Stepping inside the delightful fishing village of Cassis, France, is a lot like stepping inside an impressionist painting.
From the shimmer of the water in the port to the pastel-painted buildings lining cobblestone streets, and from the towering chateau that overlooks the town to the delightful calanques that lurk outside of it, Cassis is a treasure for the eyes.
It took us approximately 3 seconds after strolling into the center of Cassis to become utterly smitten with it: the harbor alone would make Cassis worth visiting while exploring the South of France, an impressive feat for a town that is surrounded by plenty of other adorable coastal villages.
Considering a visit to Cassis?
Here’s what to expect when visiting this lovely Provencal town, plus the best things to do while you’re there!
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Where Exactly is Cassis?
Cassis is a small, Provencal fishing village in southern France, located about 45 minutes east of Marseille by car and about 45 minutes south of Aix-en-Provence.
Known for its calanques, beaches, and beautiful port overlooked by a medieval chateau, Cassis isn’t exactly the stereotypical image that comes to mind when you think of a typical town in Provence.
It is a lovely addition to any trip to the area, though, and an enchanting seaside town!
The Best Things to Do in Cassis, France
Head immediately to the Port de Cassis.
I said before that stepping into Cassis is like stepping into an impressionist painting, and nowhere is that more true than Cassis’ harbor, the Port de Cassis.
From the many boats docked in the water to the many restaurants bursting with noise and color–not to mention the great view of the Chateau de Cassis in the distance–the harbor is the perfect first stop during any trip to Cassis.
We found ourselves spending much more time than we expected here when visiting Cassis, and I savor the memory of a long, leisurely lunch capped with cold white wine that we enjoyed overlooking the harbor.
Relax on the beach.
The area surrounding Cassis is littered with gorgeous (mostly pebble) Meditteranean beaches, each more inviting than the last.
For a very easily accessible option right within Cassis, though, consider soaking up the sun at the sandy Plage de la Grande Mer!
DaBler, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Check out Calanque de Port Miou.
The charming Calanque de Port Miou is one the most easily accessible and most distinctive of the calanques located around Cassis.
Unlike some of the area’s famous calanques, the Calanque de Port Miou can easily be reached from a parking lot near Cassis–no hiking required.
As the name would suggest, this calanque is used as a port, and the views of it from above are absolutely lovely!
Explore the Calanques of Cassis.
Want to visit some of the more rugged Calanques of Cassis?
If so, lace up your hiking boots or hop on a mountain bike for some fantastic nature exploration in southern France.
Looking for a more relaxing option? Consider taking a boat tour from Cassis to admire them from the water!
Shop the Cassis weekly market.
No idyllic French town is complete without its fresh outdoor market, and Cassis is no exception!
Wednesday and Friday mornings bring the market to Cassis’ historic center, and there’s arguably no better place to shop for lunch before setting off on a hike or boat tour.
Visit Cap Canaille.
Just a short drive from Cassis sits the highest sea cliff in France!
Visit the top of Cap Canaille for incredible Mediterranean views from above… or enjoy views of the soaring cliff from the water via boat.
And, if you’re much less scared of heights than I am, you can even complete a via ferrata at Cap Canaille!
Mathieu BROSSAIS, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Stroll the quiet backstreets of Cassis.
As contrasted with the bustling harbor, the busy beaches, and the popular hiking trails, the small backstreets of Cassis are surprisingly quiet by comparison.
That being said, they’re also bright, colorful, and chock full of Provencal charm!
Admire the Chateau de Cassis.
Sadly, the medieval Chateau de Cassis isn’t available for tours–but if you want to splurge on a luxury hotel while visiting Cassis, that’s what it is today!
Even if you don’t want to check into a room, though, be sure to admire the views of the Chateau de Cassis from the harbor.
Its dramatic location perched on the cliffs above the town is an absolutely lovely addition to the view!
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Benoît Prieur, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
How to Get to Cassis
By Car
Driving to Cassis is a popular option to visit this little seaside town, and how we chose to visit.
However, fair warning–while driving to Cassis is fairly simple, parking can get extremely congested (especially if you accidentally show up during a holiday weekend like we did).
Be prepared to drive around looking for a parking place and to walk quite a distance into the center of Cassis once you find one… unless you learn from our mistakes and reserve a parking spot in one of the garages in advance, that is.
If you’re visiting Cassis as part of a Provence road trip like us, we highly recommend using Discover Cars to shop multiple rental car companies at once!
Compare prices and shop rental cars for your trip to Provence today!
By Train and Bus
Trains run regularly between Marseille and Cassis, and take about 30 minutes each way.
Buses are also available, but limited, especially in the evening.
If you hope to travel to Cassis by bus, be sure to check the bus schedule before finalizing your plans to visit.
By Tour
All of these options sound like more hassle than they’re worth?
If you’d rather fully relax than worry about transportation and navigation, consider booking a day trip to Cassis from Aix-en-Provence or Marseille instead!
This day trip from Aix-en-Provence and this day trip from Marseille are both excellent options for visiting Cassis.
Book your day trip to Cassis today!
When to Visit Cassis, Provence
While the summer months bring the best swimming weather to Cassis, they also bring the crowds.
Though we visited in April, we mistakenly scheduled our trip to Cassis over a holiday weekend in France, and therefore accidentally sampled what the town feels like when packed to the brim with visitors.
The result? Let’s just say we’d rather brave less-than-ideal weather than that level of congestion in Cassis again.
Therefore, unless you’re looking forward to swimming more than anything else (or are visiting Provence for its famous lavender season), we recommend scheduling your visit for shoulder season (either late spring or early fall) instead of in the throes of summer!
If you have flexibility over what time of week you visit Cassis, we recommend trying to be in town on a Wednesday and/or Friday in order to catch the weekly market!
How Long to Spend in Cassis
If you only have time for a brief taste of Cassis, you can get a quick sampling of the Port de Cassis, the lovely, quiet backstreets of the village, and the Port Miou in one day.
If you’re road-tripping through France, it’s easy enough to drive to the town (though parking can be a bit of a nightmare, as we discussed above), but if you’d rather not worry about transportation or the logistics of your visit to Cassis, you can easily book a day trip there as well.
If you’d rather have time to get out of town a bit and explore more of the Calanques de Cassis, we strongly recommend spending a night or two in town to make the most of your visit–and as a bonus, you’ll also get to see the more quiet side of Cassis once all the daytrippers clear out for the day, which is a reason to stay within itself!
Book your visit to Cassis today!
Read More About Visiting France
Excited to visit France soon and eager to keep planning your trip?
If you found this Cassis travel guide helpful, we’d love to continue to be part of your travels here on Our Escape Clause!
You can browse all of our blog posts about France here, or check out these guides:
- The Ultimate South of France Itinerary: Provence + The French Riviera
- French Breakfast Guide: How to Enjoy Breakfast in France
- 15 Delightful Things to Do in Dijon, France
- Visiting Goult, The Unsung Gem of Provence’s Luberon Valley
- 17 Best Day Trips from Paris (+ How to Get There!)
Thank you Kate for this. May I ask, how do you split your time…not being a citizen of Europe…thank you so much!
Hi Rose! It’s an ongoing project (every year is different so far!), but right now we’re based in Lisbon, Portugal. We of course have a residence permit for that!
Without a residence permit, you can still spend half the year in Europe as a US citizen quite easily, it just involves constant traveling rather than moving somewhere. 🙂