Le weekend in Cassis

Cassis is a year-round charmer with its café-bordered quays on the edge of the Mediterranean Sea, and 300 days of sunshine a year. Brimming with charm, it’s a perfect weekend destination – the fast train from Paris takes just 3 hours 48 minutes, and Marseille is just 25km away (30 minutes by train) – and a world apart.

What to see and do in Cassis

A good way to get your bearings is by taking the ‘little train’ tour of the town. And the very best way to experience Cassis is to wander it’s pretty streets and port and simply soak up the atmosphere and take in the sights. Ancient buildings, a warren of narrow streets lined with boutiques and cafes, the restaurant and bar-lined port,

Activities include swimming, diving, year-round snorkelling, sailing, tennis, windsurfing, jet-skiing, and horseback riding. And for something less active – wine tasting. There are 12 wine domains in Cassis producing sunshine-filled, delicious whites and roses.

There’s a small museum with a collection of paintings and Roman artifacts. Unsurprisingly, painters have long flocked to capture the beauty of Cassis. This photogenic little former fishing village is Instagram-worthy at every turn, making artists of visitors.

Wherever you are in Cassis you’ll see Cap Canaille, one of the highest cliffs in Europe, and according to King Louis XIV, the most beautiful in France.

Hike, cycle, or drive to the crest of Cap Canaille and follow the pine-tree perfumed Routes des Crêtes (ridges) for a spectacular view over the sea, Cassis and the Calanques, limestone cliffs that grace this part of the Mediterranean. And there are plenty of art galleries, shops and boutiques – including a perfumery where you can take a workshop and make your own perfume. This is the perfect place to stroll – and eat!

Discover the Calanques

You can hike to the Calanques and find a cove to swim or while away the day. Or take a boat ride – it’s best to go in the morning when the light is better, and watch the fish follow the boat, playfully flitting around the buoys that dot their kingdom. Somehow trees, flowers and fauna find a way to sprout from the crusty rocks, their jagged edges softened by the sea’s pounding over millennia.

Gastronomic Cassis

There are restaurants galore serving the freshest fish, authentic bouillabaisse, seasonal, classic, gourmet, gastronomic dishes. There are café’s where they serve rouille, a garlicky paste to spread over crunchy bread squares and little bowls of olive oil to pour over your fish. Pair everything with a glass of wine from one of Cassis’ wine domains – local wines are served in all of the town’s port-based restaurants.

Brunch: Les Roches Blanches – this is one of the best brunches in all of France – a smorgasbord of pleasure.

Lunch/Dinner: Anywhere round the port, or head into the warren of narrow streets around for less touristy, more local options.

Aperitifs: Locals love Le Franc, La Marine, Monsieur Brun in the port area, or the bar at Les Roches Blanches.

Cassis is on the path of the Vallée de la Gastronomie, a 620m route from the north to the south of France.

You can find heaps of details about the experiences, offers, the territories and destinations and book your visit here: valleedelagastronomie.com/en

Festivals galore

Cassis is a festive sort of place with plenty of events year round including a spring book fair, wine festivals, roof top and vineyard jazz concerts and the famous harvest under the stars gastronomy festival!

Les Roches Blanches

Everyone should have the chance to stay at the 5 Star Hotel Les Roches Blanches if only for one night. This former 19^th century private mansion is where Winston Churchill played, and Edith Piaf relaxed. It’s the sort of French paradise you see in films but don’t believe somewhere this special could really exist. It does.

From the pool on the terrace of my room overlooking Cap Canaille which glowed the colour of toasted apricots as the sun set, I watched sailing boats go by in a sea that seemed to turn every colour of blue, fringed by the white rocks below which give the hotel its name. I can honestly say that at the moment I had nothing in my head except how utterly beautiful and relaxing this place is. Rumour has it that the owner of the stunning Chateau of Cassis stays at Les Roches Blanches so he can have a fabulous view of his own castle! There are four restaurants, all of them absolutely fabulous. The food is stupendous. The bar and the spa are superb. The hotel is super luxurious, but not at all stuffy.

I might have shed a tear when I had to leave.

Details: roches-blanches-cassis.com/en

How to get there

From the train station it’s a long walk into town (just under 2 miles), or you can take a taxi, or bus which run on the hour until 7pm.

Find more details of activities and events at the Tourist office, located on the port: ot-cassis.com

Janine Marsh is the author of several internationally best-selling books about France. Her latest book How to be French – a celebration of the French lifestyle and art de vivre, is out now – a look at the French way of life. Find all books on her website janinemarsh.com