Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Côte Bleue
The Côte Bleue clambers from Marseille's western edge, past gritty fishing villages, to
Cap Couronne. Marine-life-rich waters around the sandy cape are protected by the
Parc
Régional Marin de la Côte Bleue
.
The Blue Coast has its own precious trove of
calanques
, which compete with those
everyone knows between Marseille and Cassis. At
Calanque de Niolon
, 12km west of
L'Estaque, rocky spurs ensnare the perilously perched village of Niolon, which has a
handful of cafes and the lovely
Auberge du Mérou
( 04 91 46 98 69;
www.aubergedumerou.fr
;
3-course menu €29)
, with a sea-view terrace.
From the tiny waterside Port du Redonne, a single-track road climbs over to Les
Figuières (1km), the Petit Méjean (1.7km) and the Grand Méjean (1.8km). In Grand
Méjean you can pick up a stunning 2.1km-long coastal trail to Calanque de l'Érevine.
L'Estaque
(
www.estaque.com
)
lured artists from the impressionist, Fauvist and cubist
movements. A trail follows in the footsteps of Renoir, Cézanne, Dufy and Braque around
the port and shabby old town. On the water's edge buy
chichi frégi
(sugar-coated dough-
nuts) and
panisses
(chickpea-flour cakes) to munch.
