Marseille holidays

Marseille lines up a collection of beaches not too far from the city’s centre spot. They range from shallow family-friendly spots to lesser-trodden swathes set against dramatic rocky backdrops.

Prado Beach is the biggest out of Marseille’s bunch of beaches. It’s made up of a series of smaller beaches, and each one comes with a backdrop of well-groomed gardens.

La Baie des Singes sits close to the edge of Marseille’s border. To get there, it’s a 45-minute bus ride and a 20-minute hike across a clifftop. It’s well worth the journey if you’re looking for beach days minus the crowds.

Marseille’s famous for its olive oil-infused soap bars. They make great souvenirs, and you can pick up block-shaped bars from the huts that surround the city’s port.

La Canebière is one of the main roads out of the city, it winds up a hillside from the port to the St Vincent de Paul Church. It’s got a double-sided line up of shops featuring global fashion brands, often housed inside pretty 17th and 18th-century buildings.

Rue Paradis, Rue St Ferreol and Rue de Rome – the streets that lead from La Canebière – are the places to head for high-end fashion. This area’s home to the city’s resident Louis Vuitton shop, as well as a collection of other high-fashion spots from local designers.

Come evening, Marseilles’ port’s the place to be – many of its bars spill out on to the pathways and offer up a great setting for sunset.

The neighbourhood of Cours Julien is lined with street art, and it’s known as one of the city’s trendier spots. The area’s main square is the best place to head for big nights out.

This herby aperitif is made using star anise, which gives the drink a liquorice-like flavour. It’s usually sipped straight from a cup filled with ice, or used as a base for a mint-syrup infused cocktail.

This Marseille speciality is a shell-shaped sweet sponge cake that’s flavoured with almonds. It’s best served fresh, so a bakery’s your best bet for picking some up.

This dish originated in Belgium, but it’s a fond favourite with locals in Marseille. The dish features mussels that are cooked in buttery parsley and white wine sauce, and served with a side of skinny-cut fries.

This dish is one of Marseille’s most famous, it’s made using a variety of seafood combinations including prawns, crab, lobster, and mussels. They’re blended with vegetables and garlic seasoning and served up as a soup.

These make a great alternative to chips – chickpea flour replaces potatoes, and a healthy dollop of butter gives them a creamy texture. Flaky salt and cracked black pepper’s added to boost the flavour.