Calanques from Marseille: boat, catamaran or hike – and when you need a reservation
5 min read
The answer first. For most people the small-group Calanques boat tour with swimming is the best way to see the cliffs of Sormiou, Morgiou and Sugiton in one outing, from €79 per person. Fit walkers who want to arrive on foot should book the guided hike with picnic. Be careful with the short catamaran from the Old Port: it goes to the Frioul islands, not to the Calanques south of the city.
Check availability and prices for the Calanques boat tour
Four tours, four different coastlines
The boat tour is limited to 12 participants and lasts 3 to 4.5 hours. The page lists three starting options and names two meeting points: Port de la Pointe Rouge and the Vieux-Port. It also says that leaving from Pointe Rouge saves 40 minutes at the Calanques, while leaving from the Vieux-Port sometimes drops a swim stop in the morning. Morning and afternoon routes differ: En-Vau, Port Pin and Port-Miou are afternoon stops only, and the skipper can change the route to suit weather and swimming conditions.
The Calanques catamaran with stand-up paddle leaves from the Vieux-Port and lasts 3 hours. Its stops are Vallon des Auffes, the view of Château d’If and the Frioul Calanques. That is a lovely trip with a diving board and paddleboards, but it is a different coast. If you book it expecting En-Vau, you will be disappointed.
The longer catamaran cruise with picnic and swimming starts at Pointe Rouge, takes at most 24 guests with two skippers and runs from 3 to 7.5 hours depending on the option. It heads towards Cassis; the picnic lunch applies to the Calanques day-tour options only.
How they compare
| Tour | Duration | From | Rating | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calanques boat tour with swimming | 3 – 4.5 hours | €79 | 4.7 stars, 1,768 reviews | the south coast in one trip |
| Calanques catamaran and paddle | 3 hours | €79 | 4.8 stars, 1,009 reviews | Frioul, swimming, paddling |
| Catamaran cruise with picnic | 3 – 7.5 hours | €79 | 4.8 stars, 320 reviews | a long day towards Cassis |
| Guided hike with picnic | 5 hours | €35 | 4.8 stars, 620 reviews | walkers in good shape |
The hike is harder than it sounds
The guided hike starts at 184 Avenue de Luminy. The page asks for good fitness: a 200 m change in height, about an hour downhill and an hour back up. It calls the walk three to four times harder in summer than from September to May and asks for at least 1.5 litres of water per person in summer. Children under 8, people with mobility impairments, visually impaired people and pregnant women are listed as not suitable, and the tour can be cancelled if fewer than four people book. Which coves you reach (Saint-Jean-de-Dieu, Sugiton, Morgiou or Sormiou) depends on season and weather.
The Sugiton reservation
The Calanques National Park required a free reservation for the Sugiton and Pierres Tombées coves on set days in summer 2026: 20 and 21 June, every day from 27 June to 30 August, and 5, 6, 12 and 13 September. The dates are decided each year, so check the park’s page before you plan a land route. On high fire-risk days the massif can also be closed to walkers, which can cancel a hike. How the reservation applies when Sugiton is a stop on a boat tour, ask the operator or see the booking page.
Who should skip which
Pregnant women, people with back problems and children under 2 are listed as not suitable for the boat tour and the picnic catamaran cruise. If you are prone to seasickness, ask a pharmacist or doctor before the trip. Skip the hike in July and August unless you are used to heat. Arrive 15 minutes before boarding: on the boat tours a late arrival is not refunded.
Our recommendation
Book the boat tour with swimming for the Calanques proper, and the Frioul catamaran only if you want a short swim-and-paddle trip. Compare more departures in all Calanques tours.
