This research institute on the Île des Embiez, dedicated to understanding and conserving the Mediterranean's marine environment, has a small aquarium to wander through, and some unusual species to see in the flesh. The incorporated Mediterranean Museum has similarly worthy aims, teaching visitors about habitat, species and the special environment beneath the surrounding waves.
Institut Océanographique Paul Ricard
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
18.81 MILES
The calanques (coves) of the coast surrounding Marseille became France's 10th national park in 2012, preserving their astonishing beauty and harbouring an…
25.49 MILES
Ships have docked for millennia at Marseille’s birthplace, the vibrant Vieux Port. The main commercial docks were transferred to the Joliette area in the…
Basilique Notre Dame de la Garde
25.01 MILES
Occupying Marseille’s highest point, La Garde (154m), this opulent 19th-century Romano-Byzantine basilica is Marseille's most-visited icon. Built on the…
25.62 MILES
'The Basket' is Marseille's oldest quarter – site of the original Greek settlement and nicknamed for its steep streets and buildings. Its close, village…
Musée des Civilisations de l’Europe et de la Méditerranée
25.9 MILES
The icon of modern Marseille, this stunning museum explores the history, culture and civilisation of the Mediterranean region through anthropological…
17.77 MILES
Over 2000 years of human habitation are layered in Hyères’ attractive old town, which begins on the western side of place Georges Clemenceau at the 13th…
25.77 MILES
In the heart of Marseille's Le Panier quarter is this grand and gorgeous almshouse, built by Pierre Puget (1620–94), an architect and sculptor born just a…
26.81 MILES
Commanding access to Marseille's Vieux Port, this photogenic island-fortress was immortalised in Alexandre Dumas’ 1844 classic The Count of Monte Cristo…
Nearby attractions
3.56 MILES
A place of exile during the 17th century, once-desolate pinprick Bendor was subsequently abandoned for 250 years. Then in 1951 along came Paul Ricard, a…
7.92 MILES
Toulon has a long naval history, and remains an important commercial and military port. This historic portside building holds a very good, modern…
3. Mémorial du Débarquement de Provence
8.85 MILES
Near the summit of Mont Faron, Mémorial du Débarquement de Provence commemorates the Allied landings of Operation Dragoon, which took place along the…
9.82 MILES
North of the city, Mont Faron (589m) towers over Toulon, and the views are, as you would expect, epic. Near the summit the Mémorial du Débarquement de…
13.26 MILES
The 'Road of Crests' offers heart-stopping panoramas as it traverses the 13 winding kilometres of stunning coastal and upland scenery between Cassis and…
14.03 MILES
Looming, rock-pitted and scrubby Cap Canaille (394m) forms the natural southern border to Cassis' harbour. From the top, captivating views unfold across…
7. En-Vau, Port-Pin & Port-Miou
16.09 MILES
To the east of the Parc National des Calanques, the stone-sculptured coast brings you to three remote calanques: En-Vau, Port-Pin and Port-Miou. A steep…
17 MILES
A 40-minute forest trail leads from La Ste-Baume to the Grotte de Ste-Madeleine (950m), a mountain cave where Mary Magdalene is said to have spent the…
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