La Couronne Cote Bleue Cchillio — ©The coastline of La Couronne, near Marseille in the Bouches-du-Rhône department|CChillio

The Parc Marin de la Côte Bleue

A paradise of biodiversity on the edge of Marseille

The Côte Bleue is a wild coast with rare marine wildlife which is easily accessible by train. It has been protected by a marine park since 1983, which watches over its protection and resource-respectful fishing. On foot, in a kayak or diving, discover it how you want.

From the Pointe de Corbières to Martigues

A remarkable protected coastline…

In a succession of limestone cliffs, sandy beaches and little fishing harbours, the Côte Bleue stands out with its exceptional coastline where time seems to have stood still. On land or sea, these natural treasures are doubly protected: on land, the Conservatoire du Littoral owns over 4,300 hectares purchased in the early 1980s. And for the sea, the Parc Marin de la Côte Bleue, created in 1983. This stretches over 10,000 hectares and 43 km of coastline. It links the Pointe de Corbières, in the Marseille quarter of l’Estaque, to the east, to the Anse des Laurons in Martigues to the west. It therefore covers the coast of Le Rove, in the listed site of the Massif de la Nerthe, Ensuès-la-Redonne, Carry-le-Rouet, Sausset-les-Pins, Carro and Martigues. It is easy to explore it with the Marseille-Miramas TER train line, on a balcony over the Mediterranean. The whole coast is a listed Natura 2000 site. The marine park also has two entirely protected marine reserves: Carry-le-Rouet and Cap Couronne. Among the Park’s aims: to protect the natural marine heritage, get to know it better and make it known, and take part in the better management of fishing resources. This original structure, which is the only one of its kind in France, groups together the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region, the department of the Bouches-du-Rhône, the municipalities of the Côte Bleue and the professional fishing organisations of Marseille and Martigues.

Hiking along the La Couronne coastline — ©La Couronne, near Marseille, in the Bouches-du-Rhône department|MGiordano

Underwater close-up of a dusty grouper — ©The dusty grouper, a protected species on the Côte Bleue|PVandeVendel/Unsplash

Wonders of submarine wildlife

Protected by the reefs

The waters of the Parc Marin de la Côte Bleue are home to many protected species: dusky grouper, croaker or finback (the second biggest mammal in the world after the blue whale, the ones in the Mediterranean measure 18 to 20 metres!). And also large yellow slipper lobsters, gannets, loggerhead turtles, red coral and large Posidonia meadows. The Parc Marin de la Côte Bleue also numbers several common species, including john dories, salema porgy, common two-banded sea bream, octopus and sea urchins. This wealth can be explained particularly by the installation, when the Park was created, of artificial reefs on the seabed. Both a habitat for the wildlife and obstacles to illegal trawling, the reefs have enabled their recolonisation. The banning of fishing in any form, scuba diving and the mooring of boats, in both marine reserves, has also largely encouraged the development of wildlife.

Small-scale fishing

An age-old sustainable savoir-faire

The marine park has intelligently reconciled environmental protection and the local economy. For generations, professional fishing has been an important activity on the Côte Bleue. It is mostly done artisanally, with nets. This more selective practice is actually more respectful of natural resources. This fishing tradition is part of the Côte Bleue’s DNA: it generates a daily entertainment which is highly appreciated by residents and tourists. For example, the Carro fish market every morning, where the fishermen sell the day’s catch. On the stalls, bass, tuna, sea bream, sand steenbras, red mullet, turbot… A warm atmosphere and lovely smells of the sea.

The nets of the Estaque Fishing Prud'homie — ©The Estaque Fishing Prud'homie, in Marseille, in the Bouches-du-Rhône department|Région Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur-Inventaire Général / MHeller

A couple surfing on the Côte Bleue — ©Carro on the Côte Bleue, near Marseille in the Bouches-du-Rhône department|CChillio

Discover the Parc Marin de la Côte Bleue

Fishing, sailing, diving, sliding…

Many activities are directly offered by the Parc marin:

An underwater hike with flippers, goggles and snorkel in the Carry-le-Rouet marine reserve in July and August (free of charge, please book ahead).
Recreational workshops on the theme of marine life: Thursday afternoons (also in July and August), for all from age 6. On the programme: discovery of wildlife, observation and identification of the main shallow water species.
The observatory of the Parc Marin also sometimes houses exhibitions to discover the underwater wildlife of the Côte Bleue.

Activities to do on your own:

Recreational fishing and yachting
Diving: there are around thirty structures and clubs along the Côte Bleue (including the centre UCPA in Niolon, the biggest diving training centre in France). The marine park numbers around fifty diving sites.
Snorkelling: all over the territory.
Board and paddle sports (surfing, paddling, windsurfing, kitesurfing, kayaking…) with strong winds and waves, the marine park has ideal conditions for all these activities.

Caution: In this protected natural area, it is all-important to respect regulations and best practices.