The calanques of Cassis are an ideal setting for a relaxing day by the sea, a picnic after a hike or a dip in the Mediterranean Sea. The flora and fauna are beautiful and lush, both above the water... As well as below!
Seabed lovers will love exploring the Côte d'Azur's seabed. Starfish, sunfish, groupers, sharks and octopus - the rocks of the Mediterranean are teeming with life and biodiversity.
In Cassis, you can go snorkelling, learn to dive by passing your "open water" certificate, or hire equipment and explore the calanques on your own, if you're an experienced diver. Dive into a maritime adventure, just a stone's throw from Marseille.
The Calanques de Cassis is a protected reserve in the heart of the Var. It is also the first peri-urban national park, with 43,500 hectares of marine areas.
As well as being warm and a clear blue that visitors dream of, the Mediterranean Sea is a veritable goldmine of biodiversity. With no large waves and small tides, it is a place teeming with underwater life.
💡 About 6 million years ago, the Mediterranean Sea dried up when the African and Eurasian tectonic plates moved closer together. The Strait of Gibraltar deepened around 600,000 years ago and allowed the Mediterranean Sea to fill up again.
Most of the fish and coral species came from the Atlantic Ocean, and spread out to the warmer waters in the south of the basin and the colder waters in the north. Today, the species have evolved and many are native to the Mediterranean.
You don't need to go 80 metres underwater to see fabulous fish and corals as detailed as they are delicate. From the surface, you can already see numerous anemones dancing in the current and sea urchins hidden under the rocks.
Above a depth of 20 metres, you can already see groupers, posidonia meadows, crustaceans, starfish and sponges, as well as frightening moray eels. The Mediterranean Sea is one of the world's most productive ecosystems, attracting divers and curious bathers all year round to explore the seabed.
Cassis
Introductory scuba diving is a fun and easy way to discover the underwater world. Working with an instructor, you'll learn about the equipment and a few basic rules before embarking on the discovery of new sensations.
First dives take place at depths of between 0 and 6 metres, and generally last half a day or a full day.
It's a simple and enjoyable way of discovering the world of diving and finding out if it's an environment that interests you, without committing yourself to expensive training.
Level 1 diving, or Open Water training for English speakers, is the first step for all divers. Over the course of a few days, you learn how to use the diving equipment and ensure your autonomy. You'll learn how to communicate underwater, how to move around underwater, and the rules and respect you need to show when in contact with marine life.
This training is crucial to ensuring your own safety and enabling you to feel at ease underwater. This level allows you to dive to a depth of 20 metres with an instructor on excursions known as exploration dives.
Cassis
From Marseille to La Ciotat, via Cassis, there are numerous diving schools where you can discover or learn to dive. We've chosen two schools in Cassis for their seriousness and professionalism.
👉 Count on between €70 and €90 for a first dive, a great way to learn about the underwater world.
The Cassis Calanques diving centre has been in existence since 1956. Located on the port of Cassis, it is run by an experienced instructor and his wife. The centre offers first dives and training courses from levels 1 to 4. For more experienced divers, Nitrox, wreck and Trimix courses are available, and the centre offers both supervised and self-guided dives.
You can also hire diving equipment, from wetsuits to regulators and computers. The centre is open all year round to help you discover the Calanques National Park. Find out more about courses, prices and conditions on the Cassis Calanques plongée website.
The Narval diving centre prides itself on offering personalised and professional experiences. Dive sites are chosen on a day-to-day basis, depending on the participants and the weather within the calanques natural park. Located in the centre of Cassis, the school offers first dives, level 1 to 4 courses and equipment hire.
As well as offering original maritime activities such as sunset diving and snorkelling, Narval plongée organises courses and breaks throughout the year. You can find all the information you need to book your activities on the Narval Plongée website.
You can buy or hire a mask, snorkel and fins to snorkel to your heart's content. The calanques abound with caves and breathtaking seabeds that are accessible without bottles. Discover the most beautiful beaches in Cassis and explore the Mediterranean by snorkelling!
Diving is open to children over the age of 12, provided they have parental authorisation.
Many diving centres recommend that you visit a doctor before signing up for a course or taking a first dive.
All first dives are done with an instructor, who will explain how the equipment works before guiding you and diving with you for your first dive. The experience is tailored to your expectations and concerns.
We recommend this activity for people with a sporting bent, who enjoy discovering new activities and sensations.
The steep cliffs of the Calanques de Cassis offer an extraordinary underwater landscape.
