Plage de la Grande Mer beach stretches out under a rocky outcrop holding up the ancient castle. The fishing port is home to the Bateliers de Cassis, hosting guided boat tours of the Calanques fjords. Winding its way between Cassis and La Ciotat, the Route des Crêtes crosses the summit of one of Europe’s highest maritime cliffs, Cap Canaille, adorned with magnificent reds and ochres. The view is simply sublime.
Cascading down in terraces behind the old quarter, Bandol’s vines produce world-acclaimed mineral and subtly-saline white wines, crowned with the AOC label in 1936. France’s oldest appellation, producing 70% dry white wines and the only wine growing area set inside a national park – the Parc National des Calanques – , the Cassis terroir is also one of the best-protected. A legacy of the first Greek settlers, wine has been grown here for thousands of years. Don’t miss the Fête du Vin, in may. And, every year, when the grape harvest comes around, the town’s wine growers get together with the region’s Chefs to celebrate the generous flavours of Provence and the Med with the 3-day Vendanges Etoilées wine & gastronomy fair, featuring demos, cookery classes, a farm market and dinners under starry skies.
