Buses from Marseille arrive at rond-point du Pressoir between the port and the beach. The gare SNCF is 3km out of town, with only two bus connections daily. The tourist office is on place Baragnon, 150m east of the port (June & Sept daily 9am-6pm; July & Aug daily 9am-8pm; Oct-May Mon-Fri 9am-12.30pm & 1.30-5pm, Sat 10am-12.30pm & 1.30-5pm; tel 04.42.01.71.17, www.cassis.enprovence.com ).
Cheap rooms in
high season don't exist in Cassis. The least expensive are at Le
Commerce , 1 rue St-Clair (tel 04.42.01.09.10, fax 04.42.01.14.17;
€34-46), and Le Provençal , 7 av Victor-Hugo (tel 01.42.01.72.13;
€46-61), close to the port. For a little more money, and a view over
the port, try Le Golfe , on quai Calendal (tel 04.42.01.00.21, fax
04.42.01.92.08; €46-61; closed Nov-March). Further out, there's also
the Le Joli Bois , route de la Gineste (tel 04.42.01.02.68; €34-46;
half-board obligatory in season), just off the main road to Marseille,
3km from Cassis and with few amenities. Far more isolated is the
gorgeously scenic but rather inaccessible hostel La
Fontasse , in the hills above the calanques west of Cassis (tel
04.42.01.02.72; all year); from the D559 (stop "Les Calanques"), a road
leads down towards the Col de la Gardiole, and when it becomes a track,
take the left fork, and after another 2km you'll find the hostel.
Rainwater, beds and electricity are the only mod cons, but if you want
to explore this wild uninhabited stretch of limestone heights, the
people running it are happy to give advice. To get to Cassis you can
descend to the calanques and walk along the coast (about 1hr). If
you're camping , don't bother going into town - the campsite, Les
Cigales (tel 04.42.01.07.34; closed mid-Nov to mid-March), is just off
the D559 from Marseille before avenue de la Marne turns down into
Cassis, a gruelling one-kilometre walk from the port.
Restaurant tables
are in abundance along the portside quai des Baux; prices vary greatly,
but if you can afford it your best bet has to be to follow your nose,
and seek out the most enticing fish smells. The authentic Provençal
ratatouille and freshly caught fish at Chez Gilbert , 19 quai Baux (tel
04.42.01.71.36; closed Tues evening & Wed; menu €18.30), are hard
to beat. El Sol , at no. 23 (tel 04.42.01.76.10; closed Wed), with less
elaborate terroir fare, costs a bit less, as do restaurants on the back
streets, such as the family-run La Boulangerie , 19 rue Michel Arnaud
(tel 04.42.01.38.31), a pâtisserie which also does light regional
dishes.
Copyright Rough Guides Ltd as trustee for its authors. Published by Rough Guides.
All rights reserved.The Rough Guides name is a trademark of Rough Guides Ltd.
