Hiking in Cassis: Top Outdoor Adventures Awaiting You

Cassis sits at the heart of the French Riviera and really does boast plentiful excellent hiking opportunities. Away from the two aforementioned national parks, there are many other incredible natural spaces to explore on foot.

Situated just 1.5 hours to the east of Cassis is Parc naturel régional de Camargue. The UNESCO bioreserve boasts a unique coastal and wetland landscape for hikers to explore. Walking out to the Étang de Vaccarès lagoon is a popular destination in the park.

To the northeast of Cassis, is the iconic Verdon Gorges Natural Park. Here, hikers have plenty of opportunities to explore lavender fields, lakes, mountains and the iconic canyons. There are few better ways to spend a warm summer’s day than exploring this intoxicating landscape.

A bit to the west of Verdon is the Regional Natural Park of the Préalpes d’Azur, which also makes for an incredible hiking destination. Walkers tend to enjoy exploring the rugged mountains and various intermittent valleys.

Stunning scenery

Perches among the dolomite and limestone cliffs that dominate its portion of the French Riviera, Cassis is an incredible scenic spot for a hiking vacation. Whether you head out into Calanques National Park to see some of the largest and most scenic examples of these geological phenomena or make the journey up to the verdant cliffs and gorges of Verdon Regional Natural Park, you won’t regret making the trip.

Mercantour National Park

Situated just a few hours east of Cassis and boasting more than 600 kilometers of hiking trails, Mercantour National Park is a veritable paradise for hiking enthusiasts. Among the most popular hiking options is a one-day trek through Vésubie Valley and Madone de Fenestre. This path takes you to the summit of the highest mountain in the park, Gélas, (3,143 meters) where you can see as far south as the Mediterranean and get gorgeous views into the Alps to the north.

Calanques National Park

Sprawling over 500 square kilometers, just on the outskirts of Cassis, Calanques National Park is a playground for hiking enthusiasts. Complete with stunning seaside cliffs (known as Calanques), which provide sublime views out over the Mediterranean Sea, there are plenty of options to fill hours, days or weeks of hiking. Among the most popular destinations in the park are the Calanques de Sormiou, Morgiou, Port-Miou, Sugiton and Cosquer Cave.

During the hiking season, Cassis enjoys average daily temperatures ranging from 18 ºC to 28 ºC. In terms of rain, the summer and autumn are the wettest months of the year, with August being the wettest month.

The easiest way to get to Cassis is generally flying into Marseille Provence Airport (MRS). From here, you can rent a car and make the 50 minute drive from the airport. It is also possible to travel by bus, which takes only slightly longer.

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+33

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May to September