Cliff & Calanque Beaches

Beaches beneath rock, reached by a stair, a path or a boat. The cliff dominates every view, the sand is usually small, and the descent is part of the visit. Access is the defining practical fact — a stair of several hundred steps, a walk of an hour or more over rough ground, or a boat. Rock fall is a live hazard at a number of these beaches and sections are periodically fenced or closed, and the register records closures where they have occurred rather than treating them as unlikely. The compensation is water: these coves are usually deep, clear and cold, with no shallows to speak of and excellent swimming for anyone confident. Boats reach several of these coves where a path does not, and in a few cases landing from one is prohibited.