Marseille at the world’s edge ...
Les Goudes is a remote district of Marseille, located at the gateway to the Calanques National Park. Both a fishing and pleasure port, it still retains the traditional character of a village, with its fishermen’s huts and colorful boats.
“The End of the World”
Les Goudes is often referred to as “the end of the world” by Marseillais. A winding, narrow road hugs the rocky coastline beyond the Pointe Rouge toward the southernmost tip of the city, passing through the Madrague de Montredon before finally reaching the calanque of Les Goudes. The road doesn’t go much further—it ends at the entrance to Callelongue. Beyond that lies the rugged Calanques massif, accessible only on foot. In the sea, facing the shore, rises the island of Maïre.
A Strong Identity
In the past, people came to Les Goudes to escape the city: in this isolated spot, inhabited only by fishermen, the sea, rocks, and sun offered a refuge for modest city-dwellers, some of whom spent their summer holidays in a simple cabin. Far from luxury, often passed down through generations, the cabanon symbolized a popular Marseille way of life, oriented toward the sea and conviviality. In the city's collective imagination, it was a wild paradise at the city’s doorstep.
Les Goudes Becomes Trendy
The difficult access, the village soul attached to its traditions, and the proximity to the Calanques National Park have prevented excessive real estate development. In recent years, however, Les Goudes has become fashionable. Today, it attracts an ever-growing audience: locals, as well as French and foreign visitors, come in search of a slice of paradise—where preserved tradition meets Mediterranean conviviality. Sunset apéritifs in Les Goudes have become a Marseille must-do. Restaurants have multiplied, fishermen’s cottages have turned into comfortable holiday rentals, and the village is now traversed by joggers and electric bikes. On summer afternoons, the rocks brim with people, the sea is dotted with paddleboards and boats. Now a highly coveted spot, Les Goudes strives to balance its identity with its newfound appeal.
Beyond Les Goudes
Above the port rises the Fortin des Goudes, a former military fort built in the 19th century to monitor the Marseille coastline. Limestone headlands, deserted islets, and windswept garrigue form an austere, grandiose panorama from the heights. Hiking trails lead toward the cliffs of the Calanques National Park, including routes to the calanque of Callelongue or the Saint-Michel d’Eau Douce cave.
How to Get to Les Goudes?
The road is often very congested, and during high season, finding a parking spot is far from guaranteed. The simplest and most affordable way to get there is by taking bus no. 19 from Prado or Castellane metro station. In Madrague de Montredon, bus no. 20 toward Callelongue serves the Les Goudes stop. The summer maritime shuttle (operating from May to September) from the Vieux-Port or Pointe Rouge is a scenic way to discover the Marseille coastline from the sea.
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Les Goudes is a cherished part of Marseille and its collective memory — to be explored with care, so that this “end of the world” may long retain its character and its perfume of freedom.