Things to do in Cassis
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Cassis
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Late spring is among the best times: warm, open and long days without August crowds.
Autumn is the connoisseur season, with the warmest sea in September and perfect hiking in October.
Spring wildflowers and best hiking temperatures, with shuttles and beach supervision restarting from Easter.
Everything open and sea swimmable, but August is peak for crowds, prices, parking and fire risk closures.
Quiet and local in winter, with empty trails and oursinades, but many hotels and restaurants close or reduce hours.
What's on
- Les Vendanges Etoilees September
Cassis's signature harvest and food festival, with starred chefs, domaine wines and special menus.
- Fete and gastronomic street events late June
Street food and gastronomy festival moment in the town summer programme. Confirm dates at the tourist office.
- Jazz and dinner in the vineyards evenings July
Small bookable summer evenings in the town calendar, an alternative to a restaurant dinner.
- Oursinades Sundays, November to March
Sea urchin season drawing visitors for oursins and Cassis white on the port.
Best things to do in Cassis
Calanque d'En-Vau
The postcard calanque reached on foot via Port-Miou and Port-Pin, with turquoise water for a swim.
Bateliers de Cassis
Boat trip past the calanques for those not hiking, with the five calanque route the best first choice.
Cap Canaille
France's highest sea cliff, with belvederes along the Route des Cretes and the best sunset view near Cassis.
Plage du Bestouan
The locals' pebble beach west of the port, with clear cooler water and a view to Cap Canaille.
Plage de la Grande Mer
The main town beach below the chateau, with lifeguards and facilities steps from the port.
Clos Sainte Magdeleine
Terraced domaine overlooking the sea, with the most spectacular setting for a Cassis wine tasting.
Domaine du Bagnol
One of Cassis's oldest estates, a short walk from the centre for a first domaine tasting.
Domaine Cassis Bodin
Historic family domaine whose four whites plus a rose and a red show the range of the appellation.
Where to stay in Cassis
Old Port and Centre-Ville
first trip, all-round base
Everything is within a ten minute walk, with the streets behind the quay quieter than the quayside itself.
Bestouan / Presqu'ile
swimming and calm
Residential quarter around Bestouan beach, closer to the trailhead and good for a swim before breakfast.
Anse du Corton / Revestel
views and a splurge
Serene cove under Cap Canaille with sea and pine views, a longer walk from the port.
Vineyard edge and Route de la Gineste / Carnoux side
a week with a car
Small hotels and rentals among the domaines with parking included, trading walk to dinner for space and quiet.
Think twice about
- Around Cassis train station
About 3.2 km from the port and uphill on the return, so every beach, dinner and boat trip needs a bus or car.
- D559 / Route de la Gineste main road
Road facing rooms draw traffic noise and there is no safe pedestrian route into town. Book garden facing and drive or shuttle in.
- Marseille as a Cassis base in July and August
Cheaper per night but you lose the mornings, arriving after Port-Pin fills and the En-Vau descent is in full heat.
- Directly above a port-front restaurant terrace
The terrace buzz is the charm until you need sleep before midnight with windows open. Ask for a high or rear room.
Best restaurants in Cassis
La Villa Madie
Destination restaurant above Anse de Corton with a glass wall facing the sea and Cap Canaille.
La Petite Cuisine
Lunch only bistro at La Villa Madie, the more affordable way into that celebrated address.
Chez Poulette
The best reviewed everyday restaurant in Cassis, a street back from the harbour with generous portions.
O Rev Cassis
Modern lighter alternative to the port brasseries, strong for dinner before an early start.
La Defonce
Convivial locals and regulars room away from the front row, good for fish of the day and Cassis white.
Le Poisson Rouge
Contemporary seafood forward cooking in a smaller, quieter room near the centre and port edge.
Restaurant La Presqu'ile
Acclaimed restaurant by Port-Miou with arguably the best lunch setting after Villa Madie.
Le Chaudron
Classic port area dinner with a long track record, reliable for late arrivals and larger groups.
Best bars in Cassis
Bar Bleu
Evening bar at La Villa Madie above Anse de Corton, the other more affordable way into the address.
Divino
Wine bar run by a former sommelier, pouring serious Cassis wines by the glass with charcuterie.
Outdoor things to do in Cassis
Destination Calanques Kayak
Presqu'ile based guided kayaking into the calanques, praised for guide knowledge and weather judgement.
H2O Paddle
Stand up paddle at dawn when the calanques are glassy and empty, meeting by the tennis club.
Cassis Calanques Plongee
Dive centre near the port for walls, gorgonian fans and grouper in the marine protected area.
Centre de Plongee Narval
Older diving alternative in Cassis for first dives and trips to the calanques walls.
Trolib
E mountain bike and e bike tours and rental that flatten the Cretes climbs for mixed fitness groups.
Golf Sainte Baume
Eighteen holes through Provencal woodland at the foot of the Sainte Baume massif, about 50 minutes inland.
Golf Dolce Fregate Provence
Resort golf above Bandol with sea views, an 18 hole course and a beginner friendly 9 hole course.
Calanque de Figuerolles
La Ciotat's own calanque on a day trip east via the Cretes, with larger sandier beaches than Cassis.
Best hotels in Cassis
Les Roches Blanches
Five star Belle Epoque villa on the rocks facing Cap Canaille, with infinity pools and a spa.
Chateau de Cassis
Medieval chateau above the port with gardens, a pool and panorama, in very small suite inventory.
The Address Cassis
Small design boutique on the Corton side, quieter than the big resort hotels when they are full.
Hotel Liautaud
Port institution with a rooftop bar and port view balconies, best for one or two nights for the view.
Hotel Eden Cassis
Hotel near the port with a pool and private parking, a strong default for a car based couple.
Hotel de la Plage Mahogany
Across from the sea on the Bestouan side, with front rooms where you fall asleep to waves.
Les Jardins de Cassis
Larger garden hotel with a pool and tranquil planted grounds, best booked for outdoor space.
Jardin d'Emile
Small characterful garden hotel opposite Bestouan beach, with large rooms and parking.
Is Cassis expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | €105 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | €215 a person |
| Splurge | €450 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Clos Sainte Magdeleine: a few days ahead
- Domaine du Bagnol: a few days ahead
- Domaine Cassis Bodin: a few days ahead
- Chateau de Fontcreuse: a few days ahead
- Domaine du Paternel: a few days ahead
- Cassis Forest: a few days ahead
- Destination Calanques Kayak: a few days ahead
- H2O Paddle: a few days ahead
- La Villa Madie needs weeks ahead in season and months for a specific summer Saturday.
- Chez Poulette, O Rev, La Defonce, Le Poisson Rouge and a Presqu'ile terrace need days ahead in season.
- Les Roches Blanches and any sea view room in August need months ahead.
- Guided hikes, kayak, Trolib and diving need reservations. Standard Bateliers boats cannot be pre-booked, so queue early.
Is Cassis safe?
- Cassis itself is a safe, well kept small town with no area to avoid for street conditions.
- Fire risk closes the massif and can change fast with the Mistral. Obey closure barriers.
- Watch rockfall and polished rock on the En-Vau descent and cliff paths, and wear grippy shoes.
- Carry water: there is no water, shade or shop on the Calanques trails, and heat is the main medical risk.
- Theft is opportunistic. Leave nothing visible in a car at trailhead car parks and keep bags attended on Grande Mer.
Cassis travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- En-Vau in flip-flops at 1pm in August. Go early in trainers with water, or go by boat.
- The 9 calanque boat as a default. Longer is not better for most people.
- Port-front dinner without a name. Drink on the front and dine a street back.
- Grande Mer and Bestouan are pebbles, not sand. Bring water shoes.
- Chateau de Cassis is a stay and exterior landmark, not a museum with opening hours.
- Creme de cassis is Burgundian. The souvenir is AOC Cassis white, savon or fougasse.
- Driving the Route des Cretes without checking for wind or fire closures.
Getting around Cassis: public transport and more
- Take the TER from Marseille Saint-Charles, about 20 to 30 minutes, then a local bus, taxi or hotel pickup for the 3 km from Cassis station to the port.
- Use Parking des Gorguettes park and ride at the town entrance with its shuttle to the centre and Presqu'ile in season.
- Walk in town: the centre, port, Grande Mer, Bestouan and the Port-Miou trailhead form one walkable cluster.
- The bus from Marseille via the Gineste pass is scenic and cheap but slow and winding.
Who Cassis suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Great |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | OK |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | OK |
Make Cassis your trip
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