Marseille & Provence

At Port-Saint-Louis, on the border to the Bouches du Rhône, any romantic gypsy daydreams come to an abrupt end. Thankfully, the oil industry confines itself to the Golfe de Fos and Etang de Berre: the latter is a top kitesurfing location with chest-deep water and a summer thermal. The coast to Marseille and beyond remains untouched; white limestone rocks, small bays and turquoise water (Marseille & Provence). The Mistral whistles down the Rhône Delta here, regularly providing good conditions (except in midsummer) – even in winter, the water temperatures are tolerable. So it’s no surprise that Marseille (and Carro, its epic wave spot) is adopted home to a large section of the French windsurfing scene.