La Ciotat charm on the French Riviera

Posted on 24 June 2011

After four weeks of dock walking, visiting yacht crew agencies, and spamming the French Riviera with my CV; I finally secured a job as a sole stewardess for a 25 m super yacht. Once the excitement and relief settled, I packed my backpack, bid my fellow Saffa (South African) flat mates in Cannes farewell and stepped briskly to the train station. Destination: La Ciotat.

As the bus descended towards the shore, I admired the stretch of beaches bustling with leisure activities and ice cream vendors. It has a toned down ‘Miami beachfront minus the rollerbladers’ atmosphere. Since my arrival, this promenade has become my regular running route with the Mediterranean Sea right there when it gets too hot.

‘La Ciotat combines charms and shapes that form a harmonious beauty found both in its features and in its lively inhabitants,’ is an apt description made by Lamartine, the prince of romantic poets, on the splendour of La Ciotat in 1832.

This authentic, low-key town has been a refreshing change of scenery for me. I enjoy the French flavour of La Ciotat after being surrounded by English-speaking tourists in Antibes, Monaco and Cannes. As such, La Ciotat has urged me to improve my French and practice it more regularly. Thus far the locals have been very friendly and understanding when trying to decipher my queries.

The pedestrian streets and the shady squares of La Ciotat offer an assortment of clothing shops, fresh produce shops and numerous restaurants and coffee shops. My favourite spot is a coffee shop called Des Cóte Café situated in the church square. The menu offers original beverages including fresh fruit shakes, spicy teas and decadent coffees. Every few days I return to sample another interesting beverage whilst gazing at the trickling water feature and satisfying my online fix with free wifi (pronounced weefee).

A must-do shopping experience is the Sunday morning market along the port. Each week, rows of stores tempt shoppers with everything from fresh cherries to reasonably priced clothing to goat’s cheese. I have a weakness for markets like these which tend to strain the budget so I limited my purchases to a few t-shirts for 3€ each.

Beyond La Ciotat town itself, there are day trips that are worth taking. Last Saturday a few of us decided to do a day trip to a nearby island, l’Ile Verte, which is a ten-minute ferry ride from the port. The island has a nature reserve feel with a basic rustic restaurant alongside the dock. A few wooden navigational signs direct you to the best viewpoints and beaches. After enjoying a typical French picnic on the pebble beach, the guys wondered off the pathway to discover some deep black caves. Due to my beach attire, I waited above and admired the breath-taking view of sharp rock-faces with waves gently crashing at its feet. Views like this echo postcards I have seen of the nearby Calanques. These spectacular shoreline spots can be visited via another ferry service. The Calanques earn a nomination for, what a friend of mine and I like to call “˜the search for the perfect beach’.

The night life in La Ciotat is festive yet relaxed with restaurants and bars offering French cuisine, calming views of the marina and serenading musicians. Bar Central host exceptional local musicians who perform acoustic sets on Wednesday and weekend nights. Covers of classic hits urge the crowd to participate and dance whilst sipping glasses of Pastis, a favourite French drink.

La Ciotat is my home base for the month of June, which I have thoroughly enjoyed so far. As a super yacht crew member, you never know exactly when or where you are going next. Although I have only explored a fraction of what La Ciotat has to offer, I have grown increasingly fond of the seaside town, its people and culture. If you are in the area and crave an authentic French experience, visit La Ciotat.

For more information, visit www.tourisme-laciotat.com






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