If you are visiting the area around Marseille or Cassis in the South of France, I would advise you to take the “Route des Crêtes” (the cliff road) and drive towards La Ciotat to the Parc du Mugel.
If you can avoid sunny weekends and the pick season of July/August, you are ready for a real mediterranean treat. The area is just absolutely ravishing! As you get there, you can walk around the park and admire spectacular sea views, typical stoney beaches nearby, plants from different parts of the world, bottlebrush as well as a gum tree from Australia, and plenty of cactuses!
A bastide, used by an environmental education center called l’Atelier Bleu, dominates the park and offers a superb view of the Gulf of La Ciotat and Île Verte.
Once you walked around the park, refrain yourself from staying on the cove of the Anse du Grand Mugel. Pass the second cove as well… Keep walking…
Do not expect a fancy beach with fine sand, restaurants or facilities… But you can take your diving mask out because there will be plenty to see once you get at the end of the track. Sun screen and picnic in the bag?
Welcome to the Anse du Sec – the “cove of the dry”!
My French Chronicles 
Nice! How long of a drive is it to get here from your home?
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From my new home (Brittany) it is a long drive – like 13 hours!! – but from my previous home in Marseille, it was just next door! I’ll post pictures from The Presqu’Ile de Crozon in Brittany soon which has a lot of similarities with the “calanques” area in the South East of the country.
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oh wow!! I have only been to Paris, I have no concept of distances!
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You were mentioning a trip to Northern Italy? Where would that be? La Ciotat is only a 2 1/2 hour drive from the Italian border…
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I haven’t decided yet! Thinking the Cinque Terre?
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Oh so luckyyyyyyyyy! On my bucket list of course!!! Along with the Puglia area.
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