Marseille and the Calanques: beach reality check
Short answer: 8 beaches checked. In mid-July the sun leaves first at Plage du Bestouan (19:20), Plage de Saint-Estève (19:55), Plage La Grande Mer (20:40); the latest sun is at Plage du Prophète, Plages du Prado, Plage des Catalans.
| Beach | Surface | Sun in July | Climb from parking | Water | Sea in Aug | Clubs mapped |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plage des Catalans Marseille | Sand | 07:20–21:15 | 90 m, ↑10 m | gradual | 22 °C | — |
| Plages du Prado Marseille | Sand | 06:30–21:15 | 230 m | shallow | 22 °C | — |
| Plage du Prophète Marseille | Sand | 07:35–21:15 | 260 m, ↑17 m | gradual | 22 °C | — |
| Plage du Bestouan Cassis | Pebbles | 07:45–19:20 | 120 m, ↑21 m | gradual | 23 °C | — |
| Plage La Grande Mer Cassis | Pebbles | 06:55–20:40 | 70 m, ↑5 m | gradual | 23 °C | — |
| Grande plage La Ciotat | Gravel | 06:40–20:40 | 440 m, ↑9 m | gradual | 23 °C | 1 |
| Plage de Saint-Estève Marseille | ? | 07:30–19:55 | — | deep fast | 22 °C | — |
| Plage des Lecques Saint-Cyr-sur-Mer | ? | 06:40–21:05 | 100 m, ↑4 m | gradual | 23 °C | 3 |
Plan it
Questions
Which beaches in Marseille and the Calanques lose the sun first?
8 beaches checked. In mid-July the sun leaves first at Plage du Bestouan (19:20), Plage de Saint-Estève (19:55), Plage La Grande Mer (20:40); the latest sun is at Plage du Prophète, Plages du Prado, Plage des Catalans.
Which beaches in Marseille and the Calanques are sand?
Plage des Catalans, Plages du Prado, Plage du Prophète.
Sun and shade come from the sun's position and the skyline around each beach, measured every 4° of compass direction from a 30 m elevation model out to 6 km. The climb back up is the height difference between the beach and the nearest mapped car park or bus stop (about 0.17 m per step). Water depth comes from the EMODnet seabed model; surface, beach clubs, toilets and showers from OpenStreetMap; sea temperature is the 1991–2020 average from NOAA OISST and waves the 2015–2024 average from ERA5. Prices are not shown: they change every season and differ between clubs. Map data checked 7 Nov 2026; next check 1 Dec 2026 (monthly). Sea averages are refreshed every January. Sun and shade are calculated for any date you pick.