This summer Scott and I had the chance to finally visit the scenic Calanques, which are beautiful coves of tall, canopy-filled cliffs and crystal-clear blue waters, located in the South of France, in between Cassis and Marseille.Although we've been going to France together for three years now, we never drift too far from my summer hometowns of Pyla or Paris in efforts to spend as much time as we can with family. However, because this year we had quite a bit of time with family (we'd only bought one-way tickets, woo!), we decided to make a quick trip further down South. Was it worth it? YES. Do I recommend planning out the entire trip before going? Realistically, yes. I've been trying to be more spontaneous in general by saying "YES" to more life (you might have noticed I've been saying a lot if you follow Instagram), which has been really fulfilling, but I definitely would've liked to plan this portion of our trip more ahead of time, because there were very few places to stay at which added on some stress. But I digress! Was it worth it? Absolutely, yes. I mean, look at this place!
The Journey
What I didn't know before our arrival to Cassis and the Calanques was that we would have to hike quite a bit to reach the crystal-blue waters of the Calanques D'en Vau (the particular cove we wanted to hike to). The hike was around three hours toward the beach and back. If you're planning on going, I'd say make sure you're going on a day that isn't too hot, research directions (and hiking trails to take and follow) online, wear shoes that you'll be able to hike in (no sandals) and...bring water (and maybe a few fruits or snacks, but there are no trash cans, so make sure to clean up after yourself)!
The hike turned out to be a pretty fun one and the views at the cove were well worth the journey there. We stayed for around four hours. I swam in the (ice cold) water, which was an achievement for me as I don't typically volunteer myself to swim in freezing waters (or many waters at all). The water was too beautiful not to experience fully though, and I'm so glad I made the leap and braved the cold because it was exhilarating and magical. Scott and I sunbathed, hiked, snapped some photos and Polaroids, and headed back home as the sun was setting. It was a really beautiful day and such a treat to be able to experience it all with Scott. He is my darling!
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