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Cassis Calanque d’en Vau Hike Guide | Hidden Beach Trail
- Sports Travel Tom
- 13 hours ago
- 7 min read
A practical guide to hiking the Cassis coastline — distance, difficulty, what to expect, and whether it’s truly worth the effort.
Sat with a coffee at the harbour’s edge, Cassis looks gentle.
Pastel buildings. Fishing boats. Cafés and restaurants leaning toward the sea. Locals collecting baguettes, the smell of fresh bread is fighting the arrival of fish freshly caught.
Unlike other French Riviera destinations swallowed up in glitz and glamour, this feels like somewhere you can slow down. Sit back. Feet up. Perhaps order a drink once the sun has reached the yardarm. Climbing is far from my thoughts.
But head west along the coast and the real heartbeat of Cassis reveals itself.
Adventure.
A short walk from the harbour, the terrain hardens and the path begins to rise. Limestone cliffs drop into impossible shades of blue. Somewhere along this stretch of the Parc National des Calanques is a small beach promising seclusion, and I’m on a mission to find it.
This hike marks the beginning of my French Riviera journey, exploring the region not through postcards and viewpoints alone, but through its sports events and adventures.
The Cassis Calanque d’en Vau hike is one of the most spectacular coastal routes in southern France. In this guide, I’ll break down the route, how difficult it really is, what to expect at the beach itself, and whether it’s genuinely worth the effort.
Hike at a Glance
Route: Cassis Harbour → Port-Miou → Port-Pin → Calanque d’en Vau → return
Distance: 8–9km return (depending on route choice)
Time Needed: 3.5-5 hours including beach stop
Difficulty: Moderate (steep sections and uneven terrain)
Elevation Gain: Approx. 250–300m
Trail Markings: Blue (panoramic route), Red & White (direct return)
Best Time to Go: Spring & autumn ideal; summer very hot
Footwear: Proper hiking shoes strongly recommended
Water: Bring plenty, no facilities en route
Beach Type: Pebbles (just so you don't shout at me when you get there)
Watch the full journey on YouTube below.
The Cassis Calanque d’en Vau Hike Route Explained
From Cassis Harbour to Port-Miou
I’ve been visiting Cassis for many years, and this hike into the Calanques is always scribbled onto my agenda whenever I return.
The adventure begins in Cassis’ harbour area, weaving through its quaint streets and narrow alleyways as you head east towards the Parc National des Calanques.
For the first part of the walk, you can choose your preferred route out of town, but make sure you find yourself on Avenue de l’Amiral Ganteaume. Follow this road towards Hôtel de la Plage, which sits opposite Plage du Bestouan, a popular roadside beach.
That beach is an important milestone. It’s here that the road becomes Avenue des Calanques, guiding you towards the northern tip of Calanque Port-Miou.
Port-Miou is, quite possibly, one of the world’s most beautiful harbours. Countless private boats and yachts sit moored in the narrow inlet, slightly smug, almost as though they’re saying, “Look at where our owner keeps us.”
As stunning as it is, facilities for boat owners are limited. No showers. No electricity. No rubbish bins.
Well, in that case, I’ll take my boat elsewhere. Thank you very much.
Port-Miou to Port-Pin
The hike continues along the western edge of Port-Miou before joining the coastal path, which begins to climb.
It’s here you get the first of many extraordinary views of the Mediterranean, and you start to feel like you’ve properly left town behind.
After a short uphill stretch followed by a shallow descent, you’ll reach Calanque Port-Pin — a beautifully framed beach where kayakers and paddleboarders drift in and out.
It’s an excellent place for a lunch stop before committing to the next stage.
The Sentier Panoramique
The sharpest climb of the route follows if you choose the “sentier panoramique” path, marked in blue. An alternative red-and-white marked route offers a more direct line, but save that for the return if you want a quicker way back to Cassis.
From Port-Pin, the climb is rocky and immediate. Then suddenly, the Mediterranean opens up once more.
To the east: views back towards Cassis and Port-Miou. Straight ahead: open water stretching endlessly.
The terrain becomes a mixture of smooth limestone boulders — polished enough to demand careful footing — and loose gravel tracks. Sensible steps are recommended. But don’t forget to look up.
You are, after all, on the panoramic path.
The Approach to Calanque d’en Vau
The trail winds along the coastline before cutting inland as you reach Calanque d’en Vau, following its eastern edge high above the inlet.
Along the way sits a derelict cottage. Only its stone walls remain, sadly covered in graffiti. Roof tiles lie cracked and scattered. But once upon a time, it must have been quite something, secluded, yes, but utterly magnificent.
The blue markings grow slightly less obvious around this stretch. Keep going. Eventually, you’ll reach a signpost that appears to direct you away from d’en Vau, only to loop you back around to the top of the steep descent.
Your hard work is about to be rewarded.
Here, you rejoin the red-and-white marked trail.
The Descent to Calanque d’en Vau
Looking down, you may find yourself thinking:
“I’ve got to climb back up this.”
And you do.
But strangely, the descent feels tougher.
Large limestone boulders form natural steps. Metal handholds are bolted into the rock for support. Step by step, you descend deeper into the gorge until finally, a gravel path levels out and guides you towards the water.
The Beach at Calanque d’en Vau
The reward.
The beach at Calanque d’en Vau, often described as one of France’s most secluded and spectacular.
It is a glorious sight.
However, a small but important note before you arrive and shout, “Tom! I’ve just hiked all this way and it’s bloody pebbles!”
It is not golden sand.
It is pebbles.
A natural side effect of being tucked deep within a calanque, where the water simply doesn’t have the force to grind the stones into softness.
But don’t let that deter you.
On several occasions, I’ve rearranged the pebbles beneath my towel to match my exact silhouette and created a surprisingly comfortable resting place for a few hours.
The positioning of the beach is its real magic. Flat, calm water. Sheer limestone cliffs rising on either side.
There are no facilities. No cafés. No organised loungers. Just rock, water and whatever you carried in.
In summer, it is a glorious sun trap, in winter, it’s somewhere to remove yourself from the chaos of everyday life.
And that’s exactly what I did, sitting quietly, taking in the extraordinary setting I’d just walked into, thinking, 'I've got to climb back out of here shortly'.
The Return to Cassis
Eventually, it is time to leave.
But the climb out is manageable. Steep, certainly, but with a few pauses and a reasonable level of fitness, you’ll be back on high ground before long.
From there, follow the red-and-white route back towards Port-Pin, retrace your steps past Port-Miou, and time your arrival carefully so that you walk back into Cassis harbour just as the sun begins to lower in the sky.
Because now — without question — the sun is over the yardarm.
And you’ve earned that drink.
Is It Worth the Effort?
Absolutely, yes.
The Parc National des Calanques hike is short enough not to feel overwhelming, but long enough for you to feel like you have achieved something special.
The little bit of effort on the inclines offers a spectacular Mediterranean reward every time. Even the walk through Cassis’ streets as you leave town takes you into another world. As I experienced, a world of quickly checking Cassis’ property websites, just to get an idea of what I would need to save up to create a Cassis lifestyle.
Dreaming aside, the limestone cliffs carving into the water below - shifting from deep blue to electric turquoise - are spectacular. Together with the Aleppo pines lining the route, and the smell of rosemary and thyme in the air, perhaps I am dreaming after all.
This is where adventure and travel intersect. The effort is part of the experience. The view feels earned.
Practical Tips Before You Go
Starting early: The paths heat up quickly, especially in summer.
Carry more water than you think you need: There are no facilities once you leave Cassis.
Wear proper footwear: Certainly something with good grip.
Check seasonal restrictions: Parts of the Calanques can close during high fire-risk periods.
Allow extra time: The views will make you stop.
Parking: Parking near the Port-Miou trailhead can be limited in high season. If staying in Cassis, walking to the start point is often easiest, and gives you a great exploration of the town away from the busy harbour area.
How This Fits Into the French Riviera Journey
This hike is Episode One of my wider journey along the French Riviera.
Rather than ticking off landmarks, I’m exploring the region through its best sports events and adventures - from hikes and match days to global spectacles and the smaller experiences that reveal a destination’s character.
Next in the series: I travel 30 minutes east to experience a rugby match day in Toulon. Then I head to Monaco for its epic Formula 1 weekend.
Final Thoughts
I was first introduced to Cassis when I was about 18 years of age. It left an impression - one that has lasted ever since.
It’s a little pocket of the French Riviera that has retained its charm. An attack on the senses, but in the best possible way.
If I were planning a trip to the South of France, Cassis would be my number one choice as a base. From here, you can travel west to Marseille and east to Toulon, St. Tropez, Nice and Monaco.
Or you can simply stay within the harbour and the Parc National des Calanques.
If you’re planning a visit to Cassis or exploring the French Riviera, you can follow the full journey on YouTube - or browse more destination guides below.
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