I believe I discovered Îles de Frioul and Château d’If through a Belgian television show and I was immediately curious. So I promised myself to visit it whenever I would travel to Marseille. But some things are not meant to be.
So clearly, this day did not go as it was supposed to, but when travelling: expect the unexpected. Luckily, I reached the islands but how I got there and how I spent my day on the islands went very differently than I planned. I think I made all the possible mistakes. Thus I am sharing them with you so you can have a stress-free visit!
Disclosure: When you decide to purchase any of the shared links, I will receive an affiliate commission, at no extra cost to you! This will make a huge difference to Finding Falke and ensure I can keep sharing many more travel tips and tricks.
Discover Îles de Frioul
This archipelago is a group of four islands. Pomègues and Ratonneau are connected by a mole and the ones you’ll most likely visit. You might know Ratonneau from the hôpital Caroline. The third island is Tiboulen du Frioul. And lastly, the one I really wanted to visit, is île d’If. This island is famous for the château d’If, where the main character of The Count of Monte Cristo was imprisoned.
How to get there
You can easily take a ferry to the Frioul archipelago from the Old Port in Marseille. Ferries run every day between Marseille and the islands, seven days a week.
So it is very easy to reach the Islands. You can order your tickets online in advance or you can buy them at the Old Port. I recommend buying them in advance in the summer because the islands are a popular escape for locals during hot summer days. So if it’s busy, you might not be able to get a ticket.
Learn from my mistakes
Visit the Îsles du Frioul during the week…
But not on Monday because the Château d’If is closed on Mondays. I visited during the weekend and even though I asked multiple times in French and English if the château was open, it was closed. So if you want to make sure you are actually able to visit the Château d’If, I recommend visiting between Tuesday and Friday.
Take the right boat
This one is kind of my own fault. I got the time wrong so I was already at the boat an hour before departure. They scanned my ticket and told me to wait on the boat till it was the right time to leave. Of course, I don’t mind waiting on a boat in the Old Port, so of course, I do exactly what I am told. Suddenly the boat left 30 minutes earlier. The panic! I arrived at the right destination just fine but maybe don’t do that when you visit!
Don’t forget that you still have to be at the boat 10 to 15 minutes before departure so everyone can get on and the boat can leave in time.
Protect yourself from the sun
Bring sunscreen, water and a hat! It’s the South of France so it gets hot and there is not much shade due to the dry climate. Also, bring your swimming suit because the beaches are out of this world! The water is crystal clear and the perfect way to cool down.
If you visit these beaches, you will definitely need a good pair of water shoes too!
Luckily, this part of the day did not go wrong! The castle was closed and I was an hour earlier at these islands than I planned so I decided to turn this day around and make it a very nice beach day.
Where to stay
The People Hostel
You will probably be looking for accommodation in Marseille if you want to visit Îles de Frioul. I could not recommend The People Hostel more! I loved staying at this beautiful hostel. The staff were incredibly nice, it was clean and if you want you can have breakfast for a very small fee at the hostel.
Want to visit Marseille too? I made a little travel guide on how to spend two fantastic days in Marseille!
Also, when in Marseille, visit the Basilique Notre Dame de la Garde for an amazing panoramic view of Marseille and the islands!
Overall
Even though this day started very stressful and a little disappointing, it turned out to be a wonderful day in the end! Would I have prefered being able to visit Îles de Frioul like I had planned, of course, but that did not make these islands any less worth visiting.
I hope you can enjoy these beautiful islands to the fullest by avoiding my mistakes!
Disclosure: When you decide to purchase any of the shared links, I will receive an affiliate commission, at no extra cost to you! This will make a huge difference to Finding Falke and ensure I can keep sharing many more travel tips and tricks.
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