Calanques National Park

A national park on the Mediterranean coast of Bouches-du-Rhône, between Marseille and La Ciotat. Created in 2012, it protects limestone cliffs, narrow inlets called calanques and the sea around them.

Calanques National Park lies on the Mediterranean coast of southern France, stretching from the southern districts of Marseille to Cassis and La Ciotat. A calanque is a narrow, steep-sided inlet cut into the limestone; Sormiou, Morgiou, Port-Miou, Sugiton and En-Vau are among the best known.

Established in 2012, it was the first national park in Europe to combine land and sea on the edge of a city. It covers about 520 km², of which 85 km² is land. Anglers, walkers, climbers and divers have used the massif for more than a century, and the park also contains the Cosquer Cave, known for its prehistoric paintings.