Podestat cove and Marseilleveyre summit

Departure from the Baumettes district (9th arrondissement): free but very popular car park at the end of the road.

(S/E) Start at the back of the car park, next to the barrier, then cross a small wood with a climbing site at its edge.

(1) Be careful not to miss the start of the black-marked trail on the right through the clearing. If you do, head for the small monument in the middle of the meadow and the ruins behind it to find your way. Cross a track and continue in the same direction to reach the Col de Sormiou.

(2) Cross the road and take the path opposite that climbs with triple markings: blue, black, white and red for the GR®98. Reach Col de Cortiou: beautiful view.

(3) Begin the descent towards Calanque de Podestat. Follow the GR® markings carefully and do not take the small adjacent paths, which are clearly marked as closed.

(4) Leave the GR® and take the path with black dots on the left to the calanque. To continue, follow the path opposite that climbs back up to the GR®, via a few steps carved into the rock.

(5) When you reach the Plan des Cailles buildings, turn right into the flat valley, then climb up the Grand Malvallon between the small forest and the rocks. You will reach a fork in the path.

(6) Be careful at this point: turn right, following the yellow markings indicating "les Trois Arches", then immediately after, turn left, continuing to follow the yellow markings.

(7) There is an interesting passage through the middle arch and a very pleasant view of the valley, the sea and the Île de Jarre. Immediately afterwards, keep left on the fresh yellow markings: the path on the right is an old path that is no longer maintained. Climb a fairly steep slope to a pseudo pass.

(8) From there, you can either follow the double yellow and blue markings that lead off to the right towards the Plateau de l'Homme Mort, or turn left and follow the blue markings towards the Col de la Selle and the summit of Marseilleveyre (choice of route).

(9) Once you reach Col de la Selle, cross it and continue to follow the blue trail, which becomes a little challenging with a few passages where you may need to use your hands. Then go around the summit to the north to finally come out near the cross next to the ruined house: magnificent 360° view of the city, the islands and the coast.

(10) Retrace your steps back to Col de la Selle and then to the pseudo pass you passed on the way up.

(8) Turn left towards the Plateau de l'Homme Mort, with a fairly steep climb.

(11) At the top, stay on the ridge line, following the blue markings that lead you to veer to the right. You will come to a crossroads.

(12) Head straight ahead to finish crossing the plateau, following the blue markings and avoiding the shortcuts that lead down to the sea. The trail then turns towards the Col de Cortiou and becomes steeper: you will need to use your hands on a few short sections.

(3) From the Col de Cortiou, follow the outward route in reverse, passing through the Col de Sormiou and then following the black markings to return to the car park (S/E).

As always in the calanques, bring enough water for the day, as it can get very hot and there are no water sources along the route.

Good hiking boots are highly recommended for the rocky trails of the calanques.

Bring your swimsuit to enjoy the Podestat calanque. But avoid the left side where rocks have fallen.

The route is designed for a late start so that you can visit the calanque for a swim and a picnic. Otherwise, do the route in the other direction to cover most of the distance first.

Note on the duration of the hike: completed in 4 hours and 45 minutes, including a lunch break, at an average hiker's pace.

The hike offers several magnificent views of the islands and coves, as far as Cassis (Cap Canaille) on one side and the Côte Bleue beyond Marseille on the other, on a clear day of course.