Calanque de Port Miou in Cassis

Nestling at the gateway to Cassis, the calanque of Port-Miou is the most easterly of the calanques in the National Park. Easily accessible, it attracts families with its peaceful setting, crystal-clear waters and natural harbour lined with sailboats. An ideal starting point for exploring the calanques on foot or by kayak, it marks the beginning of an adventure in the heart of a preserved environment. Find out all you need to know about Port-Miou: access, activities, practical advice… Are you planning a camping vacation near the calanques? Port-Miou is the perfect place to combine relaxation, nature and family discovery.

Discover the calanques of Port Miou, accessible to all the family

Discover the Port Miou creeks, a 30-minute walk from Cassis town centre. The Port Miou creeks are the ideal destination for a walk with family or friends. Open all year round, these creeks located on the outskirts of the town are a magical spot with a natural marina that can accommodate more than 600 sailing boats.

Port Miou is part of the Calanques National Park. It was once a limestone quarry used for the Suez Canal. The hike is easily accessible for families and children. Lined with high cliffs and 1,400 metres long, it is the furthest calanque from Marseille. Put on some good shoes, a hat and your swimsuit, go for a walk along the calanques and listen to the lapping of the waves and the song of the cicadas.

Why discover the Port Miou cove?

The Calanque de Port Miou in Cassis is an ideal gateway for exploring the world-famous Parc National des Calanques. With its crystal-clear waters and white limestone cliffs, this unique site offers a breathtaking natural spectacle. Easily accessible, it is the starting point for iconic hikes such as the Petit Prince trail.

Port Miou, also a natural marina, combines maritime charm with unspoilt scenery. By visiting this protected cove, you’ll be helping to preserve an exceptional Mediterranean heritage while enjoying an unforgettable experience in the heart of nature.

With its white rock, umbrella pines and turquoise sea, the calanque of Port-Miou is well worth a visit and a family weekend to soak up the authenticity of the site. This Provencal fjord features several freshwater springs that discharge into the turquoise sea and are surrounded by a magnificent pine forest. The panorama offered by the contrast between the white limestone and the ochre cliffs is breathtaking.

When you walk along the footpath in the Port Miou creeks, you may be surprised to hear strange noises coming out of the ground. This is the “ souffleur” hole, a geological feature of the Port Miou creeks: a fault runs right up to the footpath and ends in a small hole. The movements of the sea, by compressing the air contained in the duct, provoke sounds that effectively resemble sudden breaths. Don’t be surprised! You can also hire a boat for a spectacular tour of the calanques, but for the more sporty, a kayak trip is a must.

Access to the calanques of Cassis

Today, you’ll find a small castle that used to be the miners’ residence and is now the harbor master’s office for the marina run by the Cassis town council. You can reach the calanque of Port-Miou by car or boat, as you wish. Port-Miou has no beach, but you can swim from the cliffs. The calanque is the starting point for numerous hiking trails in the Calanques massif. Do you love nature and the calanques of Bouches-du-Rhône? Discover our campsite near the calanques, as well as the calanques of La Ciotat.

Hiking in the calanques from Cassis

You can let yourself be guided by professionals by signing up for boat tours of the calanques organised by shuttle boats from the ports of Cassis, Marseille and La Ciotat. Alternatively, you can start your family outing with a hike through the Cassis calanques along the small stone path that leads to the tip of the Cassis peninsula. It is a magical place with flat rocks offering views of the Mediterranean, the Port-Miou calanque and Cap Canaille.

You can then continue your Calanques de Cassis hike and approach Cap Cable via the “Little Prince” path, for a lovely view of the calanque and its entrance. Continue straight on and join the GR98 to go deeper into the site and reach the calanque de Port Pin for a leisurely swim.

For a change, find a quiet spot where you can picnic with your children. There’s nothing like eating your sandwich overlooking the mouth of the Port-Miou calanque and the sea to get away from it all. And there’s no shortage of good addresses on the site. You can, for example, come to the La plage bleue restaurant if you want to eat in peace and enjoy comfortable deckchairs while your children swim in a secure pool.

Port Miou is the first calanque from Cassis. The Calanques National Park has several calanques between Cassis and Marseille. You can hike through all of them or choose your favourite calanque in Cassis, Marseille or La Ciotat. Discover the calanques of Port Pin, En Vau, Sormiou, Morgiou, Sugiton and more. Spectacular landscapes await you! Stay at our Le Ceyreste campsite and set off to explore the calanques and Provence.