Intro
There’s nowhere quite like the South of France for Mediterranean glitz and beauty. My husband Chris and I love this area and have visited many of its prime hot spots (and lesser ones) over the last 25 years. In June 2026, when some great value flights to Marseille suddenly appeared (£108 return each from Edinburgh including seat selection) we booked a short break – 2 nights in Cassis, about an hour’s drive east of Marseille; followed by 3 nights in Roussillon, in the Vaucluse/Luberon Regional Park. It was a truly wonderful trip and reaffirmed in my mind why the South has kept pulling us back, year after year.
CASSIS
We landed in Marignane airport and very quickly picked up our car from Europcar. We tend to book through an intermediary such as Zest, in this case Economy Bookings and choose based on cost and cover. If we need to take out extra insurance for fuller cover, we do this through a UK insurance site.This has always worked well for us.
Online directions make things so easy now, traffic wasn’t too busy and we were soon taking the motorway turn off for Cassis.One difference in this part of the south is that traffic is nowhere near as busy as around the section from St Tropez to Menton. Getting into Cassis and to our Airbnb accommodation above the town was a breeze.
Our Apartment
We had booked what turned out to be a characterful, self catering apartment , separate to the owners’ home, shaded by fragrant pine trees and in an upmarket locale.I loved it at first sight!
Plus the lady of the house was a super friendly person who had us sit down beside the family swimming pool (which we had use of – never had the time to use it, as it turned out!)and poured us drinks.She and her husband were delightful hosts.I must say that the dry, spicy scent of Umbrella/Aleppo pines (I’m never sure which) are so evocative to me of the Mediterranean.What a joy to be back in the glorious South of France!
After unpacking (not much, as we tend to travel with just small carry on bags) we drove to Cassis itself, parking in a residential street a short walk from the centre.Parking was fairly easy and cheap in Cassis if you were prepared to walk for 10 mins or so. A gorgeous walk it was too down pavements lined with appealing villas and pretty gardens festooned with pink and white oleander, hibiscus and other exotic flowers.Even the roundabouts above town are attractive…
Cassis is a gem, lined with well kept, pastel-coloured buildings. Countless restaurants and cafes spill out onto the pavement, looking out over the boat-filled harbour.The town has an impressive backdrop too with Europe’ s third highest cliff, Cap Canaille.
The photo below is from the Cap Canaille road looking down on Cassis and the wider area.
A Boat Trip to the Calanques
I chose this little town because I was keen to visit Les Calanques – the famed cliff- girt rocky inlets which line this section of the coast all the way to Marseille.We checked boat times at the office on the harbour and decided we preferred a tour which allowed us to swim.Most only take you in and out the various Calanques to sightsee ( we could visit up to 9 of them) but I’d read that the prettiest was En Vau and thankfully, this one was near Cassis. Every trip called in here, whether the 1 hour sail or the all day option.However, because these natural areas are protected, boats can only go in so far and do not stop to allow swimming.There was the potential to reach En Vau by hiking and we had considered this.But France was in the middle of a heatwave and temperatures were a blistering 38C – 42C. No fun walking in that! Plus the beaches had no shade, were small and stony and usually mobbed.The descent was reputedly gravelly and steep.The boat it was!
Amorino Gelateria
Having made that momentous decision, it was time for an ice cream – plenty of outlets in Cassis but we liked how Amorino did it.I usually go for a small tub but you could still get 3 different flavours.Perfect! The Pistachio (my favourite usually) was just ok but the Black Cherries and Cream was outstanding, as was the Coffee with Arabica beans on top.Chris chose Black Cherry and Cream, Blood Orange and Caramel with Salted Butter.
Picked up supplies from a good supermarket which was just a 5 minute drive away and ate in on our delightful terrace.Cold chicken, salad stuff, pickles, olives and cheese.Phew – after a 3.15am start from our home this morning, we were tired! Plus, the heat was incredible – high 30Cs.Our cold Northern European blood was definitely not used to this.
Les Calanques plus a Gorgeous Swim
No long lie in next morning (Friday), as we were a bit worried about the boats being super busy.The swimming trip only went out at 9.15am so we beetled down to the harbour again for an early morning coffee.
I never feel my Mediterranean trip has truly started until we sit in a nice café with good Latte (or Café Crèmes in French parlance) and a Pain au Chocolat. Chris has good French though mine is excruciatingly poor and gets worse when I am confronted with a local and desperately try to remember how to ask for something. My confidence goes and the little French I have disintegrates. I have made so many faux pas, language-wise on our European travels, they have become a family joke. This occasion, I managed to thank our waiter with a mumbled ‘grazie’ instead of a merci. Awful! Chris said not to worry, he would just think I was Italian (more like a complete scatterbrain.)
By 8.30am, a small queue began to form at the ticket office.Time to relinquish our nice harbour-front seats and get ourselves over there! Sharp elbows and all that:)
Boats go out constantly throughout the day and in fact , only half a dozen other people chose the swimming trip so we had no problem getting on.It was quite a large excursion boat too, with plenty of room.However, it wouldn’t be a holiday if I didn’t panic about something!
By 9.15am we were leaving Cassis behind and heading for the first of three Calanques on our 2 hour excursion.There were some beautifully situated villas on the rocky coast…not cheap, I imagine.
Port Miou was pleasant though mostly jam-packed with boats.This little creek is easily walkable from town.
Port Pin was nicer again, living up to its name with plenty of fragrant pines and ultra clear water.
En Vau was much more impressive with high limestone, pine- girt crags and again, stunning water.We could see fish swimming in shoals right by the boat.
The beach was quite small and already had hardy hikers on it.Quite rightly, boats have to keep beyond a line of buoys for swimmers’ safety.
To be honest, En Vau was interesting but overall, a little underwhelming in my opinion compared to all the hype. Still, it was so lovely to be out at sea on an already blisteringly hot morning.The sea was flat calm too, not a breath of wind.
I suspect walking to a vantage point above En Vau might be more impressive again.But the boat was definitely more relaxing.It was just what we felt like, as a couple who are 68yrs (myself) and 70, even though we still enjoy a lot of quite hard hiking at home.
Below, a little private fishing boat gives scale to the cliffs…
Our hour of swimming now awaited and we were whisked across the sea to a stunning bay east of Cassis.It was absolutely deserted with emerald green water, the whole truly beautiful area overlooked by the superb red cliffs of Cap Canaille.This was wow!
We were now in the bay of Plage de l’Arene, anchored in deep but clear water.
I was so glad we’d bought a cheap snorkelling set in Cassis last night because there were shoals of Oblade – Saddle Backed Bream.They were a silver grey with darker stripes and a white rimmed black spot on their tails.They flocked to the underside of the boat and seemed fairly unfazed by us all. Floats were also provided, giving us extra buoyancy.Great fun!
I can heartily recommend this trip rather than simply sailing in and out of the calanques.The swimming was the thing.
Two hours after setting off, we were back in Cassis and ready for another coffee.Chris’s beer came with olives and crisps which were very welcome.
The Friday market was on too with wonderful fruit and veg.In fact, we bought a huge punnet of cherries which were probably the best I’ve ever eaten. These constituted lunch! A big box of strawberries too was also excellent and we demolished them later.
ROUTES DES CRETES – AN UNMISSABLE CLIFF TOP DRIVE
This was a superbly scenic coastal drive, taking us 1,300 feet up onto the cliff tops of Cap Canaille. The route is well signposted road and winds its way up above Cassis to a series of increasingly spectacular viewpoints.
There were many places to pull in and have a short walk to peer across the deep blue bay or gaze way down to the rocky shore below. Heebie jeebie time for me – I always get nervous at how close to the edge Chris goes.I stay WELL back.
We spent well over an hour just exploring the different stop offs, none of which were very busy. Lots of large butterflies fluttered around the summer wildflowers.
The route eventually ends in the city of La Ciotat but we simply drove back after reaching the highest point of the road.
Got showered back at the apartment, had a relax then decided to eat out in Cassis.We left the car in the nearby Les Gorguettes car park which is free and is also the local bus terminus. The timetable was difficult to understand but after a 10 min wait, the bus appeared. The photo below shows Chris deciphering the various notices.It was easily 38C by this point – the heatwave had begun (and continues even as I write in late July.)
We were dropped off at the casino end of town.This gave us a short walk to the marina and the long line of restaurants which all looked very appealing.
We finally settled on La Poissonerie Laurent, a fish restaurant (bizarre choice as neither of us is overly keen on Mediterranean fish!) However, it had a great outlook (I’m always seduced, often wrongly, by location) and a decent menu.
Shared an Octopus Salad to start which was very good indeed. One fish dish we do look out for in this part of the world.
Just in time, I changed my main course order of Fried Fish, remembering that it is not the single large piece of Haddock or Cod which we have at home, but deep fried tiny, whole Whitebait. I tried that once and really didn’t like it.Our waitress was very good about this and said it should have been explained to me. I actually thought it was my own fault! Anyway, Chris’s choice was quite good, two thin fillets of Sea Bass with plentiful chips (to share.)
Mine was a bit of a distaster – three small, whole Red Mullet which had the most odd, unpleasant smell. Not off, just not appealing.Inside, the fish had grey, soft flesh and I just couldn’t stomach them at all. Thankfully, I’d ordered side veg which was tasty (Fennel I think and Courgette) plus the chips went down well as always.I know in the Med to expect whole fish but I’ve never got over a bit of an aversion to it.It’s fine though if the main body tastes good but these did not have an enjoyable taste at all.
A final stroll round lovely Cassis, and a truly excellent ice cream again from Amorino Gelateria. Back to the car and the apartment where we sat out in the shade, agreeing that we would definitely be back to Cassis – what a beautiful place and area!
Next 3 nights: ON TO ROUSSILLON IN THE LUBERON and the stunning sights of GORDES, ABBAYE DE SENANQUE, VENASQUE , LACOSTE and MENERBES
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