Calanque de Sormiou
Calanque de Sormiou
2.9 km
Total Distance
123 m
Elevation Gain
Trail description
The walk starts at the edge of the massif above La Cayolle, in Marseille's 9th arrondissement, and follows a DFCI fire track and hill paths south over the Col des Baumettes before descending the waymarked path to the beach of the Calanque de Sormiou. Wider than its neighbour Morgiou, Sormiou shelters a hamlet of cabanons, traditional huts that still have no running water or electricity, and its name means 'best spring' in Provençal. From June to September, land access to the Calanques is closed on red fire-risk days. It is about 2.9 km one way; from its high point at about 226 m the path drops some 220 m to the sea, all of which has to be climbed again on the way back, on a route the Parc national describes as very exposed to the sun.