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About La Ciotat, Marseille & Toulon

La Ciotat
“Few places have impressed and attracted me as much in the course of my travels. La Ciotat combines charms and shapes that form a harmonious beauty found both in its features and in its lively inhabitants” - 1832 Lamartine...

This picturesque fishing port with charming 17th century houses, beaches and a Mediterranean atmosphere, has a long naval tradition and a history of shipbuilding and refitting. From the 16th century the shipyard of ‘L’Escalet’ has produced boats, and the activity never stopped growing. From the end of the 19th century, La Ciotat has been one of the most important shipbuilding sites on the Mediterranean Sea. Many merchant vessels were built including tankers, bulk carriers, passenger ships and eventually gas transporters and container ships.

1940 marked the foundation of the La Ciotat Shipyard: Le Chantier Naval de La Ciotat, where huge vessels were built and the infrastructure developed. The first ship built entirely of welded plate rather than rivets, was built here, and the yard was a pioneer in modular ship construction. In 1970 a super-tanker of 240,000 tons was launched.

Over the past few years, La Ciotat has transformed itself into one of the biggest refit / repair Superyacht shipyards in the Mediterranean and possibly the world. It has the biggest cranes, the biggest dry dock and three large and competing companies providing refit facilities. There is limited dockage for yachts not undergoing repair in La Ciotat and yachts need to book in advance to reserve a slot at the yard.

La Ciotat continues to grow as a Superyacht destination with more local shops offering delivery service direct to the yacht, while the number of good restaurants and hotels is increasing. Many people here speak good English now.

With its markets, fishing fleet, beaches and friendly people you can spend a happy time here. The countryside and coastline between La Ciotat and Marseille is stunning and La Ciotat is conveniently located between Bandol and Cassis wine regions. For those who like their sport there are many watersports and scuba diving facilities including good kitesurfing and windsurfing locations.

Marseille
Marseille is a wonderfully diverse and cosmopolitan place. As well as being France’s oldest city, it boasts a population of some 2.3 million, second only to Paris. It is home to many Superyachts, especially during the winter months, where a wide range of services are readily available. From high quality repair and refitting works, to towing, Marseille offers much to its nautical guests and professional yacht crews. Both the United States and Great Britain have consulates in the city.

The Old Port, with its daily fish market at Belgian Quay is still one of the best-known parts of Marseille… and this is where Louis XIV moored his fleet. Famous for their bouillabaisse and other provençal delicacies like fougasse, aioli and pastis; its charming streets are lined with restaurants and cafés. Next to Cours Estienne d'Orves you will find Place Thiars, the liveliest part of this district. Nearby is Le Panier, close to the Old Port, where you can walk around the Provençal pedestrian streets lined with multi-coloured buildings. La Canebière is the city’s main thoroughfare, stretching eastward from the Old Port to the Réformés quarter. On either side of the Old Port, are two large Forts; Fort Saint Nicholas on the south side, and Fort Saint Jean on the north.

North of the Old Port - which mainly functions as a private marina - lies the New Port, a commercial container port, making Marseille the largest commercial and transport port in France and the Mediterranean. The fascinating region of Provence is not far from Marseille. Aix-en-Provence and Cassis are close by. You can take a boat from Marseille to Cassis, visiting the hidden rocky creeks and crystal clear waters of the ‘calanques’ on the way. Or if you wish to sample the delights of Paris for a day or two, the TGV train will whisk you there in just 3 hours at an average speed of 260kph!

Toulon 
The history of Toulon goes back three thousand years, when the ancient Ligures settled here because of its exceptional geography. A hill protects the centre of the town from the Mistral, and on the south face of the hill there are several water sources gushing out, which is highly unusual in this very dry Provence region. The hill (named Faron, and about 542m high) enabled them to view ships arriving from a long distance, especially any enemy ships. The name Faron comes from the Greek “pharos” (lighthouse) for this reason, and to this day there is a military camp at the top of Faron. The water of the port is very calm as it is protected by the Saint-Mandrier peninsula which nearly closes the port into a lagoon; and it is also possible to watch boats entering the port from Faron. For all these reasons, Toulon became a military town from the early days.

As a city of contrasts, Toulon has picturesque ancient fountains and a colourful daily market with typical Provençal sights, smells and sounds; fine restaurants and shops; while remaining a large military port. Toulon is the French Navy's war port for the entire Mediterranean. Also to be found, are a marina for private boats; ferry terminals for Corsica and Sardinia; and the beach resort of Morillon, an area just minutes from the city centre with 20ha of well-equipped beaches where all watersports are available, along with restaurants, bars and many shops.

At La Seyne, in particular, a few shipyards have facilities for Superyachts, where they specialise in refit and top quality maintenance works. Several service related organisations have also located in the Toulon / La Seyne area, together with facilities for rigging and sail works.

 

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La Ciotat
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