Our trip to the Calanques with Bleu Evasion was the highlight of our stay in Marseille! We did a 3…read morehour tour (9:30am-12:30pm) but I'd recommend the full day because the 3 hours just flew by! Our trip did not leave from the old Port but from Port Rouge, which took 2 buses for us to get to. Also, just be advised if you do not speak French, you may have trouble finding someone who can help you find the Bleu Evasion signs. We asked several people before we finally (luckily) found someone who was also looking for Bleu Evasion (and happened to be from Bordeaux) who helped us locate the launch point. They definitely need better signs and maps after purchasing tickets so you know where you are going. There were 10 people on our boat-5 of us were from the states and the other 5 were from other parts of France which made for a fun trip.
Our guide was great at telling us the history (in both French and English) of different areas we were passing and different sites of importance. The boat took us to the Calanques and made 3 different stops to swim. There was snorkeling equipment on the boat too. The first stop was great snorkeling-lots of fish. The second stop was really cool because it was a cave that, at low tide, we could sit on the rocks inside. The third stop was near a beach. The guide had wine and crisps for us as well to enjoy. The waters of the Med are the most beautiful, bluest waters I have ever seen! The boat ride was fun too-very fast! Just be forewarned that the water was 68 degrees Fahrenheit so it is pretty cold getting in but once you do it gets much better! Bring towels and cameras! I hope I have a chance to return to Marseille so I can do the full day cruise!
