Calanques de l'Estérel: Boat Tour with Swim & Drinks

4.89

(125 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

"If you see a dolphin, make a wish," our captain grinned as we left Agay’s little harbor. I laughed — didn’t really expect to see one, but you never know. The morning air tasted salty and sharp; my hair kept whipping into my mouth every time we picked up speed. The Esterel massif looked almost fake at first — those jagged red rocks against blue water. It’s weird how something so dramatic can just be sitting there while people eat croissants nearby.

We slowed near a cove where the cliffs dropped straight into the sea. Our guide pointed at a cave and told us some story about pirates hiding out here (I only caught half of it because I was busy staring at the color of the water — this kind of turquoise that doesn’t seem real unless you’re actually floating in it). Jumping in was colder than I’d expected, but after a minute it felt good. There were tiny fish darting around my toes and someone handed me a mask for snorkeling — I’m not much of a swimmer but it was easy enough to just float and watch.

Back on board, someone passed around cold rosé and fruit juice. I sat with my feet dangling over the side, sun drying salt on my skin, listening to another couple try (and fail) to pronounce “calanque.” Our captain told us which creeks were only reachable by boat — made me feel lucky we’d picked this way instead of hiking in the heat. On the way back toward Agay, everything felt quieter somehow. Maybe it was just the sun or maybe it was that feeling when you realize you’ve actually relaxed for once. Still thinking about that swim.