Sunrise and sunset hikes
Sunset over Calanque de Sormiou,
30 minutes from south Marseille
Within half an hour’s walk from the Baumettes district, you can enjoy beautiful views over Calanque de Sormiou, one of the largest calanques¹: a natural amphitheater with white limestone cliffs as terrace seats, the sea as stage and the little port and its cottages as orchestra. From this first viewpoint located behind the calanque, 200m high (600ft), a slight climb will bring you within another half-hour to another setting overlooking Sormiou from the left side when watching the open sea. Seeing the changing colours of sunset above Mount Sormiou and Riou island will make it difficult to tear yourself away from the spot … But there is no point in bringing your sleeping bag : wild camping is forbidden in the Calanques National Park !
Walking time : 2 hours
Rating : leisurely (stony ground)
¹ calanque : a narrow inlet of the seacoast, being a drowned canyon
Sunrise or sunset hiking tour
from the summit of Mont Sainte-Victoire
On the northern side of Mont Sainte-Victoire, 15 miles from Aix-en-Provence, a trail can lead you to the ridge of the mountain within 30 minutes. From up there, you then follow the ridgeline for 1 hour until you reach the top of the mountain, known as Pic des Mouches. You can now enjoy a 360-degree panoramic view. Around sunrise, emotion is at its peak. And a sandwich or a croissant, alongside with a cup of coffee, is welcome!
In the last two hours of the day, as the sun sets, the colours of the sky are different, but very beautiful too.
Walking time : 2.5 hours (Out-and-back)
Rating : moderate
Sunrise or sunset at Mont Ventoux
Mont Ventoux (1,910m/6,265 ft), is world famous thanks to the ascent by cyclists at the Tour de France during summer. It is also an attractive mountain for hikers who are eager to climb its slopes. That’s because the so called “Giant of Provence” rises alone high above the surrounding plains, valleys and plateaus.
Here, we propose to you a circular hike, not long, but presenting 1,400 feet elevation gain/loss. Starting from the road, on the south slope of the mountain, you first reach the ridgeline within a quarter of an hour. Then you follow the narrow path up to the top, for one more hour. Needless to say, the panoramic view from up there rewards the effort!
Walking time : 3 hours
Rating : moderate (stony ground)