CONTACT EXPENATURE
Location of the ExpéNATURE Eco-base
168 Avenue du Président Wilson, 13600 La Ciotat.
High Season (July-August)
Open every day from 9am to 4pm.
July August Wednesday-Friday-Saturday-Sunday from 9am to 7pm
Low Season (November to March, September, October)
By reservation only
Supervised activities every day by reservation between 9:30 am to 4:30 pm
Rentals available on Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays in April, May, June, September, and October. Supervised outings are available every day from 9am to 4pm.
Rentals available all year round outside of these periods with a private package deal.
CONTACT FORM
The locations of our activities
Sea kayaking, orienteering, mountain biking, dry canyoning, stand up paddleboarding, snorkeling, climbing...
Type of landscape:

Sea kayaking, hiking, climbing
Sea kayaking, climbing, mountain biking, hiking...
Types of landscapes:
Sea kayaking
Spelunking, hiking
Hiking
Sea kayaking
Orienteering, Sea kayaking
Sea kayaking, Spelunking, Dry canyoning/ Via Corda.
Sea kayaking
Sea kayaking
Spelunking
Sea kayaking
Sea kayaking
Find our ECO-BASE
Located between Cassis, St Cyr, and Bandol, and just 30 minutes from the major cities of Aix Marseille and Toulon, Expénature is in the heart of the Calanques National Park.
En-Vau, Port-pin, Port-Miou, Marseilleveyre, Sormiou, or even Morgiou hold no secrets for you? How about visiting La Ciotat? It's a nearby town with very different scenery and a slightly less touristy vibe!
Getting to ExpéNature by public transport
For arrivals from La Ciotat-Cereyste station: Take a bus from the SNCF train station to the bus station (line 21 or 40 or 200 going, line 10 or 70 returning). Get off at the Eden Théâtre stop (2-minute walk from ExpéNature). It's also a 10-minute walk from La Ciotat bus station.
- From Marseille Saint Charles -> take the line towards Hyères, Toulon, etc.
- From Toulon, take the TER train line towards Marseille Saint Charles.
From Marseille: Line 79 from the Marseille Castellane stop (rue Dr Schweitzer) to the terminus, tourist office. It's a 10-minute walk to ExpéNature. The Eden Théâtre stop drops you off in front of our base.
From Cassis:
- LecarTreize Line 078 Stop Augustin Isard to La Licorne stop in La Ciotat
- Take bus M05 towards Collège Virebelle La Ciotat, then it's a 2km walk to ExpéNature.
From Bandol and Saint-Cyr-sur-Mer: bus line 880
There are several parking lots near the eco-base. The main one is at the marina, which is free in winter! There's also plenty of parking along the beaches and in the adjacent streets.
You can also combine parking with a short walk in town by parking in one of the underground car parks: Parc du Centre, Verdun, Vieux-Port.
Taxis and Ubers are available throughout the area.
If you're staying in La Ciotat, we recommend walking or cycling! Mainly for practical reasons, as parking, especially in peak season, can be difficult. But it's also an eco-friendly gesture that would mean a lot to us!
Plus, if you come by bike, we'll be happy to store it at our base or nearby.
Quality, our difference.
What is an Eco-base?
Our project is to create a unique structure and operating method that will become a model for the business world.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Feel free to contact us to see if a group has already been formed for today. We may be able to include you. Otherwise, booking on the day of the outing is unlikely to be confirmed due to technical reasons related to guide availability.
Just a reminder that a group outing is confirmed once we have 5 participants for the time slot.
We receive a large number of emails every day, so we encourage you to call us or send a new email. We'll do our best to respond!
1. A real sea kayak: performance and authenticity
Unlike seat-on-top kayaks, real sea kayaks are specifically designed for more demanding maritime conditions. They offer an authentic sea kayaking experience:
- Better handling: These kayaks are thinner and longer, allowing you to move faster on the water with less effort.
- Comfortable to use: Thanks to their closed hull, you are well protected from the elements (splashes, wind, etc.), making the experience more enjoyable, even in difficult conditions like a strong mistral wind.
- Authentic sensations: With a sea kayak, you get closer to the experience of the great sea adventurers. You can offer your customers a real immersion into the maritime world, far from more basic boats.
2. Protection against cold water: optimal comfort in all seasons
One of the major drawbacks of seat-on-top kayaks is that the user is constantly exposed to water, especially in windy conditions or when splashed. This becomes very unpleasant when the water temperature drops, which is often the case after a mistral wind. Even in the middle of summer, the water can drop to 14°C, which can quickly ruin the experience.
With our real sea kayaks:
- Thermal insulation: Thanks to their closed hull, paddlers stay dry, avoiding direct contact with the cold water.
- Better protection against splashes: Even if the sea is rough, you don't have to worry about getting wet. This protection makes for an enjoyable outing in almost all weather conditions.
- Extended season: Our kayaks allow you to offer outings all year round, without worrying about temperature changes, unlike seat-on-top kayaks, which are not suitable for cooler or rougher conditions.
3. Speed and efficiency: go further, with less effort
Thanks to their hydrodynamic design, our sea kayaks are much faster and more efficient than seat-on-top kayaks. This offers several advantages:
- Less fatigue for paddlers: They can cover a greater distance using less energy. Outings therefore become accessible to a wider audience, from beginners to the more experienced.
- Wider exploration: Thanks to superior speed and handling, you can take your customers further, discover less accessible areas or more isolated coves, offering them a more exclusive and rewarding experience.
4. Versatility and safety: face a variety of conditions
Sea kayaks are designed to navigate in a wide variety of conditions, even when the sea becomes rougher or the wind blows strongly:
- Stability and safety: Unlike seat-on-top kayaks, which can easily capsize in waves or currents, sea kayaks offer much better stability, reassuring your customers about their safety.
- Ability to navigate in more conditions: With our real sea kayaks, you can continue to offer outings even when conditions are not ideal (slight swell, moderate wind), where other providers would cancel or reduce their activities.
5. Expert guide supervision
By highlighting that each outing is supervised by an expert guide, you can emphasize:
- The professional support that ensures not only safety, but also adapted technical advice to fully enjoy sea kayaking.
- The discovery of maritime landscapes from a more personalized and informative angle, where the guide's expertise enriches the experience, in contrast to a simple and unsupervised outing on a seat-on-top kayak.
We invite you to browse our website in the rental section. You can directly book what you need online, even if it's for a few minutes from now.
Our online system manages the booking stock in real time. Don't hesitate to send us an email or call us after consulting the FAQ, we will be happy to answer all your questions.
No problem! For a group of more than 15 people, you can fill out the form indicating the activities and dates you are interested in. We will get back to you quickly.
If you are a group of less than 15 people, you can make the reservation directly online. You will receive the invoice in the name of your company.
Do not hesitate to call us for more details on the possible options.
No!
Please note that we do not rent out kayaks outside of the time slots indicated on the site!
Whether for rental or a supervised outing, we recommend booking online a few days in advance. Firstly, for obvious organizational reasons, but also because we will contact you if the weather does not allow the activity. Finally, you will be sure to have a spot on the day of your visit.
Stocks and available slots are updated live on each of our products.
When you made your reservation, you received a confirmation email with the equipment to bring and the meeting point.
If you can't find it, you always have the option of returning to the activity page you booked. The GPS point is always indicated there.
Our activities are designed to cater to all levels, from beginners to experts. Each activity has different difficulty levels, which our experienced guides will adapt according to your experience.
Some of our activities are suitable for children, while others may have age restrictions. Please consult
Our cancellation policy sets out the conditions for refunds in the event of cancellation. Please consult it on our website or contact us
