France · NATIONAL PARKS
Good national park trips fill up weeks ahead and the great ones go first. Below: the 4 to book early, what each includes and how they differ.
Set out from Ajaccio or Porticcio with a French-speaking guide for a full day along Corsica’s wild western coast. You’ll cruise through Scandola, stop for two hours in sea-access-only Girolata, then see the Gulf of Porto, Calanche de Piana, caves, arches, and Capo Rosso. Bring lunch, swimwear, a hat, and a change of clothes.
Sail from Porto into Scandola Nature Reserve on a hybrid boat, with French commentary, quiet electric cruising inside the reserve, and a 30-minute stop in Girolata. You can swim from the beach, watch for wild cows, and add a longer cruise to the pink granite Calanche de Piana. Priority boarding helps with seating, but weather can change the route.
“la réserve de scandola et les calanques de Piana . Visite de girolata ,c'est moyen”
Spend five hours hiking Marseille’s Calanques National Park with a bilingual guide such as Adrien, Jade, Geoffroy, or Sebastian. Expect steep rocky paths, changing routes, plant and history stories, a shared picnic, panoramic views, and time to swim in a clear cove. Bring sturdy shoes and at least 1.5 liters of water in summer.
“Adrien was a truly wonderful guide with fantastic knowledge not only of the area, but the wildlife. We very much enjoyed our hike, the swim and the picnic lunch. Couldn't recommend more highly!”
Join an English- or French-speaking guide for a 7.51-kilometer hike through pine woods, rosemary, and limestone coves in the Calanques National Park. Guides such as Yana, Freddie, Alex, and Geoffroy lead at a steady pace, explain local plants and history, and serve a picnic before a swim. The Blue Cave is optional and requires a 700-meter round-trip swim.
“the views were fantastic and our host, Yana, was great!!”
Pick a monument, a coast or a cellar.
