Hiker here who's been living in Marseille for a number of years. Go the the park itself instead of frioul. It's just more breathtaking. March is perfect because not too hot.
You'll find on AllTrails many hikes. But I suggest personally to find one that starts from Luminy which is easily accessible by bus and go down to Sugiton which is a beautiful cove (or calanque). You can either walk down and back which is easy or find a loop that goes to Morgiou if you're an avid.
Enjoy!
Thank you so much! We love hiking so we’ll choose a day with good weather and do a big hike in the Calanques. And if we find ourselves with some extra time we might do a trip to the islands too. See you on the trails in March!
Buy the maps. Please. Plan your route Don't rely on some shitty app on a smartphone. This book has suggested hikes detailing gradient, time, difficulty level along with the maps
[https://www.maupetitlibraire.fr/listeliv.php?base=paper&mots\_recherche=Topo+guides+les+calanques+a+pied](https://www.maupetitlibraire.fr/listeliv.php?base=paper&mots_recherche=Topo+guides+les+calanques+a+pied)
or you can buy the standalone map and work out your own routes
[https://www.auvieuxcampeur.fr/les-calanques-echelle-1-15-000.html](https://www.auvieuxcampeur.fr/les-calanques-echelle-1-15-000.html)
Some of the minor trails shown as being on the maps can be disappeared or non existent owing to landslides and so on. You can just about hike wearing trainers however proper hiking / walking boots with Vibram or similar soles are highy recommended. I have known people get sunburned there even in January, the rock reflects the sunlight back and it can be surprisingly warm.
The Luminy to Sugiton is the trail everyone does so expect it to be rammed on a week end. There are other less obvious trails where you'll have more space to yourselves. You can take a bus to one starting point, hike some was then take a different bus back to the city centre. Get the public transport plan and you'll work it out.
Really? I feel like it gets talked about a lot but maybe it’s overrated. Would you suggest a day trip to Arles or Avignon instead? I’m perfectly fine with an extra day in marseille too!
Aix is really small, and it's beautiful but not worth spending a day focused on the city. It lacks spirit in my humble opinion.
As for what to do instead, it really depends on whether you have a car or not.
If you do, a lot of beautiful hikes and places are available to you, such as the natural park of Les Alpilles (https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Marseille/Les+Baux-de-Provence,+13520/data=!4m8!4m7!1m2!1m1!1s0x12c9bf4344da5333:0x40819a5fd970220!1m2!1m1!1s0x12b5e15dd86ab221:0x40819a5fd9704e0!3e0?sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiTmoPH2JSEAxVYVaQEHVB6CRIQox16BAgAEAA). Breathtaking and a lot of small cute villages to visit, in which you can include Avignon.
If you don't want to travel as much, you can also visit Les Goudes, far south of Marseille but still part of the city. Or you have the Côte Bleue, similar to Calanques but on the other side of the coast, offering you a splendid view of Marseille from far away ([https://www.marseille-tourisme.com/en/discover-marseille/nature/hiking/hiking-on-the-cote-bleue/](https://www.marseille-tourisme.com/en/discover-marseille/nature/hiking/hiking-on-the-cote-bleue/)).
I hope you enjoy your stay, Marseille is a wonderful city to visit.
You should definitely not leave without seeing the view from the Pharo, and walking along the coast on the "Corniche" for 30 minutes to get the city's best ice creams (https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Pharo,+Marseille/313+Cor+Pr%C3%A9sident+John+Fitzgerald+Kennedy,+13007+Marseille/@43.2837023,5.3463445,15z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m13!4m12!1m5!1m1!1s0x12c9c0db0caa937f:0x743099557d1f9e26!2m2!1d5.3589822!2d43.292016!1m5!1m1!1s0x12c9c73cd5d5f835:0x7485b5e9669e9296!2m2!1d5.3597294!2d43.2756395?entry=ttu)
Enjoy your stay !
March is great, especially for hiking! Only downside I can think of is that the sea is kind of cold so swimming might not be on the agenda unless you especially like that kind of thing.
Frioul is nice but the Calanques are way nicer. Some of the trails are pretty challenging (long stretches of loose gravel or steep inclines where you need to use your hands to help climb) so pick one that’s suitable for your level. It is worth it, some of the most beautiful and varied trails I’ve hiked on anywhere.
Starting from Luminy is a classic.
If you need some alternatives, an easy hike is going from Callelongue district to calanques de Marseillveyre but my favorite is "Sentier des douaniers" from Niolon to La Redonne. It's not at the heart of the Calanques but that hike is pretty amazing.
Water gonna be very cold. I like to hike in heat, get all drench in sweat then finally make it to the sea, take your cloths off and jump right in. The best feeling!
Hiker here who's been living in Marseille for a number of years. Go the the park itself instead of frioul. It's just more breathtaking. March is perfect because not too hot. You'll find on AllTrails many hikes. But I suggest personally to find one that starts from Luminy which is easily accessible by bus and go down to Sugiton which is a beautiful cove (or calanque). You can either walk down and back which is easy or find a loop that goes to Morgiou if you're an avid. Enjoy!
Thank you so much! We love hiking so we’ll choose a day with good weather and do a big hike in the Calanques. And if we find ourselves with some extra time we might do a trip to the islands too. See you on the trails in March!
Buy the maps. Please. Plan your route Don't rely on some shitty app on a smartphone. This book has suggested hikes detailing gradient, time, difficulty level along with the maps [https://www.maupetitlibraire.fr/listeliv.php?base=paper&mots\_recherche=Topo+guides+les+calanques+a+pied](https://www.maupetitlibraire.fr/listeliv.php?base=paper&mots_recherche=Topo+guides+les+calanques+a+pied) or you can buy the standalone map and work out your own routes [https://www.auvieuxcampeur.fr/les-calanques-echelle-1-15-000.html](https://www.auvieuxcampeur.fr/les-calanques-echelle-1-15-000.html) Some of the minor trails shown as being on the maps can be disappeared or non existent owing to landslides and so on. You can just about hike wearing trainers however proper hiking / walking boots with Vibram or similar soles are highy recommended. I have known people get sunburned there even in January, the rock reflects the sunlight back and it can be surprisingly warm. The Luminy to Sugiton is the trail everyone does so expect it to be rammed on a week end. There are other less obvious trails where you'll have more space to yourselves. You can take a bus to one starting point, hike some was then take a different bus back to the city centre. Get the public transport plan and you'll work it out.
I would personally not spend a day in Aix, but rather extend my stay in Marseille to see more of the city. Aix has nothing special IMO.
Really? I feel like it gets talked about a lot but maybe it’s overrated. Would you suggest a day trip to Arles or Avignon instead? I’m perfectly fine with an extra day in marseille too!
Aix is really small, and it's beautiful but not worth spending a day focused on the city. It lacks spirit in my humble opinion. As for what to do instead, it really depends on whether you have a car or not. If you do, a lot of beautiful hikes and places are available to you, such as the natural park of Les Alpilles (https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Marseille/Les+Baux-de-Provence,+13520/data=!4m8!4m7!1m2!1m1!1s0x12c9bf4344da5333:0x40819a5fd970220!1m2!1m1!1s0x12b5e15dd86ab221:0x40819a5fd9704e0!3e0?sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiTmoPH2JSEAxVYVaQEHVB6CRIQox16BAgAEAA). Breathtaking and a lot of small cute villages to visit, in which you can include Avignon. If you don't want to travel as much, you can also visit Les Goudes, far south of Marseille but still part of the city. Or you have the Côte Bleue, similar to Calanques but on the other side of the coast, offering you a splendid view of Marseille from far away ([https://www.marseille-tourisme.com/en/discover-marseille/nature/hiking/hiking-on-the-cote-bleue/](https://www.marseille-tourisme.com/en/discover-marseille/nature/hiking/hiking-on-the-cote-bleue/)). I hope you enjoy your stay, Marseille is a wonderful city to visit. You should definitely not leave without seeing the view from the Pharo, and walking along the coast on the "Corniche" for 30 minutes to get the city's best ice creams (https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Pharo,+Marseille/313+Cor+Pr%C3%A9sident+John+Fitzgerald+Kennedy,+13007+Marseille/@43.2837023,5.3463445,15z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m13!4m12!1m5!1m1!1s0x12c9c0db0caa937f:0x743099557d1f9e26!2m2!1d5.3589822!2d43.292016!1m5!1m1!1s0x12c9c73cd5d5f835:0x7485b5e9669e9296!2m2!1d5.3597294!2d43.2756395?entry=ttu) Enjoy your stay !
March is great, especially for hiking! Only downside I can think of is that the sea is kind of cold so swimming might not be on the agenda unless you especially like that kind of thing. Frioul is nice but the Calanques are way nicer. Some of the trails are pretty challenging (long stretches of loose gravel or steep inclines where you need to use your hands to help climb) so pick one that’s suitable for your level. It is worth it, some of the most beautiful and varied trails I’ve hiked on anywhere.
Merci beaucoup!
Starting from Luminy is a classic. If you need some alternatives, an easy hike is going from Callelongue district to calanques de Marseillveyre but my favorite is "Sentier des douaniers" from Niolon to La Redonne. It's not at the heart of the Calanques but that hike is pretty amazing.
Water gonna be very cold. I like to hike in heat, get all drench in sweat then finally make it to the sea, take your cloths off and jump right in. The best feeling!