Guided tour in the heart of Malmousque district

Malmousque is a well-known district of Marseille. Come and discover all its secrets on this guided tour of the seafront.

Published on 7 June 2023

Mélanie Trible

Marseille in 3 words

Surprising, warm, radiant.
My favourite neighbourhood

Endoume, an ideal district to stroll around all year round and to have a swim and cool off in summer.

Meeting point in front of Parc Valmer

I meet at 9.30am in front of the Parc Valmer. To get there, I take the 83 bus from the Vieux-Port. It’s always nice to take this line because the scenery is so beautiful. We walk along the Corniche Kennedy. I decide to get off a stop early so that I can walk a little along this balcony overlooking the sea, and I’m soon overtaken by some motivated joggers! The sun is out this morning and it’s very pleasant.

Our guide, Dominique, is waiting for us just outside the entrance to the Parc Valmer. Today we’re a group of 10, and she starts by telling us what Marseille was like in those days, and we discover that this area was a complete wilderness. All activities and housing were centred around the Old Port until the 19th century, when the district exploded with popularity…

Guided tour of Malmousque and the small ports of the Corniche ©mtOTLCM (108)

Guided tour of Malmousque and the small ports of the Corniche ©mtOTLCM (99)

Guided tour of Malmousque and the small ports of the Corniche ©mtOTLCM (76)

Guided Tour Malmousque Et Petits Ports De La Corniche Mtotlcm 97

Discovering the seafront

We continued our walk along the Corniche towards the Marégraphe (tide gauge). We are given a brief explanation of the Corniche Kennedy, and those in the group who are not from Marseille are surprised to discover what the coast was like before this major road was built.

Here we are, crossing the Anse de la Fausse Monnaie viaduct. We turn right and walk down the steps to the water’s edge. The children are happy, admiring the waves, while we adults listen carefully to what our guide has to say about the area we’re in.

Did you know?

The Plage des Catalans is the only natural beach in Marseille, and Gaston Deferre played a major role in the creation of artificial beaches in the city.

End of the tour at the little port of Malmousque

The people of Marseille are already enjoying the seaside and the sun at Anse de Maldormé, and I’m keen to do the same!
We continue on to the Malmousque plateau before discovering the customs trail (I’m not going to tell you why it’s called that, it’s up to you to find out…).

Throughout the tour, Dominique explains what we can see in the distance, both on land and in the sea: the Massif de Marseilleveyre, the Massif de l’Estaque, Mucem, Ile des Pendus, Frioul, Château d’If…

We take a number of narrow streets, including Rue Va à la Calanque (‘Go to the Calanque’ which couldn’t be more typical of Marseille for a street name) before arriving in the picturesque little port of Malmousque.

We learn about its history and the visit is already over. Our guide accompanies us all the way and shows us how to get out of this little port, and we end up on the Corniche Kennedy. I’m really looking forward to ending my morning on a beach in the sun.