Calanque d'En-Vau
En-Vau is a narrow inlet between sheer limestone walls with a small pebble beach at its head, and boats have not been allowed to land here since the 2000s. The walls put the beach in shade through the afternoon and are climbed at every grade.
WhatCalanque, CassisCalanques
WhenJune to October17° in Nov
Getting there On foot Bus90 min walk-in
CostPublic shoreFree
AccessNo boat landings; massif closed on red fire-risk days, June to September
- 14°J
- 13°F
- 13°M
- 14°A
- 16°M
- 19°J
- 21°J
- 23°A
- 21°S
- 19°O
- 17°N
- 15°D
Expect the sea at about 23 °C in August and 13 °C in February, going by the 1991 to 2020 averages. The swimming season runs from June to October.
Getting in
- Access
- The park gives 90 minutes to 2 hours on foot from Cassis town centre via Port-Miou and Port-Pin, and an hour from the lookout down by the Col de l'Oule; it calls the paths steep and difficult, especially in summer. The Cassis tourist office rates the walk medium to sustained and notes no toilets, shade or supplies on site. Marseille lists En-Vau as a bathing zone without lifeguards. From 1 June to 30 September the Bouches-du-Rhône prefecture sets access to the Calanques massif day by day (order of 22 April 2025): green allows access, red bans it, and the map for the next day is published around 18:00.
- Parking
- The Gardiole road to the En-Vau lookout is closed to cars all year; the park says to park along the RD 559, where car parks often fill in summer. From Cassis, Les Gorguettes park-and-ride has a shuttle to Port-Miou.
- Public transport
- From Cassis, shuttle from Les Gorguettes to Port-Miou, then on foot via Port-Pin. From Marseille, bus M08 to Carpiagne Gineste (90 minutes to 2 hours to the lookout) or RTM B1/521 to Luminy (about 3 hours to the calanque).
- Also here
- Coastal walk
Cost and facilities
- Entry
- Free, public shore
- Official site
- calanques-parcnational.fr