A stroll through the Frioul Islands

The shuttle arrives at the Port du Frioul after a stop at the Château d’If.

(S/E) Take the street immediately on the right, follow the harbour and continue for 1 km after passing behind the Frioul pilot station.

(1) Enjoy the view here of Marseille, Château d’If and Hôpital Caroline. Note the Maison des Îles et du Littoral, which offers information on the archipelago’s flora and fauna, right next door. Continue along Chemin de Saint-Estève to the beautiful beach at the calanque of the same name.

(2) Take the sloping road up towards the Hôpital Caroline. Unfortunately, you can no longer walk around it due to building works, but you can access part of the courtyard where information is provided about this former leper colony.

(3) Head back down the road to the previous junction.

(2) Take the track on the right which climbs towards the old Fort de Ratonneau. The climb isn’t very difficult and leads to the top of the island.

(4) Once you reach the ramparts, go under an arch and take a look at the view about a hundred metres further on. Come back and explore the fort, taking a few safety precautions. Find a path leading down from the fort.

(5) Begin the descent towards the Calanque de Morgiret.

(6) Head towards the beach, walk along it, then follow the path which leads to a track.

(7) After about fifty metres, turn left and head towards the harbour.

(8) Cross the breakwater to reach Île de Pommègues. Start the climb and follow the road that winds its way along the entire length of the island until you reach a fork.

(9) Continue to the right.

(10) On the left, an uphill path leads to the Tour de Pommègues.

(11) At this point, admire the Rocher de la Goutte d'Eau on the right. Continue straight on until you reach a fork in the road.

(12) Continue straight on to the signal box.

(13) Once at the signal box, enjoy the view, then retrace your steps for 600 m back to the previous fork.

(12) Take a path on the right that descends towards a cove where fish farming takes place.

(9) Return to the track and head back towards the port. Cross the breakwater again.

(8) Follow the quay to the right to the shuttle boat pier (S/E).

To reach the Frioul Islands via the ferry service, it is advisable to book in advance to choose your departure time.
Note: whilst it is easy to take the boat, getting to the Old Port by car is obviously more difficult. There is a metro station right next door and, in our case, we parked at La Valentine in the east of Marseille, took the bus (50) and then the metro to Place Castellane. The Marseille network is dense enough to provide good coverage and all forms of transport accept contactless card payments for those without a ticket.