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| History/Old Harbour | Language | Companies | Restaurants | Fashion | Hotels | Islands |
| Monument-Museum | Habits | Development | Pubs | Markets | Youth Hostels | Estaque |
| Parks / Walks | Pastis | Conferences | Cinema | Specialities | Renting | Calanques |
| Getting around | Sport | Finding a job | Theatre-Concert | Areas | Beaches | |
| Weather | Economy | Tourist I Center | Maps |
Considering the fact that Marseilles is a rather industrious town with a large part of the coast being used for the port, it still has space for beaches. Access is easy, but only by bus or car (not recommended in summer, especially weekends). The underground can take you half way. However the beaches are clean and the water is deliciously mediteranean deep blue. Many of the beaches listed below are the continuation of one another, but offering different services, etc...
Marseille offers a mixture of pebble beaches or sandy beaches plus the islands and the Calanques.
or to study all the beaches please look below
The "Plage du David", situated at the end
of the Avenue du Prado within the Balneaire park of the Prado, is one of
many beaches aligned on this coast.
Accessed by bus 19 or 83.
Has outdoor showers, toilets and a first aid
post.
The "Plage Bonneveine" and the "Plage
de la Vieille Chapelle", situated Avenue Pierre Mendès France,
Accessed by bus 19.
You have a cafe, outdoor showers and toilets
plus a first aid post and play area, there is also a roller lane.
You also have one stony beach at l'estaque on the other side of Marseille.
- see below
The "Plage de Corbières",
situated Route du Rove in L'estaque.
This is actually three, recently created, beaches.
Named Le Fortin, La Batterie, and La Lave. Two are sand and one is stone.
The 35 bus goes there but you may have to walk a little way, as it
doesn't always go right to the beach and may stop at the end of the shops
of Estaque.
If you go by car then get there before 2 o'clock or you'll never be
able to park. You'll see all the cars parked along the main road. If you
pass under the railway track (beatiful arched bridge) and go into what
looks like an old quarry. This is actually the entrance to a car park,
you'll pass through a park and take the steps down to the beach. You have
shady places and picknick benches.You'll find
refreshments, outdoor showers and a first aid post. There is also a boating
school.
These beaches are cut off from the open sea,
therefore you have no view but the sea is calm, and children can't go far.
The "Plage des Catalans" is
a private beach and you have to pay an entrance fee. Access is at the beginning
of the Corniche Président Kennedy. You can, once again take the
83 bus. There are refreshments, outdoor showers, toilets, and a first aid
post.
You may also hire matresses and parasols or if
you're feeling sporty the CLJP offers windsailing, boating, canoing, volley
ball and table tennis.
The "Parc Balnéaire du Prado"
is in fact a large greenbelt, where you can find kites of all colors
during the windy season.
The park encloses 7 beaches.
-The "Plage Escale Borely" and "Plage
des Véliplanchistes", situated in the middle of the Avenue Pierre
Medes, opposite the Park Borely is a sand
/ gravel beach. In the winter you'll find it's surf city, as there a nice waves
that bring out the surfer in you. But you have to be reasonably good or your
waves are taken by the quickest, (go in the week)
You can access the beach by 19 bus or the 83
bus and a five/ten minute walk.
Showers, toilets and first aid are close and
the area seems to open a new restaurant or shop every weekend, you'll find
everythink you need, even a swimming pool.
Note: the Véliplanchiste
beach is not surveyed
-The "Plage de la Pointe Rouge",
a sandy beach situated Avenue de la Pointe Rouge is where you'll find all
the Marseillais in the summer, great atmosphere and there's even an English
Pub, The Red Lion
Only one bus takes you there and good luck if
you go by car.
Not far it's restaurants galore, outdoor showers
and a first aid post are at your disposal as well as parasols and matresses
for hire.
This is a well visited place by windsurfers,
as soon as there's a breeze so be warned, no swimming off into the sunset.
Sun, Sun, Sun, well almost of course this is a
town on the mediteranean sea, in the south of France, so it is going to
be hot, however there is a little thing called the Mistral. It's a wind
that can blow whenever it likes, winter and summer, and can be nice and
refreshing when it's a bit hot, but, in winter it's not welcomed by many.
The mistral is a very good way of keeping the town free from polution.
This wind can strike at any time and last for a few hours or a few days.
It does has the unfortunate problem of blowing plastic bags and pieces
of paper everywhere. There is a good side to it, normally everytime there's
mistral then there's waves, it's a great time for windsurfing and surfing.
Rain and snow are practically unheard of, and
if it does rain then it's almost always during the night and I haven't
seen any snow, in February people where actually swimming in the sea, a
bit cold for me but if you like that sort of thing.
Here is (WILL BE) a small table with temperatures in celcius
and farenheit, it is approximate.
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| Farenh. |
