Maronaise beach

Marseille is not only a major port of the Mediterranean, but also a major seaside resort, competing with its counterparts in the French Riviera, Cannes, Saint-Tropez and Nice. Like any seaside resort, the Phocean City attracts millions of tourists who come to relax on its beaches. As a result, these places are more than crowded especially in summer. This is the case of the beaches of the Prado, the Catalans, the Prophet and even those further north in the Estaque district.

There are still some exceptional places, not yet distorted by mass tourism, hidden deep in the creeks and known to few. The Maronaise is just one of those places. This beach is located not far from the Goudes and in the immediate vicinity of the bay of the Monkeys, just before the Cap Croisette.

The Maronaise is not very well served by buses and while going there, many are discouraged on the way because of the monstrous traffic jams on the roads leading to the Goudes, especially on weekends. As the Goudes are the gateway to the calanques, they are very popular with tourists and the Marseillais. So much preoccupied with the calanques, all this beautiful little world simply passes by the marvels of the Maronaise.

The beach is not very wide and it is rarely full. And even when you cannot find a place to put your towel on the sand, it is always possible to sit on the rocks and enjoy a great day under the sun in a picturesque setting. In addition, leisure activities are not lacking in the Maronaise, the most popular being scuba diving.

Novices, advanced beginners, seasoned divers, all meet here for an adventure in the depths of the Mediterranean to discover the fauna and flora as well as any other wonder in the deep sea. By exploring precisely the submarine spaces of the Maronaise, there is no lack of falling on the wreck of a "mahonne," a freight boat that has been lying here for more than 50 years and which has become meanwhile the shelter of thousands of fish.