Hiking to Calanque d’En Vau: A Detailed Guide

ByStephanie Rytting Posted on

Calanque d’En Vau (pronounced “caw-lawnk don voe”) is a stunning natural feature along the Mediterranean of southern France, just outside of Marseille.

These beautiful inlets are just outside of Calanques National Park and are absolutely worth a stop in your southern France itinerary – the beautiful turquoise water and white cliffs absolutely took my breath away.

This article will show you exactly how to get to the gorgeous Calanque d’En Vau, which is accessible via a hiking trail located just outside of Cassis, a little Mediterranean town 30 minutes southeast of Marseille. Here are all our tips and tricks for hiking the calanques of Cassis:

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What are Calanques? 

Calanques are natural inlets with steep rock walls found along the Mediterranean, and are similar in structure to the fjords in Norway, though not nearly as large. They are accessible by boat tours that will take you into the calanques, by kayaking in, or by hiking.

From the coastal city of Cassis, there is one main trail that will take you to see three different calanques: Port Miou, Port Pin, and d’En Vau (pronounced don voe). 

You can reach the first and second calanques relatively quickly and on a fairly flat trail, but the distance to Calanque d’En Vau is a little farther and at the end requires a steep climb down and back up again. That part of the trail is fun, but intense. It is very steep and there are spots you probably need to use your hands to help climb.

Tip: The trail is pretty sunny with a lot of spots with limited shade, so definitely bring plenty of water, sunscreen, and anything else you want for sun protection. 

There are some very steep spots!

However, the payoff is BIG. The first two calanques are pretty, and if you want an easier hiking experience, stopping there is the way to go. But they are just a warmup for Calanque d’En Vau. If you are physically able, it is absolutely worth the extra effort to go all the way there. 

How to get to the calanques parking lot and trailhead: 

Put in directions for Calanque de Port Miou. The little teardrop circle just to the right of the end point is the parking lot. 

This is an unpaved parking lot that, while not exactly small, did seem to fill up quickly. The parking lot is at the bottom of a hill, and the hill itself does not allow parking. So if the lot is full, you will have to park further up on the street and then walk down. 

We did see a few people who had parked on the street and were walking down the hill – it’s not a big thing, just something to be aware of.

We read that it costs 8 euro to park, but when we were there there was no attendant or obvious way to pay. As we didn’t see anyone else paying, we didn’t worry about it either. However, that may vary by season (we were there the beginning of May). 

At the trailhead across from the parking lot, there is a Calanques map of the trail. We often take pictures of the maps before we begin hiking, and if you are going on some of the alternate routes we describe below, it’s worth taking a picture of it there. The red dot with “Vous êtes ici” (you are here) is where you will start. 

Hiking Along the First Calanque (Calanque de Port Miou)

The hike starts right at the tip of Calanque Port Miou. Right away you have a fun contrast between trees and cliffs to your right and a cute port for small boats to your left which transitions to a beautiful view out to the sea.

This section is the easiest and consists of a large, flat path that will take 15 to 20 minutes. This is the first section of the red/white trail on the map.

Hiking to the Second Calanque (Calanque de Port Pin)

At this point you have some decisions to make. Your first option is to relax at the small beach that is at the end of the head of the calanque, and enjoy the fantastic view of cliffs juxtaposed with water. 

Another great option is to explore the east side of the calanque (so, the peninsula just before the calanque – see map above). It is great for scrambling around and leads to some fantastic views of the calanque along the way and a great panoramic view into both calanques at the tip, out to the sea, and to some stunning red cliffs to the east. 

hiking-calanques-cassis

There weren’t nearly as many people on this peninsula so it’s a nice place to escape crowds and wander. There are some fun geological features here – like a small hole that goes all the way through the rocks down to the sea below. When the waves crash into the caves at sea level, it forces air up the hole in these long heaving “breaths” that are pretty interesting to watch.

Finally, you can continue on toward the third calanque, either by continuing on the more direct red/white trail, or by taking the more scenic blue trail around the east peninsula.

hiking-cassis-calanques
Trail markings. The red trail takes you directly to d’En Vau, the blue takes you around the perimeter of the peninsula and then on to d’En Vau.

Hiking to the Third Calanque (Calanque d’En Vau)

We recommend that if you press on to hike to Calanque d’En Vau, you should take the blue loop at least one way (see map below). We took the blue trail on the way out and the more direct red and white trail as we were heading back, which worked out really well.

You’ll leave the main, red and white trail and join the blue trail at the orange arrow, and rejoin the main trail at the yellow arrow.

Watch for a trail that veers to the left immediately after you reach the second calanque – this is the blue trail.

The blue loop offers beautiful views the whole route, but especially as you round into the inlet of Calanque d’En Vau. Looking down into the gorge is amazing, with the white cliffs, and turquoise water providing a wonderful contrast. You gain some good elevation on this stretch so the view down is more dramatic.

Expect this loop to add 20-30 minutes over the other route, but you don’t get this view on the main red and white trail, so it is very much worth it.

hiking-calanques-cassis
Looking back at Calanque de Port Pin
Looking down on Calanque d’En Vau

When the blue trail rejoins the red/white trail, you will be at the ridge leading down to Calanque d’En Vau. This descent is steep and the trail is fairly narrow, so expect to move aside for hikers coming the other direction.

When you reach the bottom, it’s another five minutes or so to the beach and… voila! An amazing view of steep, white limestone cliffs disappearing into the azure water stretching far out to the Mediterranean Sea. It’s gorgeous.

hiking-d'en-vau-calanque

The beach is rocky, so I’d definitely recommend water sandals or water shoes so you can easily walk around or wade in the water. Alternatively, just enter beast mode and embrace the pain. Do note that the water does get pretty deep pretty quickly.

Bring a picnic, nibble on some French baguette and cheese (our favorite lunch in France), maybe do some cliff jumping, and soak up the sun and the view!

Coming Back from Calanque d’En Vau

We took the more direct trail on the way back and it took about an hour to get back to the parking lot. If you want to have an even longer hiking experience, there are several other side trails to explore inland, or you can continue farther to other calanques in the national park.

Are the Calanques Worth Visiting?

Honestly, I can’t recommend hiking Calanques of Cassis enough! I truly consider this hike, along with the sentier du littoral of Cap Ferrat, a must-do in Southern France!

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Stephanie is obsessed with everything having to do with France, and she's visited the country 10 times (including a 3 month stint when she lived in Paris). She draws on her extensive knowledge of the country to bring you detailed and helpful guides, from the perspective of a fellow traveler.