A day trip from Cassis

Tuesday 23 July

While it is tempting to lie by the pool or wander into town for an ice cream or a meal at one of the many restaurants, we decided to have a bit of a look around the area beyond Cassis. It is a bit of a mission to reach Cassis - the motorway is a few hundred metres above the town and the road down to sea level is pretty precarious, not to mention the maze of one way streets in the town itself.  It seems a bit of an effort to venture far but I guess the locals are accustomed to the mountain-goat terrain around here.
 On Tuesday morning we left Cassis and drove on the road which loops behind the mountains of Cap Canaille to La Ciotat, the next town along the coast.   Our destination was the hilltop town of Le Castellet which is surrounded by vineyards and is at the centre of the Bandol wine region.  This is a seriously pretty town with stunning views across the valleys. 

View from Le Castellet

For once we only had gentle uphill slopes through the cobblestone streets to the lovely church at the highest point.  Lots of rather nice shops here - mostly local artisans selling their wares. Up on the hill there was a cool breeze which was much appreciated on this 32 degree sunny day. 



Jess and oleanders - entrance to Le Castellet

Following the mantra that a busy restaurant is probably a good one, we had lunch at a place advertising Breton style galettes.  We sat under the trees and the waitress had trouble hearing because of the racket from the cicadas.  There was one on a tree trunk beside our table - they are surprisingly small for such a big noise! 

More window art - Le Castellet

After a nice lunch and a sample of the local wine we set off through the vineyards for Sanary-sur-Mer on the coast about 13 km away.

Driving through the Bandol area vineyards

  The beaches we passed were totally packed and car parking spaces were very scarce.  Fortunately  there is a gigantic carpark at Sanary and we didn't even have to pay.  I must say that even where we have had to pay for parking around France it has been very reasonable - 2 or 3 euros only.  And the carpark was only a short, flat walk into the centre of town.

Cute boats at Sanary-sur-Mer

We walked along the seafront at Sanary, a larger place than Cassis but charming in a different kind of way.  There is a long beach, a very large marina and the usual waterfront restaurants.  Lots of people arriving in town in the late afternoon.

Sanary-sur-Mer

 Our last excursion for the day was to drive the 15 km long Route des Cretes  (mountain ridge road)between La Ciotat and Cassis. The road rises up to 400 metres in a series of twists and turns and provides 360 degree views of Provence and the sea.  It is pretty scary in that there are very few barriers at the edge of the road and it is rather narrow in places.  We stopped a few times at lookout points and decided that the views were worth the scary drive.

La Ciotat from the Route des Cretes

  Cap Canaille is a huge red coloured cliff that plunges 400 metres into the sea - quite spectacular.  The low sun in the west at this time of day - around 7 pm - meant that the views to Cassis and the Calanques were very hazy.  Looking the other way we could see the coast and the inland peaks very clearly.  The descent into Cassis is very steep - don't cycle from west to east is my recommendation!  Yes we did see a number of cyclists along the way.


High above Cassis - Route des Cretes

 Home to a planned early night but very noisy neighbours partying late into the night kind of wrecked the plans for sleeping.  Wednesday is to be an early start for St Tropez.

Road to Cassis