Only about 30kms from Marseille, the small fishing port of Cassis is one of the first stops along the coast that exude French Mediterranean charm.

Cassis’s quaint and colourful old town is clustered around a compact little harbour, and some of its buildings date back to the 16th century. The village was a favourite subject of the fauvist artists, including Georges Braque (who lived here) and a bohemian, creative spirit has remained. On the first Sunday of every month (April to October only) a group of local artists set up an open-air market, with interpretations of Cassis and its famous landscape.

Cassis is surrounded on one side by a pebbly beach and the glittering blue sea; to the east by Cap Canaille, a massive, ochre coloured rampart, and to the west by soaring white cliffs that plunge straight into the sea, Their limestone was an important source of income until 1990, but these days this part of the Riviera is best known for the calanques, a string of sapphire blue, isolated inlets that stretch all the way to Marseilles.

The calanques were once the mouths of ancient rivers. Similar to Scandinavia’s fjords, glaciers activity forged them deeper into the earth and then the sea swept in, forming natural ‘pools’ and havens for small sea creatures. The nearest one to Cassis is at Port Miou, which is accessible by car or on foot. The most beautiful of them all is thought to be En-Vau, which has a tiny beach tucked under the skirt of a sheer white cliff. Access to most the calanques though is prohibitive and due to the risk of fire, coastal paths to that descend directly to them are closed from mid-June to mid-September. Instead, many people take a tourist boat from Cassis to explore them.

Wine from Cassis, the first in France to receive an official AOC (awarded in 1936) is another of Cassis’ pleasant surprises. The local blanc de blanc is considered the only drop worthy of accompanying the region’s famous seafood, so order a bottle with your bouillabaisse. Otherwise, make you way to arte-deco cellars of Clos Sainte-Magdeleine in the village itself, who organically-grow their grapes on the slopes of Cap Canaille.

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