The most famous thing to do in Cassis besides just relax is to visit the most gorgeous Calanques. What are calanques? They are these beautiful rock cliff formations that form gorgeous and stunning views especially when you look at the white rock next to the super clear mind-blowingly aqua blue water. Call it a wonder of nature or whatever you like, but it's really not to be missed if you come to Cassis. This is the tour company that runs the most popular tour of the Calanques. They have multiple boats and you can book a tour the day you wish to go most of the time. So here are some important things we learned. 1. There's a little stand right in the middle of the harbor where you buy your tickets. It's pretty obvious. They take cash and cards. 2. There are three different tours you can buy of varying lengths of time and varying number of calanques. The smallest tour is 45 minutes and 3 calanques. The longest is 2 hours and 5 calanques. Based on the guidance of our host, who told us "three calanques is enough for anyone," we chose the shortest option. I do agree that for most people, this is plenty. The boat ride takes you out and you basically go in and out of the little harbors in between the calanques. Even if you don't care about the calanques, it's just a nice boat ride and a nice way to see the coastline from the water. It's also a great photo opp of the gorgeous Cassis lighthouse as you go by. But we LOVE nature stuff, and we are super geeky and weird about nature things, so we actually regretted not going for the long tour. If you have little kids, 45 minutes would be great. 3. The boats have seating both up and down, so if you want the best view, you'll want to sit upstairs. Depending on the weather, you may need to bring a hat or scarf or a second layer to stay warm. It got pretty brisk up there in February. 4. It's not a "tour." It's a boat ride. Unlike such things we've done in other places, there is no tour guide talking to you and explaining things. The staff drives the boat and helps you get on and off safely (and a bunch of other stuff I'm sure I didn't see). But they don't like explain anything to you really. You're just on your own to enjoy the view and snap pics (bring a fully charged cell phone!) 5. The water can be rough. So the first day we wanted to go, we were unable to. When we arrived at the ticket booth, we found it closed with a sign saying "la mére agitee," in other words, no tours today because the sea is agitated. The next day, we were able to go out, but the seas were surprisingly choppy. The boat definitely rolls and lists. If you get motion sick, I would advise you to do some dramanine or something else prior to boarding if it's a windy day. 6. I don't know if you can buy tickets in advance for a future date. But on the day we went out, it seemed that people were buying tickets for the next available boat ride. So I could see this becoming an issue in busy times where you'd show up and be told the next available ride is like four hours away. So if you want to be sure you get to go early in the day, I think it's advisable to go to the booth first thing. All that said, we had a wonderful time. The calanques are GORGEOUS even on a cloudy day like ours. I highly recommend this trip and would honestly do it more than once if I were staying long enough so I could see the calanques under different conditions. read more

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This is one of my favorite towns in the Cote d'Azur. It was recommended to me by my Mont Blanc climbing guide as his and his wife's favorite place to vacation. The quaintness of the harbor with the brightly painted boats and the older generation playing petanque next to the pier was so relaxing. The cruise along the Calanques (fjords) with the contrast of the white cliffs and emerald green water was so memorable. Next time, spending a day at the beach at one of the Calanques is on the itinerary for sure. The boat service was nice and just the right amount of time. Not too long and not too short. You may want to rent a car to go here as Cassis is quite a walk from the train station. If you are backpacking like I was, then it's a nice leisurely (but long) walk along the fields and countryside that gets you warmed up for a great day. 4 stars for the boat service and 5 stars for Cassis! read more

We saw, we paid, we boarded. For a fine cruise around Le Calanques, we used their service. What a gorgeous cruise. From my 2007 trip to France. read more

The 45 minute (actually an hour) trip to 3 calanques in Cassis was a great experience at a reasonable price (16 euros per person). The colors of the water were amazing -- sometimes deep blue, sometimes aqua, sometimes clear -- all in contrast to the white rock surrounding these little "fjords." On a clear, sunny day this is pretty much a perfect excursion. Our boat captain (of the Asterix III) was a friendly guide and picture-taker. Our boat was very comfortable for the 9 passengers on it (better, I think, than some of the larger boats with many more tourists). This is a highlight experience not to be missed if you're on the Riviera. The only negative is a tiny, pay parking lot that is NOT big enough to accommodate all the visitors. The area of shops and restaurants in the harbor is very quaint, as well. read more