Cassis

The old harbour, lined by the Quai des Baux and its ochre and pastel façades, is the living heart of Cassis, with fishing boats, café terraces and views to Cap Canaille. Leashed dogs are welcome along the quays and many terraces accept them outside.

The closest of the calanques, a long fjord-like inlet sheltering a marina a ten-minute walk from the village. Unlike the park's core, the path that runs along Port-Miou stays open to leashed dogs, it is the one calanque you can genuinely explore with a dog.

East of the village, Cap Canaille rises as one of Europe's highest sea cliffs (394 m), crossed by the spectacular Route des Crêtes between Cassis and La Ciotat. Lookouts and pull-offs allow panoramic stops with a leashed dog, well clear of the park's restrictions.

The Port-Miou peninsula, extended by the Sentier du Petit Prince, offers a coastal loop right at the entrance to the Calanques, with sea and pine views. It is one of the few nature walks at the park's gates still open to leashed dogs.

Cassis holds one of France's oldest appellations (AOC since 1936), a terraced vineyard stretched between the village and Cap Canaille and prized for its whites. The lanes between the plots make fine leashed walks, and several estates welcome dogs outdoors during tastings.

The little beach at the end of the Port-Miou calanque, around a marina, is the most realistic bathing option with a dog near the village, since the central Grande Mer and Bestouan beaches ban dogs in season. A rocky cove rather than sand, watch the heat on the rock.