🌊 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 encompasses land, sea, and island. A true Mediterranean chameleon!🏞️
With its 8,500 hectares of land and 43,500 hectares of sea, it's home to 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 has it all!
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 (state, municipalities, ONF, Conservatoire du littoral, etc.) to preserve, welcome, raise awareness, and promote 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 listed sites:
- November 29, 1934, for the Gardiole national forest,
- July 31, 1936, for the En-Vau and Port-Pin calanques,
- August 29, 1975, for the Marseille and Cassis Calanques massif,
- December 27, 1976, the Maritime Public Domain corresponding to the Calanques massif site,
- April 4, 1989, Cap Canaille, the Bec de l'Aigle, their surroundings, and the Domaine Corresponding maritime public,
- Since 2003, the Riou Archipelago has been classified as a national biological reserve.
- The National Park also houses three listed historical monuments, including the Cosquer, Fig Tree, Fox, and Tripe Caves, a registered historical monument, and a remarkable garden: the Mugel Park.
The Calanques National Park in a few words: