The Plage des Catalans reveals itself as a crescent of sand tucked tightly beneath the steep limestone cliffs of the Le Pharo district. In the nineteenth century, this shoreline housed a fishing village settled by migrants from Catalonia.…
La Corniche Seaside Walk
Walk along Marseille's spectacular coastal highway, taking in views of offshore islands and diving into hidden fishing inlets. This stroll captures the city's unique relationship with the Mediterranean, from majestic memorials to local swimming spots.
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1. Plage des Catalans
2. Monument aux Morts - Armée d'Orient et Terres lointaines - Marseille 7
The Monument aux Morts of the Army of the Orient stands as a massive concrete arch facing the Mediterranean Sea, inscribed with the names of soldiers who fell in the Balkans and the Levant during the First World War. Architect Gaston…
3. Vallon des Auffes
The Vallon des Auffes is a tiny fishing harbor tucked into a deep, narrow cove, bridged by a high stone arch that carries the traffic of the Corniche Kennedy above. It functions as a pocket of wooden boats and colorful sheds preserved…
4. Anse de la Fausse Monnaie
The Anse de la Fausse Monnaie is a small, craggy inlet tucked beneath the Corniche Kennedy. It gets its name from a persistent local legend about counterfeiters who supposedly hid in the sea caves here during the eighteenth century to…
5. Le Maregraphe
The Maregraphe sits inside a small, white stone building directly at the water’s edge in Marseille. It holds a brass cylinder containing a continuous roll of graph paper, marked by a pen attached to a floating buoy in the sea. Since…
6. Plage de Maldormé
Plage de Maldormé is a narrow, rocky strip tucked directly beneath the steep limestone cliffs of the Corniche Kennedy. While most Marseille beaches offer wide stretches of sand, this spot consists of jagged concrete platforms and…
7. Port de Malmousque
The Port de Malmousque is a tiny cove tucked into the Endoume coastline, recognizable by the jumble of low, weathered fishing cabins huddled right against the Mediterranean waves. Long before the city expanded, this was a secluded retreat…