Snorkelling, paddleboarding and swimming around Marseille: which trip for which water
5 min read
The answer first. If you want to be properly in the water, book the snorkelling trip from Pointe Rouge, from €45 per person: a dive centre supplies wetsuit, fins, mask and snorkel and takes you by boat to a site inside the Calanques National Park. If you would rather have a boat day with swim stops, paddleboards and a diving board, the catamaran with stand-up paddle is the one.
Check availability and prices for the snorkelling trip
Four trips, four kinds of swimmer
| Trip | Duration | In the water | From | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Snorkelling in the Calanques National Park | 3.5 hours | guided snorkelling with wetsuit | €45 | 4.5 stars, 196 reviews |
| Catamaran with stand-up paddle | 3 hours | swim stops, snorkel, paddleboard, diving board | €79 | 4.8 stars, 1,009 reviews |
| Cruise and swimming with paddleboard option | 2.5 to 4.5 hours | swim stops, snorkel, paddleboard on the morning trip | €99 | 4.7 stars, 286 reviews |
| Stand-up paddle tour from Les Goudes | 2 hours | paddling, snorkel break at Baie des Singes | €45 | 4.8 stars, 41 reviews |
The dive-centre snorkelling trip
You meet at the L’Atelier de la Mer dive centre in the Port de la Pointe Rouge, get the equipment and board a dive boat for a crossing of about 20 to 25 minutes. The site is picked on the day among options in the park, such as the Riou archipelago, Planier island, the Frioul archipelago or Maïre island, depending on wind, swell, visibility and current. The page says wearing a full-length wetsuit or a shorty is mandatory during the boat trip, and you can stay on the boat instead of swimming. A hot shower and changing rooms are included, and the page asks you to bring biodegradable sunscreen.
It lists children under 8, pregnant women, people with mobility impairments, people with heart problems and people with respiratory issues as not suitable. On this trip, fishing, alcohol and drugs and feeding animals are not allowed.
The catamaran with paddleboards and diving board
This is a shared catamaran with 22 people on board. The description meets at the Old Port, and the page says the meeting point depends on the option you book. The description includes snorkelling gear, stand-up paddles, the diving board on the roof, a GoPro camera and soft drinks. The same list also names wetsuits (if the water is cold), food and hotel pickup, so ask the operator which of these are in the price. Stops are generally one or two in the morning or at sunset and two in the afternoon. When the wind blows offshore, paddleboards cannot be used for safety reasons, and the tour can be modified for weather. Be at the boat 15 minutes before boarding; late arrivals are not refunded.
The hybrid-boat cruises
The operator’s boats are hybrid electric and take at most 12 passengers. There are three departures: a 9 a.m. morning paddle trip to the Frioul islands (3 hours), a 9:30 a.m. morning cruise there (2.5 hours) and a 1 p.m. afternoon cruise into the Calanques National Park (4.5 hours). Masks and snorkels are on board. Stand-up paddleboards are only on the morning paddle trip; the page’s warning also names a 1:30 p.m. paddle trip that its list of departures does not show, so ask before you rely on a board in the afternoon.
Paddleboarding from Les Goudes
The two-hour tour starts at Les Goudes, passes La Maronaise and stops at Baie des Singes, where the page lists snorkelling with masks provided, beach volleyball and paddle games. The page lists a life jacket, a waterproof bag, a phone pouch and photos, and offers food and cocktails as options after booking. The operator accepts or refuses bookings depending on the weather and sends the exact meeting point by phone. Choose the sunset option if you book the 7 p.m. slot.
Which one
If you have never snorkelled, the dive-centre trip comes with a briefing and a wetsuit, and the page calls its equipment suitable for all levels. If you want to paddle, compare three: the catamaran is a boat day with swim stops, the 9 a.m. trip on the hybrid boat takes boards to the Frioul islands for three hours, and the Les Goudes tour is two hours on the board. The pages do not give season dates, so check availability for your month, and ask the operator about wetsuits. For the boats that go to the Frioul islands and what you can do on land there, see our guide to the Château d’If and the Frioul ferry. Our Calanques comparison explains the reservation rule for Sugiton. Browse all boat departures under Calanques tours, where 45 tours start from €35.
