Car Rental Marseille - Exploring Marseille

With fine beaches close to the city centre and the lovely Cote d’Azure nearby, there is plenty more to see if the legendary nightlife and bustling city don’t appeal to you.

Plage du Prado and La Corniche are two popular and well-maintained beaches set against the magnificent backdrop of the Marseille cliffs. They are excellent for swimming with sandy beaches, clean water and plenty of waterfront facilities. Alternatively, the Frioul Archipelago in the bay consists of four islands, If, Ratonneau, Pomegues and Tiboulen. Each one is lovely, with quieter beaches, and the stunning landscape. Each also has a village with the usual tourist offerings, but mostly they are well preserved wilderness areas with excellent walking and cycling. During the summer, events and concerts also take place. On the island of If stands the magnificent Chateau d’If, serving as a defensive garrison and prison during its past.

Calanques, further along the mainland coast, is a fascinating underwater cave system filled with prehistoric paintings, but note that they are only accessible by boat. Once you’re there, walking along the tops of the cliffs is rewarding.

To the east is the picture perfect and idyllic up market town of Saint Tropez, a nice place to visit for a few hours but ruinously expensive to stay in.

Further along you come upon Cannes, an equally up market town with a glitzy palm tree lined waterfront avenue, yacht-laden mariner, ultra expensive boutiques, and Palais des Festivals (made famous by the film festival). Antibes, the nearest of the holiday towns, is popular in summer with the locals and perfect for families.

Nice is the commercial and tourist hub, situated in the sweeping Baie des Anges. Popular by day and lively by night, the old town is a delightful mish-mash of winding streets, a curious mix of architecture styles and excellent collection of museums.