A perfect day in Marseille - Frioul Islands
Updated: May 6, 2024
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During my month studying abroad in Aix-en-Provence, we made many trips to Marseille for school and leisure. Personally, Marseille was not my favourite city, so on our last free day, my friend and I decided to take the ferry out to the Frioul Islands. That day was one of my favourites, as I really enjoyed the peace and tranquility of the island.
While I would have loved to do a full tour of the calanques national park, that unfortunately wasn't possible for us due to time constraints. I think the national park seems beautiful, and something you should definitely check out if you have the time. This island, on the other hand, is perfect if you are looking for a half-day activity, or are unsure of timing and can't book a formal calanque tour.
About the Island
The Frioul Islands is a small archipelago just 30 minutes by ferry off the coast of Marseille. The archipelago is technically made up of four islands, If, Tiboulen, Ratonneau, and Pomegues. If is closest to land, and the first stop on the ferry. There isn't much to this island other than the fortresses that is built on it. Tiboulen is the furthest and smallest, and not accessible by the ferry. Ratonneau and Pomegues are the biggest, combining to be just over 5 kilometers long. These two islands are connected by the port so they can both be accessed through the second ferry stop.
About 100 people live on the islands, and there are some restaurants and shops near the port.
Plage de Saint-Esteve
While there are many different beaches on the island that you can visit, we chose to check out Plage de Saint-Esteve. This beach was absolutely stunning. The beach was about a 10-15 minute walk from the port, and there was a clear, well maintained, path to follow (we did it in our beach sandals and it was no issue). It's tucked away in a cove so the water is calm and crystal clear. We arrived late in the afternoon on a Saturday, and the beach was still quite busy. Considering it was a weekend I'm sure it was busier than usual. That being said, we had no problem finding a spot. We packed our own food because we weren't sure what kind of facilities the beach would have, but we were pleased to find out there was a small take-out-style restaurant serving basic options, bathrooms, and even showers to clean off.
The Ferry
When we visited, we used the ferry to get to the island. While I'm sure there are other options such as private boat charters or rentals, the ferry made the most sense for us due to convenience and price.
The ferry leaves Marseille every hour during the period of April to the end of June, the schedule can be different depending on what time of year you are visiting. A ticket costs 11,10 euros for a round trip. You can book tickets online, and I recommend doing this if you have a specific time in mind that you would like to go. We decided to book our tickets at the booth on site, and we had to wait a couple of hours because the ferry was full. On the way back, you just get in line and hop on the ferry. To book or find additional information about schedules and prices you can go here.
Conclusion
I highly recommend visiting the Frioul Islands if you're looking for a relaxing, affordable, and flexible activity during your time in Marseille.
Hotels
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