🌊 A park like no other! Created in 2012, the Calanques National Park is a natural gem nestled between Marseille, Cassis, and La Ciotat. It's the only peri-urban park in Europe that is simultaneously terrestrial, marine, and insular. A true Mediterranean chameleon! 🏞️
With its 8,500 hectares of land and 43,500 hectares of sea, it shelters exceptional biodiversity: nearly 1,000 plant species, 140 protected species, and spectacular seabeds. From the summit of Mount Carpiagne (646 m) to the Cassidaigne Canyon (-2,191 m), the park offers something for everyone!
But this treasure is fragile… Faced with pollution, fires, and mass tourism (2 to 3 million visitors per year), residents, elected officials, and associations have mobilized for over 12 years to protect it.
Today, the Park coordinates local stakeholders (the State, municipalities, the National Forestry Office (ONF), the Coastal Conservancy, etc.) to preserve, welcome, raise awareness, and act for sustainable development, both on land and at sea. 💚
⁉️Did you know⁉️ Before its creation on April 18, 2012, the Calanques National Park already included six protected sites:
- November 29, 1934, for the Gardiole State Forest,
- July 31, 1936, for the En-Vau and Port-Pin Calanques,
- August 29, 1975, for the Calanques massif of Marseille and Cassis,
- December 27, 1976, for the maritime public domain corresponding to the Calanques massif,
- April 4, 1989, for Cap Canaille, Bec de l'Aigle, and their surrounding areas and the corresponding maritime public domain,
- since 2003, the Riou archipelago, classified as a national biological reserve.
- The National Park also contains three listed historical monuments, including the Cosquer, Fig Tree, Fox, and Tripe Shop caves, a registered historical monument, and a remarkable garden: the Mugel Park.
The Calanques National Park in a nutshell: