Niolon : virtual tour of the Calanques (Creeks)

Niolon is a calanque (steep-walled inlet) of the Côte Bleue (“Blue Coast”) located on the Rove commune in the west of Marseille, between L’Estaque and Carry-le-Rouet. Relatively steep, the heights of the village offer a remarkable point of view over the bay of Marseille and the Frioul archipelago.

Access to the calanque is either by rail from Marseille (Niolon harbor is dominated by its station on the heights) or by the winding road through the Garrigue (shrubland) which then splits into two with La Vesse on one side and Niolon on the other one.

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In summer, Niolon cove is occupied by inhabitants of Marseille who have many seasonal house but also the diving lovers. Niolon shelters the only federal center of the French Federation of Undersea Studies and Sports (FFESSM) located in the Mediterranean Sea. The FFESSM is one of the founding members of the World Confederation of Underwater Activities (CMAS). The National Centre for holidays diving and training is managed by the UCPA (a non-profit French organization that makes outdoor sports holidays available for people of ages 7–39). It occupies an old military fort built in 1860 and which has been occupied by the Germans during the Second World War.

Activities range from discovery for beginners to professional development (technical diving and exploration). The center offers activities for children, teenagers but also adults. Diving on the Blue Coast allows you to discover a water rich in flora and fauna with beautiful underwater rock wall and faults (Elvine, Baume Rousse, Les Yeux de Chat, Figueroles, etc.). Depending on the number of divers, their level and the weather conditions, the UCPA center can also organize diving on the sites located near the islands of Frioul and Planier.

Some businesses (restaurants, bars, Hotels) allow spending pleasant moments of relaxation away from the bustle of the city.

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