One of those gorgeous marvels of nature you find in this part of the world, memorable for me, up there with Bodrum, the Greek isles, Croatia. The Calanques are rugged cliffs and pebble beaches with the most vivid turquoise water. We took the ferry from the Old Port headed for the Frioul archipelago. You can jump off at Chateau d'If and get back on going to the main island. The one hour ferry ride is chock full of sights from the hilled city of Marseille, a great view of the Pharo Palace, tooling through the harbor past cruise ships and pleasure crafts alike with everyone waving at you. Marseille has beaches, but the locals will jump off any rock into the water and hang out all day and night. The beaches on Frioul are breathtaking. We walked a couple hours Calanque de la Crine aka Tahiti Beach, because it's so lovely. You'll have to wait a while for the return trip, because there are so many day trippers by that time. The ferry runs every 30 minutes. But it's worth it to go, even a short visit. read more

If you're ever in Marseille, you must must must see the calanques. The limestone Massif des Calanques are located in the Parc National des Calanques and include the Calanque de Sormiou, the Calanque de Morgiou, the Calanque d'En-Vau, the Calanque de Port-Pin and the Calanque de Sugiton. Be sure to take the ferry , make a day out of it, and relax. The sea was rather choppy on the way over , but the views couldn't be beat. On the way out you also get terrific views of Chateau D'If. Treat yourself after a long day and grab some of the famed bouillabaisse at one of the local eateries. read more

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Cliffs, blue water, and nature? Yes please. The calanques are definitely a unique formation that I haven't really seen anywhere else, and there are a lot of them! I think the most famous and accessible ones are Sugiton, Morgiou, and Sormiou. These are accessible by bus 21 and bus 22 or 23 and quite a bit of walking. Hiking between the calanques is also quite fun! Definitely recommend if you're in Marseille! read more