La Ciotat - St.Cyr sur Mer
Sailing Yachts boats Charter sailing and motorboats

La Ciotat is a former shipwharf-village and lies about 35 km from Marseille. Since big Container- and other transporting ships are moire produced in Asia, the area of La Ciotat changes it´s face more to the touristic sector. However, compared to Cassis in the next bay west or St. Syr sur Mer in the next eastern neighbourhood, La Ciotat is still on the startline of a touristical development but there is already a possibility to charter a yacht and start a sailing holiday from here. There is plenty of space for pleasure boats in both the old harbour close to the old center and in a new built Marina.

As one can see her, people of La Ciotat are very clever in finding solutions to store boats: the just put them in shelves.

In the background, the big cranes of the former shipwharfs are visible, used today to move even biggest Superyachts to the land for maintenance.

View from the other side. On the (not visible)
right is the new Yachtport area which stretches about 600 m along the coastal road.

La Ciotat´s old port´s buildings are partially renovated.

A modern Yacht Club Restaurant and Bar opened in the upper level of an old fabric-building.

Here from the same position a view to the left side of the old port of La Ciotat area with typical Provence-style buildings. The Yacht harbour area mentioned above is around the corner behind the little tower seen in the right area of the picture.

There are several Bars, Pizzarias and Restaurants alongside the Quai, and a nice mixture of locals and Tourists fill the sidewalks, that pass along the old port. Fortunately, it is not yet a touristically fully developed place like Cassis, and so one can still enjoy typical southern french atmosphere here in La Ciotat even when other places are packed with people already!

The bay of La Ciotat stretches far to the east, and provides several beaches, some sandy, often rocky.
Next town is St. Cyr sur Mer, which has 2 small boatharbours with space for 10-15m-sailingboats or motoryachts as well. There is a nice beach where in summertime surfers and Kitesurfers sneak along the coast.
St Cyr sur Mer has a nice atmosphere as well and some simple, but recommendable restaurants with acceptable menue cards and dishes with fair prices close to it´s ports. Don´t expect "Haute cuisine", but the food is ok, and the wines are reasonable (however: often pretty dry and sometimes sour...). If you prefer that, you´ll love it, if you prefer the more smooth tastes, one can try to find a smooth (not sweet!) Provence wine - there are some.

Sail from here to Cassis or directly to the bays of the Calanques or the other direction to Bandol