A Marseille bastide that plunges into the sea

AN ATYPICAL PLACE// A family home, a Marseille bastide more than a century old It offers a breathtaking view of Marseille harbor and the start of the Côte Bleue. The location of its 400m2 terrace is exceptional. The grounds are set in scrubland, overlooking the fishing village.

HOME// A room fitted out like a typical bistro offers a warm welcome.

HISTORY // The grand red staircase, a nod to the brickworks that have shaped the history of this working-class neighborhood over the centuries: a reproduction of a painting by DERAIN. Beneath the large terrace, for the adventurous, the grotte de fraîcheur, a former ice reserve in the bastides of Marseilles of yesteryear, whose ridge is supported by an e n t e r re c u i t e a t l a n t . Here and there, the remains of the rock cutters' work can be seen...

INSPIRATION// Several times a day, imposing white boats cruise through the harbor, departing from the Mediterranean shipping lanes. Just a stone's throw away, the entrance to the port of Marseille offers a breathtaking view.

IN THE EVENING// The ochre and low-angled sun caress the backs of the islands: Frioul and Château d'If are just across the way.

ELSEWHERE... // Just a few minutes from Marseille, Aix and the airport, an astonishing sense of elsewhere... La Bastide Bleue is accessible by sea shuttle in summer, and by the A55 motorway and train.

L'Estaque is a small fishing port that has inspired painters such as C e z a n n e , D u f y , B r a q u e . . . Its history has given it a strong identity, and it has developed into a charming site. From Cezanne to Guediguian, l'Estaque is a small fishing port at the entrance to Marseille (and 10 km from the city center) that combines the attractiveness of a small resort with the soul of its history: for centuries, it has been home to working-class families, brick-makers and port workers... From these popular traditions, the district has kept its jousts. North of Marseille, l'Estaque is the last "village" before the blue coast. Michel Samson, a journalist with Le Monde, describes the soul of this district: "Boats were tied to an estaco. In l'Estaque, a corner of Marseille sheltered by hills covered in factory shells, boats are still tied up: a few fishermen's a few fishermen's or jousters' boats, sailboats and outboards. But in l'Estaque, you'll mostly be strolling along. Eating chichis fregis, long sweet orange blossom doughnuts cut with scissors, and panisses, fried slices of flour sold by the dozen..." to then evoke the Côte Bleue its little ports and creeks. In short, l'Estaque is a gateway to the white of the hills, the soft green of the garrigue, the deep blue of the seabed and the gold of chichi!