Route des Cretes



{Cap Canaille over looking the sea side town of Cassis}

   

      Along the coast here in the South of France, there are many quaint cities/villages with oodles of character tucked away between mountains, larger cities and the Mediterranean. Some are more famous than others (ie. St. Tropez) but there are also others that in order to find, you must go off the beaten path. When we first moved down here, many people gave us suggestions on places to see and things to do, which we welcome with open arms. And often times, those suggestions were, and still are, far better than anything you could read in a Fromers travel book or tour guide. The one area that everyone seemed to agree was a 'must-see' was the Route des Cretes. The Route des Cretes is a windy scenic route along the coast between the cities of Cassis and La Ciotat about 16km long. So after many suggestions we decided to head out one afternoon with camera in hand to see what all the buzz was about. And let me tell you, it was unbelievable. Although it took us a bit to actually find our way, you would of thought it would of been easier with a gps but seeing we are a little 'gps-challeneged', it took us 45 minutes to spot the sign that looked like it was hand written....on a twig....in 1945....with a pencil.....in a rain storm.... facing only one side of the street. Did I get my point across? The drive is not for the faint of heart as it hugs the cliffs over looking the sea and to describe it as 'windy' is a major understatement. However, there are perfectly timed little stop offs so you can get some fresh air to combat the feeling of car sickness while also taking in the view.  Since we have lived here, we have made many trips and it is definitely one of the spots we take visitors to for a little 'local flair'. So if you are ever in the South of France near Marseilles or Toulon, do yourself a favor and take the drive on the Route des Cretes, you won't be disappointed (but check the weather first because they do close the road in extreme wind, and believe me, it gets windy-blew Shaun's father's glasses right off his melon).

{Windy road and very narrow in some spots}

{First and lowest stop..we were pretty happy with this view until we saw the next one}

{At the peak overlooking Cassis}

{Pictures don't do it justice..see that boat down there, that is a Carnival cruise ship...just kidding}

{Closest I was getting to the edge, was a little sick at this point..hence the pastiness}

{Felt like we were on top of the world and it was so quiet up there}

{The water was like glass, it was so calm}

    



Fun fact I learned after going.

The peak of Cap Canaille is over 1300 ft tall making it the tallest seaside cliffs in France and the 4th tallest in Europe.