I spent five days in Marseille, France, on a nice summer holiday. I enjoyed escaping from my busy life in Madrid. I needed this holiday because the past school year was a struggle for me. It was nice to go back to France and have a very enjoyable holiday. Southern, France, was just charming and amazing. I fell in love, again, with another place in Europe.
I flew into Marseille from Madrid. Marseille is more laid back and older than Paris. I found it to be easy to get from the airport to the city centre.There are a few options for getting to the city centre. It’s possible to catch a bus or a train to the city centre. Using either the bus or train will require an exchange to the metro; it is easy to find the metro system at the main train station. There are only two lines: the red line and the blue line. I only used the metro go to the city centre and back to the airport.
Marseille is a very easy to navigate on foot. It is possible to see this city in 2 and half days. Most major attractions cost nothing or a few euros. The museums are nice, but will cost more than 8 Euros. The beaches are the best part of this city.
The coastline of Southern France is just stunning. The limestone cliffs and the crystal clear water of the Mediterranean Sea are just remarkable. I’ve never seen anything as breathtaking as the Mediterranean Sea. During my holiday, I went to two major points of interest for swimming and beach time: Calanques National Park and the Island of Frioul. Both beaches were very rocky with beautiful clear water. These beaches put my native Texas beaches to shame. Just lovely beaches!
Calanques National Park is about a 45-minute bus ride from the city centre of Marseille. It’s easy to spot Bus # 21 in Plaza Castellane. Ride to the end of the line towards L’avenue de Prado. The bus drops off nearby a university. From the drop off point, it will take 45-minutes to reach the water. Hint: follow everyone walking towards the hiking trail. So worth the hike!
The scenery is very enjoyable to sit back and enjoy. The white cliffs and light blue water compliment each other. It’s possible to spend all day enjoying the beauty of this park. Before you go on a hike to this water, you need to have a good pair of walking shoes, your day bag together with provisions for the day, and other important items for your hike. The hike back up will be wearisome, but you will be thankful you spent the day swimming and enjoying the beach.
On another day, I spent half a day on the Island of Frioul. You can get to this island by a ferry from the Old Port in Marseille. There are various ferry companies that can get you out to the islands. The ferry ride takes about 30 minutes from the Old Port. It costs about 10 Euros for a round trip ticket. The water was refreshing, so bring you swimwear with you.
When you get to the island, you can buy a cheap lunch at one of the sandwich shops. Grab some lunch and explore the island. There are many nice points and beaches to enjoy. I would suggest packing a day bag with all your essentials for the day. You will be tired by the time you get back to the Old Port. Get dinner and take a nap. Then get some wine and enjoy the evening in Marseille. The city is nice to walk around at night. Enjoy!
Marseille is not as famous as Nice, but tourist should consider adding Marseille to their list of places to visit during a holiday to Southern France. There were not as many tourists in this city compared to London or Barcelona. If you want few tourists, then go to Marseille for a holiday. Also, Marseille is a diver’s paradise. There are lots of options for chartered dives from Marseille. The water is just beautiful. I hope you were inspired to go to Marseille for the beaches. Just a beautiful place!
There is darkness that America is now dealing with Turmp in office . It makes me super nervous and sad about the future of my homeland. I see so much turmoil about to to be released on America. I sit in Spain wondering what will become of America with the new president in the White House. America is going backwards instead of forwards . I am not happy with this fact. I want to fight for a better tomorrow for future generations.
