Level: Free shore access This spot have a free shore access: you can go snorkeling there freely and without having to book a tour or pay an entrance fee.
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Last updated on June 24, 2022
The steep path leading to Sugiton offers gorgeous views over this beautiful calanque (steep-walled cove typical from the surroundings of Marseille). Its inviting clear, turquoise waters framed by white cliffs are a nice snorkel spot where the curious will spot numerous fish species, sea urchins and red starfish.
The way to the calanque starts at Luminy Campus, south of Marseille. From there, a path leads down to the shore. It is a one-hour-long walk on the way down, expect the way up to be longer (about 1h and 20 minutes).
Since 2022, access to Sugiton is limited to 400 persons a day during most of the summer months. Free reservations shall be made in advance via the Calanques National Park’s website.
You can enter the water from several places, notably from the small beaches located at the calanque’s bottom. However, we advise to enter the water from the rocks located in front of “Le Torpilleur” (the torpedo boat), this great boat-shaped rock emerging from the water about 10 meters from the shoreline, as the most interesting snorkeling areas lie between the shoreline and “Le Torpilleur”.
If the whole calanque can be snorkeled, the surroundings of “Le Torpilleur” are the best area considering underwater fauna and flora.
Between the shoreline and “Le Torpilleur”, the shallow seabed is covered with rocky scree and a few Posidonia meadows. This area attracts schools of salema, wrasses (rainbow wrasses and ornate wrasses) and numerous rock fish species, including gobies and red-black triplefin.
Getting closer to “Le Torpilleur”, don’t forget to cast an eye on the drop-off: the view is spectacular when underwater visibility is good. Schools of hundreds of damselfish stay still along the sea cliff to which multiple red sea stars cling.
If you swim further off, away from the marked area, consider using a buoy to be more visible to the numerous boats coming and going in the cove.
Sugiton is a wild place deprived of drinking water, where no restaurants can be found, but it is a perfect place for a picnic. Bring a lot of water along with you: you will especially need it on the way back to the car park, which can be very tiring, especially during summer.
These snorkeling spots are accessible to beginners and kids. You will enter the water gradually from a beach, or in a less than 3ft. deep area. The sea is generally calm, shallow, with almost no waves or currents. These spots are usually located in marked and/or monitored swimming areas. It is not necessary to swim long distances to discover the sea life. This level only apply when the spot experiences optimal sea and/or weather conditions. It is not applicable if the sea and/or weather conditions deteriorate, in particular in the presence of rough sea, rain, strong wind, unusual current, large tides, waves and/or swell. You can find more details about the definition of our snorkeling levels on our snorkeling safety page.
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Snorkeling spots are part of a wild environment and their aspect can be significantly altered by weather, seasons, sea conditions, human impact and climate events (storms, hurricanes, seawater-warming episodes…). The consequences can be an alteration of the seabed (coral bleaching, coral destruction, and invasive seagrass), a poor underwater visibility, or a decrease of the sea life present in the area. Snorkeling Report makes every effort to ensure that all the information displayed on this website is accurate and up-to-date, but no guarantee is given that the underwater visibility and seabed aspect will be exactly as described on this page the day you will snorkel the spot. If you recently snorkeled this area and noticed some changes compared to the information contained on this page, please contact us.
The data contained in this website is for general information purposes only, and is not legal advice. It is intended to provide snorkelers with the information that will enable them to engage in safe and enjoyable snorkeling, and it is not meant as a substitute for swim level, physical condition, experience, or local knowledge. Remember that all marine activities, including snorkeling, are potentially dangerous, and that you enter the water at your own risk. You must take an individual weather, sea conditions and hazards assessment before entering the water. If snorkeling conditions are degraded, postpone your snorkeling or select an alternate site. Know and obey local laws and regulations, including regulated areas, protected species, wildlife interaction and dive flag laws.
