Calanque d’En-Vau

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Location

Cassis
France
43° 12' 7.9416" N, 5° 29' 54.1608" E
FR
General info: 

Calanque En-Vau is perhaps the most beautiful calanque in the French Riviera. This astonishing inlet is 400 meters deep and dominated by large limestone cliffs on both sides.

The emerald blue water and white sands under cliffs make this bay a tropical paradise not far away from civilization. As the sun hits the bay the sea sparkles in an extraordinary colour.

When visiting the calanque, remember to take everything you eat or drink with you, there is nothing there expect the nature.

Getting there: 

There are different kinds of boat tours organized from Cassis to Calanque En-Vau. They often visit also other calanques and on some of the trips you can drop off at the beach, some just take you there to see it from the boat.

Another option is to hike there. The closest place to leave car and hike to the calanque is the parking of La Maison Forestiere de la Gardiole. From there you have to walk around 3000-4000m to reach the calanque. During the dry season the hiking is however prohibited due to risk of forest fires.

Costs: 

If you hike, there are no charges.

If you choose the boat trip, you can see the latest prices in the harbor of Cassis. As an example, a boat tour that visits 8 calanques, no possibility for swimming, lasts 1,5 hours, can be around 21€.

Interesting places nearby

Spiaggia della Pelosa is a dreamy crescent of flour-fine white sand and sparkling emerald water in every shade of turquoise and hue of electric blue. The shallow waters in the bay are guarded by an ancient stone watchtower.

Baia Chia with its silky sand, up to 30 meter-high white dunes and crystalline, turquoise-hued water is reminiscent of an idyllic Caribbean beach.

One of the most renowned opera houses in the world. It first opened in 1778 and re-opened in 2004 after extensive renovation.

Europe's largest high alpine meadow, Alpe di Siusi, separates two of the most famous Dolomite ski-resort valleys (Val di Fassa and Val Gardena).

Monte Cristallo (3,221 m) is the highest peak of the Cristallo mountain group in the Italian Dolomites. The mountain group is a long, indented ridge with four summits higher than 3,000 metres.

Lago di Carezza is an incredibly beautiful alpine lake just on the foot of the Dolomites mountains. The turquoise blue water is crystal clear and reflects the Dolomites towering behind the lake.