Niolon and surroundings

The closest to the calanque, do your shopping at the Casino du Rove supermarket. It is open 7 days a week.
Gas pumps are available too.

A fish market takes place every morning (depending on weather conditions of the day before), on the central pier located opposite Jean Jaurès esplanade. Take the train from Niolon to reach the market where several stalls offer fish and seafood. The number of stalls and products on offer vary according to season. The fish are caught on the same day. Direct from fisherman to consumers.

Spring to autumn: from 8:30 a.m.
Autumn and winter: from 9 a.m

A few hundred meters from the cabanon, the Auberge du Mérou allows you to taste refined and traditional cuisine with flavors of Provence and Mediterranean. Its quality setting offers a superb view overlooking the cove on the sea side.
By flashing a QR code above you can directly view card dishes or book.

At l’Escale (Stopover), you can taste Mediterranean meats and fish grilled over a wood fire (sea bass, sea bream, etc.) as well as delicious traditional pizzas, all accompanied by wines from Provençal region.
By flashing a QR code above you can directly view card dishes or book.

For atmospheric and convivial evenings, this tapas bar is a must in the calanque.
By flashing QR code above you can directly access to “La Canne Bambou” Facebook page.

Diving Sites:

Rocky beds between 5 and 50 metres deep for divers of all levels, fantastic drops (between 20 and 50 m) and plenty of wrecks all promise an unforgettable diving experience.
The sheltered creeks provide perfect conditions for all-year-round diving with waters never falling below 13°C.

• Sites in Niolon and La Vesse

Les Yeux de Chats and Pointe de Frapao (10 to 40 m and 0 to 55 m) have been split in two by a fault. On the wall, sea fans are everywhere and red coral occupies the many holes while a few rock lobsters point their antennas. Alongside, the “Tête de Chien” diving spot offers the same features. Ideally, end your dive by visiting the ‘Cat’s Eyes’ cave which is divided into two chambers: the first is home to rock lobsters, prawns, slipper lobsters and other fauna while the second opens into a passageway that ascends to the surface. Pointe de Frapao is an exceptional diving spot that will blow you away!

Île de l’Élevine and Beaume Rousse (40 m, 5 to 28 m and 0 to 28 m). Ile de l’Élevine offers scuba divers rocks, sand, posidonia forests, a deep drop-off and feeding area. Le Beaume Rousse is a collection of large rocks on a sandy bottom. This site for all levels, a passage way for lots of shoals of fish, features a wall covered in small branches of red coral and lots of cavities to explore.

Diving at Presqu’île du Moulon (10 to 12 m) starts with a superb archway in the water. Blocks and flat slabs of rock are home to numerous species of bream, forkbeards and the occasional sea perch. The exploration continues with a rich corridor of sea fans and rock lobsters to the bottom of the drop-off. Look out for the 2-metre anchor joined to the rock by natural concretions. 

• Sites in La Redonne and Méjean:

Petit and Grand Mornas (0 to 14 m) are two rocks side by side close to shore. Fairly shallow, these sites, accessible to divers of all levels, have the bonus of being sheltered from the wind and is especially worth a visit as the whole spectrum of Mediterranean aquatic flora and fauna
is represented. At the Petit Mornas site, a small cave harbours a number of juvenile eels.

Le Tombant de Méjean (0 to 36 m) is situated between “Grand Mornas” and the “Calanque de Figuière” (creek). The site is made up of several artificial reefs of different shapes and sizes (seven structures in total). Installed to prevent trawling, the structures also show which marine life fixes to which reefs according to their particular format. Scuba diving is best done in very clear water so you can move easily from one reef to the next.

L’Ecueil de Méjean (0 to 36 m) is a big rocky plateau with an abundance of aquatic flora andfauna.

• Sites in Sausset-les-Pins

La Marche des Pirates (19 to 23 m) is a small drop easily accessible for experienced level 1 divers. Rock lobsters also love to gather at this popular scuba diving spot.
Le Petit Four à Caux (25 to 33 m) is a big drop suitable for Advanced divers. Rock lobsters and large conger eels have made the many cavities in this wall their home.
Le Grand Four à Chaux (39 to 44m) is a magnificent drop-off reserved for experienced Advanced divers. This site, also called “Les Mérous” or “Mérouville” owing to the abundance of groupers (mérou) living there, promises a diving experience not to be missed.
Le Jardin de Sausset (8 to 14m) is a small drop-off on the way out of Sausset-les-Pins port.
Accessible to divers of all levels, the site has a number of small tunnels where you can meet an abundance of aquatic wildlife. An especially enchanting spot for photographers and night divers.

• Sites in Carry-le-Rouet

Le Bois de Carry (27 to 33 m) is a veritable oasis for wildlife amongst a forest of posidonia plants.
This scuba diving spot is full of rugged, holey rocks and faults. Come and meet groupers and whole schools of anthias and sea goldies, red scorpionfish, sea breams, rock lobsters, eels, moray eels, zebra seabreams and more.

La Plaine de Carry (26 to 35 m), set in a garden of posidonia grass, is made up of rugged rocks interspersed by faults. The aquatic wildlife can be found all over. You’ll find red scorpionfish, sea breams, rock lobsters, eels, moray eels, sea slugs, cuckoo wrasse and others.

Le Secan (26 to 35 m), located off the coast of Carry-le-Rouet, is a site for Advanced divers.
After a descent into the sea, a mass of rocks forms a gently slope westwards. This dive spot is close to Carry-le-Rouet’s special conservation area and therefore offers a diversity of sea life including eels and rock lobsters teeming in the many cavities formed by the rocky masses and small fish in high numbers. A real treat for divers.

• Sites in Carro and La Couronne

La Pointe Noire (0 to 12 m) is an ideal spot for first dives. Shallow and protected from the wind and currents, this site is home to a variety of flora and fauna, a real treat for first-time divers.

L’Aragnon (0 to 17 m) is made up of lots of rocks reaching up to the surface, faults and arches. Nice and shallow, the site is heaven for first divers and home to a thriving fish community.

Several tours are offered on board the ALBATROS:
• Calaques of the Côte Bleue,
• Marseilles’ Old Port,
• Islands of If and Frioul,
• Calanques of Cassis, Marseille, …

From Carry le Rouet, accessible from Niolon’s calanque station or about ten minutes by car. By scanning the QR code above you can directly access the Albatross website.

Mixing the pleasures of eyes and effort, sea kayaking. Sail alongside water, to discover all coves, beaches, rocks, view from sea. To reward effort, nothing beats a light breeze with a breathtaking view of the Blue Cost, access to small coves unaffordable on foot, feeling of revelation is total. With wind at your back to set off again, it’s almost like you’re on a speedboat!
By scanning QR code above you can directly access sea kayak rental website.

Every summer, during months of July and August, guided surface tours are organized in Carryle-Rouet marine reserve.
The purpose of this activity is to discover, using a mask and a snorkel, richness of the shallow coastal seabed’s, and to educate people who frequent the Blue Coast on the role and importance of a marine protected area (free of charge activity).
Every Thursday afternoon, fun workshops around marine life for families (children from 6 years old).
On program, presentation of the Marine Park and discovery of fauna and flora:
Observation and identification of main species of the shallow depths of the Blue Coast, descriptions and anecdotes about their way of life. (free of charge, subject to availability)
And many other discoveries to make …
By scanning QR code above you can directly access the Carry-le-Rouet marine park website.

Discover this fine cheese specialty Plain, with a drizzle of honey, sprinkled with pepper, cooked with eggplants … there are many ways to enjoy these goat bushes from Rove A.O.C.*with its exceptional sweetness and flavors. When it is the season (from spring to summer), you will find it as close as possible to the cabanon by going to the Grocery store just down the road.
* official quality marks, dedicated to local products which typify a region having their own unique character and inimitable taste.

A specialty of over 200 years Part of local cultural heritage, the Four des Navettes has
recognized historical value, but its true value lies in the gourmet attachment and the rituals associated with these shuttles.
The Four des Navettes is the oldest bakery in Marseille, located on the sacred road that leads to the Saint Victor Abbey. For more than 200 years, the secret of the Navette recipe has been jealously guarded and the three owners of the Four des Navettes since its creation in 1781 have passed on the exclusivity of know-how. It is a delicacy in the shape of a boat that invites you on a delicious journey. Golden like an ear of wheat in the sun, slightly sweet, delicately scentedwith orange blossom, its texture is surprising and has surprises in store for you.
By scanning QR code above you can directly access the Four des Navettes website.

The bouillabaisse, legendary in Marseille, is no longer the poor man’s dish, it is made with freshly caught rock fish, cooked in a fish soup, spiced with garlic, olive oil and saffron. It is traditionally served in two stages: soup, in which stale bread is soaked, or toasted, rubbed with
garlic and covered with rust, then fish and potatoes. Depending on the taste of the guest, twocan be mixed in a deep plate, or served separately.

The closest to the cabanon and which I really appreciate is served at the Auberge du Mérou.
One of the most famous in Marseille is served at the Épuisette restaurant.

Quite delicious.

By flashing a QR code above you can directly access to the Restaurant “L’Auberge du Mérou” website for a bouillabaisse in Niolon or “L’Epuisette” for a bouillabaisse in Marseille.

More than 38 attractions for whole family in a natural setting of very shaded Mediterranean pine forest in a “Conquest of the American West” atmosphere Attractions for young and old, also enjoy multiple daily shows, whether they take place in the street, in the saloon or inside
Eldorado Circus Show, typical of the Old West.
By scanning QR code above you can directly access the Magic Parc Land website.

From Niolon station during summer months, reach Port-de-Bouc by train. Created in 1988, this
culinary festival resonates throughout Provence and far beyond. On the menu for these summer evenings, in picturesque setting of the Port de Plaisance, a gigantic “Sardinades” and Mediterranean specialties: grilled fish, mussels, prawns, lobster …

Embellished withentertainment: Merry-go-round, children’s games, artisanal nights, musical entertainment every evening and evenings with orchestra from Thursday to Sunday evening. After beach, good times to share with the family.

For golf addict, visit Golf La Cabre d’Or, located between Aix-en-Provence and Marseille. 25
km from the cabanon.
It offers you a magnificent 18-hole course, both technical and suitable for all levels. The
panoramic view of the mountains from the green is breathtaking. You will enjoy walking on a
medieval path surrounded by houses typical of the age.
Address: 1 Allée du Golf 13480 Cabriès
Phone: +33 442 504 672

Guided tour of Marseille and surroundings
Want to escape, to discover and be amazed, along the paths, street of the alleys, according to the seasons and the exhibitions, to travel near your home, live a moment of sharing, in the company of the guides of Provence buissonnière.

Marseille, an astonishing city with many facets that you can reach with the Blue Coast train from the calanque.
From North to South, Marseille will surprise you with its many facets. Seaside, flowery alleys and natural spaces, there is something for everyone.
City of contrast with its old discricts (Le Panier near the Old Port), its luminous ledge facing the sea, its wild calanques which plunge into deep blue waters.
After ascending to Notre Dame de la Garde, patron saint of sailors enthroned 162m above the sea, you can go to L’Estaque in the footsteps of Cézanne or to La Treille at the foot of the hills of Marcel Pagnol. Marseille can also be discovered by the sea.
The Frioul Islands with the Chateau d’If (and its legend of the Count of Monte Cristo) offer a beautiful perspective of the Phocaean city.

Take advantage of the wealth and surprises of the emblematic places, museums and cultural programs of the Phocaean city, the oldest of French cities.

The one we call “Provençal Venice”: Martigues, seduces with its small canals, colorful houses and rich heritage.
Quai Brescon, known as Miroir of birds, has become a place of choice for painters since the end of the 19th century. Body of water bordered by fishermen’s houses, with painted facades, which fascinated many painters such as Delacroix, Corot, Loubon, Ziem or Dufy
On the listed site of the Canal St Sébastien and the Quai Brescon known as Miroir aux Oiseaux, the Madeleine church “La Cathédrale”, completed in 1680, is in Provencal baroque style, from the end of the 18th century which, of Italian influence, is widely voiced in Marseille.
Pointe de l’Île is a magnificent architectural site with water jets, fountains and pebbles. Place conducive to relaxation and strolling. Ideal place for major events: sea festival, oar racing, mirror sails …

46MAJ : 17/08/2022 Page :
(UK) The Cabanon “La Cigale” Niolon Guide cabanon.niolon@free.fr
12.6 The Baux de Provence
The Baux de Provence In the heart of the Alpilles Regional Natural Park, Classified Resort, Most Beautiful Village in France. The village of Baux-de-Provence, perched on a rocky outcrop, has a rich architectural
heritage. Its citadel dominates natural sites of breathtaking beauty. Exceptional settings to revive the testimonies of the past, perpetuate traditions, host prestigious shows. The very essence which makes the charm and the so particular perfume of Provençal villages is there:
small squares, shaded terraces, narrow streets and their shops. The Baux de Provence appellation is a symbol of quality: the wines, born from rock and sun, are warm, its olive oil is fiery and fruity.