SCENERY AND SAND ON THE SUNSHINE COAST
Three kilometres or so west of the Mediterranean resort of Cassis, the summer motorist bent on sea breezes runs out of usable road, but not before he or she has been given tantalising glimpses of the dramatic calanques of Cassis: long, narrow, rock-bound inlets, finally accessible only on foot or by boat. Known as Port-Miou, Port-Pin and d’En-Vau, they are like embryonic Norwegian fjords, surrounded by towering cliffs.
It is true that you can drive most of the way to the closest calanque, Port-Miou, complete with its strangely shaped heather-clad rocks. To visit the more distant, however, do not be tempted to take the car: the nearest point to these calanques, the car park at la Gardiole, off D559, is still at least an hour’s walk away, and vulnerable to thieves. Far better to use the boat service from the Quai St- Pierre in Cassis. For families, the best of the three calanques is Port-Pin, an agreeable bathing spot shaded, as the name suggests, by hanging pines; for sheer scenery, however, choose the claustrophobic creek of d’En-Vau. If the boatman is reluctant to pick you up later in the day, you can simply climb the steep steps hewn out of the rock and return on foot.
Cassis itself is largely closed to cars. The Romans were the first to build luxury villas in this lovely resort, on a semi-circular bay dominated by a backdrop of limestone hills. Many of its fine houses date from the 17th century, when it became a refuge for the wealthy citizens of Marseille, and two hundred years later prosperous in its own right as the source of top- class stone to line the sides of the new French- built Suez Canal. The region’s great cultural crusader, Frédérick Mistral, said that those who sampled Paris had still seen nothing until they had visited Cassis.
Drive south-east from Cassis for the best views, using the D141A, the old Corniche des Crêtes, not a road however for anyone suffering from vertigo. Here lies Cap Canaille. This colossus of cliffs, at 362m the highest in France, provides a superb panorama on a clear day.
More dramatic cliffs make up nearby Cap de l’Aigle, the scene of one of the earliest recorded naval disasters. In the 3rd century BC a Roman freighter carrying stone to Massilia in Italy struck a rock here and, because of the weight of its cargo, went straight to the bottom.
The ancient provençal port of La Ciotat had always enjoyed a large measure of autonomy because of its obscure location, and for a few years after 1429 it achieved complete independence. To protect its deep-sea harbour, a small fort was built on the nearby Ile-Verte, still an agreeable 30-minute trip by boat from the old port. This was once the bustling centre of a prosperous shipbuilding industry, started in 1580 by workers anxious to escape the plague in Marseille.
La Ciotat is perhaps best known as the home town of the cinematic pioneers, the Lumière brothers. They made their first-ever film here, ‘A train entering La Ciotat station’, and projected it on the side of a wall on 21 September 1895, two months before it caused a sensation in Paris.
The town’s principal resort is La Ciotat-Plage, 3km north-east, with a seafront of substantial if over priced hotels, splendid beaches with bustling restaurants, and exceptionally high levels of sunshine throughout most of the year. The road continues to Les Lecques and Saint- Cyr-sur-Mer, a quiet seaside town except at the height of the summer, wonderfully situated in a sweeping bay.
When it comes to climate, however, Bandol reigns supreme. Sheltered from the Mistral by its wooded hills, its twin promenades overlook three enormous beaches, each more than 450 metres long. The Plage Lido is mainly pebbles but the Plage de Renecros and the Plage du Casino have fine sand, ideal for children. Bandol’s vines produce some of the best vintages on the Mediterranean coast.
Sanary-sur-Mer, south-east of Bandol, has reinvented itself several times: it was once called Saint-Nazaire and did not acquire the ‘sur-Mer’ until the summer of 1923. This is not really a seaside resort in the traditional sense, as its beaches, L’Esplanade, Portissol and Beaucours, though sandy, are all very small and packed in high season. However Sanary has become a serious rival to Saint-Tropez as the place to see and be seen, with glimpses of B-list celebrities parading on the chic harbour front, and in the streets behind, high fashion for sale in expensive boutiques that never bother with price tags because hardly anyone ever asks the price...
Six-Fours-les-Plages is more than just a sports resort: its peninsula offers a honeycomb of sandy beaches and secretive inlets, quaint little harbours and protected woodland. The Janas forest has many fascinating trails for horse riding and mountain biking, some of which lead right down to the water’s edge. One trail takes visitors straight to the vivacious fishing port of Brusc, with its harbour cafés where you can watch the evening sun set spectacularly on the bay.
Aten minute, very frequent, ferry ride from Port de Brusc is the Archipel des Embiez, wild and beautiful islands covering almost 100 hectares. They were acquired in 1950 by the Pastis millionaire, Paul Ricard, who also created its prestigious Oceonagraphic Institute. Diving and power boat enthusiasts flock here in summer but past the rich vineyards, many untrodden paths lead to quiet, sheltered creeks, ideal for family picnics.
How to get there
By air
See airline information >>
By rail
Eurostar and TGV to Toulon
By car
1125km from Calais (approx. 10 hours 30 mins.) to Toulon.
From our March 2006 newsletter
