Traditional villages of the Côte Bleue: an authentic experience in Provence

From L’Estaque to Carro, the Provençal soul of the coastline

Experience the Côte Bleue as a simple and luminous Mediterranean escape, between traditional villages, small harbours, discreet calanques and Mediterranean landscapes.

From L’Estaque, a popular and inspiring village that attracted painters, to Carro, one of the last small fishing harbours on the Côte Bleue, this coastline tells the story of a true Provence. A Provence of pale rock, pine trees, garrigue, deep blue sea and houses facing the open water.

Here, every village has its own character. L’Estaque keeps its artistic and Marseille soul. Le Rove opens the way towards the calanques. Ensuès-la-Redonne, Niolon, Méjean and La Redonne reveal more secret places, between coves, small harbours and paths suspended above the sea. Further west, Carry-le-Rouet, Sausset-les-Pins, La Couronne and Carro offer a lively, family-friendly, maritime and endearing Côte Bleue.

People come here to walk, look at the sea, stop by a harbour, feel the sun on the stones, listen to the wind in the pine trees, discover a market, a calanque or a traditional village. Nothing feels artificial or overdone. Everything is simply there: beautiful, sincere and real.

The Côte Bleue owes its name to the deep blue colour of the sea, contrasting with the rock, the pine forest and the light of Provence. It is a preserved coastline, both close and wonderfully different, where you take the time to experience things rather than simply visit them.

From La Couronne, Camping Marius is an ideal starting point to discover the traditional villages of the Côte Bleue and enjoy an authentic experience in Provence.

Between L’Estaque, Le Rove, Ensuès-la-Redonne, Carry-le-Rouet, Sausset-les-Pins, La Couronne and Carro, the Côte Bleue unfolds like a series of small Mediterranean stopovers. An authentic region to explore slowly, to the rhythm of the sea, the pine trees and the villages.

Key points

• Location: the Côte Bleue, between Marseille, Martigues and the Mediterranean Sea

• Experience: traditional villages, fishing harbours, calanques, pine forest, markets and Provençal landscapes

• Villages to discover: L’Estaque, Le Rove, Ensuès-la-Redonne, Carry-le-Rouet, Sausset-les-Pins, La Couronne, Carro

• Atmosphere: a maritime, authentic, family-friendly and preserved Provence

• Practical starting point: La Couronne, in the town of Martigues

Why discover the traditional villages of the Côte Bleue?

• To enjoy an authentic experience in Provence, away from overly standardised places

• To discover traditional villages between the sea, harbours, calanques and pine forest

• To easily combine walks, beaches, markets, restaurants and natural landscapes

• To explore a still-preserved Mediterranean coastline

• To feel Provence in its simplest form: light, sea salt, pine trees, rock and the Mediterranean

Useful distances from Camping Marius in La Couronne

A few practical landmarks to help you plan your discoveries along the Côte Bleue:

• Beaches and calanques of La Couronne: around 200 m on foot via the path through the pine forest

• Village of La Couronne: around 15 minutes on foot

• La Couronne train station: around 15 minutes on foot

• Carro: around 3 km

• Sausset-les-Pins: around 5 km

• Carry-le-Rouet: around 9 km

• Ensuès-la-Redonne: around 16 km

• Niolon: around 21 km

• Marseille: around 40 km

These distances make it easy to explore the Côte Bleue while returning to the calm of La Couronne after a day out.

Soft mobility: discover the Côte Bleue by train

For a gentler way to explore the coastline, the Marseille–Miramas railway line, also known as the Côte Bleue train, allows you to reach several villages and emblematic seaside landscapes.

From La Couronne train station, accessible on foot from Camping Marius, you can travel towards Sausset-les-Pins, Carry-le-Rouet, Ensuès-la-Redonne, Niolon, L’Estaque or Marseille, depending on stops and timetables.

It is a beautiful way to discover the Côte Bleue differently, without a car, while watching the pine trees, viaducts, calanques and views over the Mediterranean pass by.

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