At the gates of Marseille, in the rocky creeks and narrow valleys of the Calanques, we go to meet all those who survey, defend and love this land and sea territory, fragile and extremely popular. A new episode of our series of trips to discover French national parks.
In the south of France, between Marseille, La Ciotat and Cassis, the Calanques form a chiseled and rocky coastline on the shores of the Mediterranean, made up of limestone cliffs, scrubland, pine forests and magical creeks. But much more than a landscape or a postcard setting, this unique and majestic natural setting represents a wild natural heritage that must be shared but above all protected. Thus in 2012, after a long consultation process, the Calanques National Park, the first peri-urban park in France and Europe, was born. Spread over 8,500 hectares of land and 43,500 hectares of sea, this Park has raised many expectations and sometimes disappointments since its creation. Above all, it has attracted, especially after the pandemic, more and more visitors: 3 million per year at the very least. Among them, tourists and day-swimmers but also locals: fishermen, divers or inveterate walkers, all long-time lovers of the Calanques massif. Because long before the creation of the Park, they were the ones who designed and defended these places rich in unsuspected biodiversity but also a long industrial past that has often threatened the survival and beauty of the Calanques. In Marseille, everyone has a memory in the Calanques, whether it’s the smell of the pines, the simple and gentle life in the cabanas or family Sundays with their feet in the turquoise water. Travel in a geography that is both intimate and very real, with all those who care about living and protecting the Calanques.
A report by Inès Edel-Garcia, as part of our series on French National Parks.
Learn more :
– On the Calanques National Park
– On the mandatory reservation system recently set up by the Park on the Calanque de Sugiton
– On Marseille Day Trippersa pioneering hiking association in France, which in 2022 celebrates its 125e anniversary
– On the citizen movement Clean my Calanques and its waste collection sessions
– On The Calancoeurshiking club specializing in the Calanques of Marseille
– On the replica of the Cosquer Cave recently opened in Marseille. The decorated cave was discovered in 1985 in the Calanques.
To read :
– “Calanques, interviews with the Eagle” by Karine Huet. Editions Glénat/National Park of the Calanques. A series of interviews with the different actors of the territory
– “Curious walks in the Calanques”. Glénat Editions. An eco-guide to invite the public to discover little-known trails in the Park.
– “Once upon a time in the Calanques: the secret files of the Calancoeurs», by Jean-Marc Nardini and Thierry Garcia. Calancoeurs Editions.