the product. They all offer tours and a shop, and the Savonnerie du Midi even offers a very beautiful museum on the history of this emblem of the city.
Pastis is also a Marseille specialty. Cristal Limiñana is the last factory to produce it in the heart of the city in the fifth arrondissement.
As for pétanque, even if it was invented in the neighbouring town of La Ciotat it is in Marseille that we find the oldest boules factory in operation since 1904. If you do not have the opportunity to visit the La Boule Bleue factory located on the exterior of Saint Ment, at least stop by the Musée de la Boule in the Panier district.
10 – Walk in the Calanques
Is there still a need to introduce the Calanques of Marseille?
One watchword – respect them – the ecosystem has become fragile due to overcrowding and noise so avoid the peak hours of the middle of the day when some trails look like freeways and, if you can, visit at the beginning or end of the day. Marseilleveyre, Sormiou, Morgiou, En-Vau, and Sugiton, they are all very different, each with their own charm. Choose two quite different ones, one for the picnic the other for relaxing around, and remember to bring your trash home with you.
THE BONUS
Dive to a Museum (Les Catalans)
A stone’s throw from the Marseille shoreline, a new museum welcomes visitors of a new kind; masked and with fins. Here an underwater display raises awareness of art, sport and, above all, ecology. The Marseille Underwater Museum invites the public to discover ten sculptures which are submerged 5 meters deep just one hundred meters from the Catalans beach – the first on the Marseille coast. The visit imposes some prerequisites such as knowing how to swim at least two hundred meters (one hundred meters out & one hundred meters back) and being able to submerge yourself with a mask, snorkel and fins.
Safety relies the good intelligence of the visitors. Tell someone on the beach that you are going to the site, accompany minors, put on a wetsuit when the water is cool, go there in pairs and use a buoy on site to rest if necessary. All this makes sense however there are reminders at the site.
The Good plan: If you have brought your snorkelling equipment, why not also take the opportunity to explore the coast of the Vallon de Auffes and Malmousque.
by Eric Foucher
