Living in Endoume, Marseille

Endoume is one of those neighborhoods that make you forget you're in a big city. It belongs to the 7th arrondissement, climbs the heights just west of the Vieux-Port and slopes down toward the sea, looking down on the famous Vallon des Auffes: a tiny fishing harbor nestled among the houses, with colorful boats hauled ashore and restaurants facing the water. It's the quintessential Marseille postcard, and here people live it every day.

Who lives here

It's a residential, family-friendly neighborhood, much loved by those who want the sea without giving up proximity to the center. Long-standing neighborhood families, professionals, and a share of students and young people drawn by the maritime atmosphere of the place live side by side. The spirit is that of a seaside village: people know each other, chat at the bar, head down for a swim as soon as it gets warm.

What it's like during the day

By day Endoume lives on light and water. The narrow streets climb and descend among low houses and small buildings, and wherever you turn a glimpse of the Mediterranean appears. You stroll to the Vallon des Auffes, stop at the Parc Valmer overlooking the sea, or walk to the nearby Plage des Catalans, the sandy beach closest to the Vieux-Port, with its beach volleyball courts. A little further on is the Pharo, with its palace and gardens overlooking the mouth of the old port.

What it's like in the evening

In the evening the neighborhood is quiet and cozy. The Vallon des Auffes becomes the heart of evening life, with its fish restaurants very popular at sunset: it's the right place for a dinner with a sea view, as the orange light falls over the Corniche. For the rest, Endoume is an area for aperitifs on the terrace and calm evenings; anyone looking for nightlife and venues until late heads down toward the Vieux-Port or the Cours Julien.

Getting around

There's no metro here, and that has to be factored in. The backbone is the 83 bus, the Corniche line: it connects Endoume and the Vallon des Auffes to the Métro Vieux-Port in about ten minutes, passing through the Catalans and the Pharo, and in the other direction runs along the Corniche to the Rond-Point du Prado. Other lines (such as the 54 and the 81) serve the neighborhood. Toward the Vieux-Port many stretches are comfortably done on foot, but they're uphill and downhill walks.

Eating and shopping

For everyday shopping there are small grocers, bakeries and a few convenience supermarkets along the main streets; the market and the big shops remain toward the center. On the food front, Endoume plays at home: the fish restaurants of the Vallon des Auffes are an institution, and there's no shortage of neighborhood bistros and bars for breakfast or an aperitif overlooking the water.

When NOT to pick it

Endoume isn't for those who want everything within metro reach. Without a metro line you depend on the buses, which thin out in the evening, and a car in these narrow, steep streets is more of a problem than a convenience (parking is hard). The hilly terrain means daily climbs, to consider if you walk with difficulty. And on summer weekends the Vallon des Auffes and the Catalans fill with visitors, with a bit more traffic and confusion than usual.

That said, for those dreaming of a seaside Marseille, bright and village-scale but still close to the center, Endoume is one of the most beautiful places to put down roots.