Where to go when summer is winding down yet you haven’t had a proper beach day in ages? Why, to the south of France, of course!

Easily reachable by plane from my new hometown of Madrid, the French Riviera offers kilometer after kilometer of coast covered in pebble and white sand beaches all lined by seafront restaurants advertising the tastiest Mediterranean cuisine.

Aptly nicknamed Côte d’Azur for the rich clarity of its blue waters, millions of people were attracted to its lush seashores annually including myself and my Spanish SO in summer 2019, as we tried to aprovechar our luck at having a whole week of holidays together for the first time in years. To get away from the fray of the hustle and bustle of a large metropolitan city like Madrid, we settled on the charming seaside town of La Ciotat about a half hour drive outside of Marseille and spent the loveliest time there (an article for another day) before heading to the capital of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur for a day trip.

As we had hired a car from the airport for the trip we had the added hassle of finding a place to store it while we explored that didn't break the bank. Thankfully we lucked out on finding a free public parking lot just outside Metro Saint Marguerite Dromel (#16-22 Blvd St. Marguerite, Marseille 13009). It seems often packed full of cars but with a little patience travelers with a set of wheels should eventually be able to snag a spot. Cross the street to the metro and let your adventure begin!

No matter where you plan to start your journey from you'll need a metro pass like the one below, which is good for exactly 24 hours from the moment of first use. It'll get you all around the landmarks of the city by metro or bus and includes the ferry in Vieux Port (more on that later). Though advertised as selling for 3,60€ on Marseilles' official transport website, the card actually cost us 5,80€ a person when bought at the kiosk in the metro.

Marseille has two metro lines that are easily navigable. The M1 (blue) runs about east to west in a kind of loop while the M2 (red) runs north to south. The lines intersect with each other at two points, Metro Marseille Saint Charles and Metro Castellane, and interweave with 50 bus line and 3 tramways for added convenience.

From there you can go anywhere in the city so here are my suggestions of what to see and where to eat while you're traipsing around the city, one scenic stop at a time.

Stop 1: Vieux Port

This is certainly the heart of the city and well-connected to other popular neighborhoods. Stroll along the waterfront and take in the ambience provided by the street performers and musicians. Don't miss the giant reflective mirror in the center of port to take pictures with some cool effects.

On the same side of the street as the port, look for the Bus 60 bus stop, which runs about every 15 minutes during work hours. Hop on and in another 15-20 minutes be transported all the way up to the front of your next stop.

Stop 2: Basilique Notre Dame de la Garde

By far the best viewpoint in the city, this 19th century monument set on a hilltop that rises over the entire city and its mosaic interior is also free to visit when open. Take a slow walk around the building for an incredible full-circle view of the surroundings. The famous Château d'If is also easily visible off in the distance.

Keep the day going by walking down the hilltop toward Jardin de P. Puget for a perfect picnic spot that overlooks the city.

If hot food is more your thing, a mere couple blocks away lies Cours H. d’Estienn d’Orves, filled with yummy eateries bound to stir up your appetite. Travel just a little further north and you'll come to your next destination.

Stop 3: Palais de Justice

A beautifully constructed building designed by the famous architect Auguste Martin, this palace was built to replace the old one, which had become too small. The stunning architecture is not the only think to admire as the plaza also features a gorgeous fountain gleaming with bright blue waters.

When you've done enough gawking, head over to Metro Estrangin to catch the M1 toward La Rose until you reach Metro Cinq Avenues Longchamp where you'll arrive at your next landmark.

Stop 4: Palais Longchamp

This glory of this park is really saved for last since exiting the metro you'll come upon the Jardin Public. Stop to take a rest in its greenery where you can access the free WiFi (good luck with that) before crossing the grounds to reach to take in the beauty of Palais Longchamp.

The palace was originally created to celebrate the conduction of the Canal de Marseille and took 30 years to finish, complete with an elaborate fountain called le château d'eau.

Visit the Museum d’Histoire Naturelle in the west wing and/or the Musee des Beaux-Arts in the east. Enjoy listening to the sound of the water trickling from the feet of nymphs past horned bulls into the grotto below and then walk all way down the final path to view the whole thing.

From the exit you have two choices here, depending if you're pressed for time; either take the Tramway Line T2 from Longchamp Station across the street back toward the city center or walk down Boulevard Longchamp into the posh La Canebiere neighborhood to enjoy the weekend flea markets with some unique finds. I saw everything from furs and spices to antique scuba helmets and blinding jewellery.

Stop 5: La Canebière

La Canebière is a place worth wandering through at least once, if only for the ornate buildings and once-elegant digs that have mostly turned into restobars. You could try grabbing a snack around this area but don't expect any plate to cost less than 15€ unless you go to a fast food chain.

For those who want a souvenir but don't want to spend a cent, there are also places where locals can leave hand-me-downs to be scooped up by any interested passer-by.

If you haven't already elected to ride the tram around the city, then I'd suggest putting that transport card to use. Depending on how far you've walked, look for either stops Reformes-Canbiere or Canbiere-Garibaldi and stay on the T2 until stop Sadi Carnot. Walk a couple blocks more and you'll have come across one of Marseilles' oldest neighborhoods.

Stop 6: Le Panier

A charming little area, Le Panier is nearly as old as time, having been inhabited first by the Greeks all the way back in 600BC. Now it's filled with colourful buildings, artesanal shops and cool bars.

If you're still hungry, grab a second lunch at Au Vieux Panier, where seafood platters abound with crab legs, salmon and shrimp (oh my), starting at around 30€ to share.

Alternatively you could grab lunch in the plaza off Rue Pistoles, which is always bustling with life. Walk off your meal by heading south to your next must-see.

Stop 7: La Cathedrale de La Major

Another great viewport that overlooks the sea, this 19th century building is a work of green and white limestone carved in a Neo-Byzantine style.

The site is free to enter so make sure to take a lap under its domed ceiling continuing along the waterfront back toward Old Port.

Stop 8: MuCEM and Fort Saint Jean

If you still have more time, check out the unique architecture of MuCEM (Musée des civilisations de l'Europe et de la Méditerranée) or climb to the top of Fort Saint-Jean to be able to get an even better view of the port.

When you're done drinking in all that splendor, double-back a bit to keep walking up the port toward the ferry dock. You might see the Petits Trains de Marseille passing by on this route but don't get distracted. There's still more to see but not far to go.

Before you get on the ferry make sure to locate Marseille City Hall (picture-worthy) and not too much further down from there the big blue “Marseille” sign. Just a jump, hop and skip away is the ferry dock.

Stop 9: Marseille ferry

As previously mentioned, there is a free ferry available with every unlimited travel card bought but don't get too excited. It's not exactly a long trip (2 minutes to be exact) with the boat just pinging back and forth across the port. The last ferry sets still at 8PM so I would suggest trying to get there for a sunset, when the hues in the sky are more reflected off the water.

At this point you've nearly come full circle to your original location so now it's time to kick back, relax and enjoy the ambiance of the evening.

Stop 10: Cours Julien

Grab dinner or drinks around Cours Julien, a popular hub a mere 10-minute walk from Vieux Port that is lined with countless bars and restaurants that stretch all the down to Metro Notre Dame du Mont. You'll definitely have your choice of places to wet your whistle and fill your gullet but I'd suggest Living Arts which sometimes has live jazz music and an all-round classy feel.

Taking into consideration on what time you have to leave the next day, I say stick around that area for the night but beware that the metro system in Marseille stops at 12:30AM and doesn’t start back up until 5AM. The bus and tram systems are similarly limited, running only to 1AM on select lines.

If you do decide to stay out late and subsequently proceed to oversleep, if all else fails, taxis to the airport go for about 50€ (60€ between 12-5AM) and take about 25 minutes from the city center 27 kilometers away.

For those with some time management skills, there are also the Marseille Airport shuttle buses which take only 25 minutes for 8,6€. There are 3 routes so make sure you choose wisely according to your accommodation.

From Gare Saint Charles, you can also catch the Navette to the airport for 5.1€, as the Marseille Airport train doesn't reach the city centre like shuttles do.

Honorable Mentions:

There are several more lovely places to visit for those who have a little more time to spend sightseeing. These were excluded from the list for for the various reasons stated below:

Château d’If (too time-consuming)
Orange Vélodrome (not central enough)
Parc National des Calanques (hiking involved)

Visit these if you can but if not, just do what I do and promise yourself that you'll get around to them the next time you come back. Before you know it your 24 hours will be up and you'll be off to your next stop with hopefully at least a few good memories added to the collection.

Write me when you get there!

May you get lost in the wonder,

M