Sailing and climbing

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The best climbing spots accessible by sailboat

Just a few hours from Switzerland, you'll arrive in Marseille, a climber's paradise. Other destinations are possible to combine your passion for climbing with your passion for sailing, so don't hesitate to contact us.

Voile et escalades dans les Calanques de Marseilles

The Calanques of Marseille... the ideal destination for climbing enthusiasts.

The Côte d'Azur offers a mosaic of breathtaking landscapes. Nestling between the creeks, coves and beaches ideal for lazing around are well-equipped ports, with cultures steeped in art and history. From the old port of Marseille to the creeks of Cassis, via the islands of Hyères: Porquerolles, the nature reserve of Port Cros, the Ile du Levant or a visit to the mythical ports of St-Tropez or Port grimaud, the variety of this region's charms will surprise you.

If you're a keen rock-climber, you can hire a yacht or catamaran and get as close as possible to your favourite climbing spots in the Calanques de Cassis. In Vau, Sormiou and Morgiou are climbers' paradises, easily accessible by sea.

On your cruise, you can also head south to the Pelagos archipelago, where you can spot large marine mammals such as fin whales, sperm whales and various dolphins.

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Ports of departure

Marseille's old port is an ideal starting point for chartering a sailboat or catamaran in the Mediterranean and cruising for one or more weeks along the shores of the Côte d'Azur. The nearby calanques and Frioul just opposite offer a small snippet of a superb sailing area. We also offer departures from Port Pin Rolland in the Bay of Toulon or from Hyères. You'll be sailing through the Pelagos archipelago, famous for the presence of large mammals such as dolphins, sharks, whales and sunfish.

Wind

This part of the Mediterranean can be divided into two zones. To the west of Toulon, north-westerly winds dominate throughout the year. The tramontane blows from the Pyrenees to Sète, and the mistral descends from the Rhône valley. It can reach Corsica and Sardinia. It is the mistral that makes the sky exceptionally blue. The summer breeze rarely exceeds 15 to 20 knots, from the south and south-east. East of Toulon, the influence of the mistral is moderate. A south-easterly sea breeze rarely exceeding 15 knots generally rises around midday and dies down in the evening.

Sea and tide

A south/south-westerly swell can form to the west of Toulon, but it diminishes considerably towards the east. The water temperature in summer is ideal for all water sports. The tide is insignificant (less than 30 cm).

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Itineraries

Suggested itineraries (click on the map below for more details) :

Voile et escalades dans les Calanques de Marseilles

The best climbing routes in the region include the following (click on the map below for more details):

  • Les Goudes : rocher des Goudes faces Nord ou Sud

  • Sormiou : plus de 300 voies, du 3a au 8a , réparties sur plusieurs falaises  

  • Morgiou : une dizaine de voies du 6a au 6c

  • En-Vau : la Perle des Calanques, superbe calanque aux eaux turquoise, orientée SE, encaissée entre de hautes falaises

If you'd like to take advantage of the advice of the best specialist on Marseille's calanques, we'd be delighted to put you in touch with Dédé, the person who wrote most of the latest topo devoted to the calanques.

Suggested 7-day itinerary from Marseille

  • Marseille - île Maïre - les Goudes - Sormiou - Morgiou - En-Vau - Concave - Cassis - Cap Canaille - Marseille = 50 MN (7 jours)

Please note: the suggested itineraries are based on sailing for 1 to 2 hours a day at an average speed of 5 knots. If you are looking for other itinerary ideas or have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. We'll be delighted to help you plan your cruise.


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