Our return trip from the coast involved a stop at the small and charming port town of Cassis. We had read and heard about the famed Calanques: Mediterranean inlets with steep sides, similar to a fjord, and wanted to experience them for ourselves. Along the way we made a quick stop in Cannes for lunch, just to see it.

Cassis is a small port town, fishing village really, not far from Marseilles but completely different in size and character. The entire town is a postcard and unfortunately, judging from all the tourists, it has been the subject of many a postcard mailed home. It took us forever to even find a parking space. This is what happens when you visit someplace in its peak season.

We finally parked the car and headed for the port. What we really wanted to do was visit the Calanque d’En-Vau, which is completely enclosed on 3 sides and boasts a spectacular small and sparsely populated white beach on one end. Unfortunately the Calanques are difficult to reach. One must hike for an hour and a half or more, or have a private boat that can get you there. We didn’t have time for either. Not to mention I can’t imagine making that hike in such heat!

We settled for just being driven around the Calanques with a 5-Calanques boat tour given by the one and only monopolistic tour operator in the port. We sat at the very front of the boat to get the best view, which also ensured that we would be sprayed with seawater from time to time. It felt good in such sweltering weather. The water was a crystal clear aqua blue – truly a living postcard.

After returning from the boat tour, we decided we really needed to put in some beach time, so we carved out a spot for ourselves and enjoyed the refreshing waters of the Mediterranean. I had a near-miss with a tiny jelly fish (the woman floating next to me was not so lucky). Larry spent over an hour with his snorkel, just enjoying the water and the creatures. He spotted no less than 50 jellyfish on his tour but luckily gave them all enough berth that he escaped unharmed as well.

We finished the night with a very good Italian meal at a restaurant in the port. Cassis is such a charming city, we’ll be back – next time we’ll figure out a way to spend the day on the beach at Calanque e’En-Vau!