Natural reserve in Marseille
The Calanques are a series of narrow, steep-walled inlets along the coast south of Marseille, a national park of white limestone cliffs plunging into turquoise water. Free to hike and swim. The closest calanque (Calanque de Sugiton) is reachable by bus and a 30-minute hike from the Luminy campus. Budget travelers take the cheap bus, hike to the calanque, swim in water that looks Caribbean, and return to the city without having spent more than the bus fare.
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Other places worth the walk, and what each one costs.
Le Panier is Marseille's oldest neighborhood, a steep grid of narrow streets above the Vieux Port with colorful facades, street art, artisan workshops, and the Vieille Charite (a 17th-century almshouse now housing free exhibitions). Free to walk.
Notre-Dame de la Garde is a Romano-Byzantine basilica on the highest point in Marseille, topped by a golden statue of the Virgin Mary visible from everywhere in the city. Free to enter.
The Vieux Port (Old Port) is the historic harbor at the center of Marseille, a rectangular basin surrounded by cafes, fish markets, and the morning fish auction. Free to walk.
Working out what Marseille costs?
The whole of Marseille