Stretching as far as L’Étang de Berre, this area west of Marseille is comprised of the communes of Le Rove, Ensuès-la-Redonne, Carry-le-Rouet, Sausset-les-Pins, La Couronne and Carro. Limestone creeks alternate with quiet beaches and typical harbours. In a mosaic of greens and blues, the wild and natural site offers its charms at the gateway to the capital of the Bouches-du-Rhône.

From L’Estaque to Carry, there are no roads between the rocks and the Mediterranean. Only the railway, built in the early 20th century, runs across the isthmus. Passengers appreciate the route crossing the northern portion of Marseille’s seafront, plunging views of the Deep Blue Sea and the creeks of La Vesse, Niolon, Méjean and La Redonne. This well-preserved shoreline unfurls over about 30 kilometres.

“The majority of transactions currently concluded on the Côte Bleue concern main residences, homes of 30 or 40 year-olds with two children, ready to pay 450,000 € for houses of 100-120 m2 with gardens of 400 m2. At this price, people working in Marseille, Fos or Marignane can’t expect a sea view,” explains Christelle Badet of Laforêt, which has three agencies in the area. Investors, more motivated by security and long-term value than pure profitability, are evidently withdrawing their savings from the banks, often to pay cash for a property. One such buyer has just paid 135,000 € for a studio of 24 m2 in Sausset, offering a glimpse of the sea. As yield is not the main incentive, there is no limit in terms of housing types or budgets. Second home-owners, often from Paris, Lyon or Grenoble, spend around 250,000 € on apartments of 40 m2 near the beaches, facing the Mediterranean, or about 500,000 € for villas. There is also a clientele of employees transferred to the sites of Eurocopter and the factories of Fos, capable of investing much larger sums. Recently, a house of 250 m2 facing the sea on the commune of La Couronne, characterized by contemporary appointments, a pool and teak terrace, found a taker at 850,000 €. It takes close on six months to sell a property, or less in the case of a home in need of renovation, on offer at a realistic price. “On average, the sq. metre is priced at 3,400-3,500 € in Carro and La Couronne, 3,600-3,800 € in Ensuès, 4,500 € for houses over towards Sausset and Carry, and up to 6,000 € in prestigious residences of recent construction.”

“Generally speaking, Carry and Sausset attract a better-off clientele, appreciative of the surrounding creeks and easy access to the expressway, the Prefecture of the Bouches-du-Rhône and the airport,” says Sandrine Feraud of the Kinghome agency. The presence of select residences and gated estates, such as Barqueroute, bear witness to this market’s orientation. Among her latest sales, all addresses combined, our estate-agent mentions a houseof 170 m2 in Saint-Pierre, in perfect condition, with grounds of 2,500 m2, acquired by a couple of 30 year-olds working in Martigues, for 535,000 €. A “mas” of 200 m2 to restore, with a garden of 800 m2, changed hands for 370,000 €. The owner also sold off a plot of 600 m2, bringing a further 220,000 €. Estate-agents have to play a regulatory role, especially when they first take on representation of a property and estimate its worth. A realistic relationship in terms of value for money in fact guarantees a steady flow of transactions, though bargaining is nowadays inevitable.

“The geographic aspect alone is enough to justify the micro-market label,” says Dominique Miquel of L’Immobilière du Forum, with agencies in Carry and Sausset. “This restricted area is clearly defined by the Mediterranean, L’Estaque and L’Étang de Berre. Ultra- confidential, it appeals to initiates, unlike the Côte d’Azur or the Var coast, addresses of wider renown.” Local workers in senior positions acclaim the beautiful scenery as much as its closeness to pools of employment. An advantage from which Cassis with its spectacular creeks does not benefit. Discretion does not deprive the site of some outstanding properties. As proven by the fact that the most modest example at the water’s edge will start from 1.2 million euros, an amount synonymous with cramped indoor and outdoor surface areas and a need for embellishment. In fact, the buyer would be focusing on the location. An essential element in the picture-postcard scenery, a sea view is a recurring demand. Recently, one seller was asking 650,000 € for a villa of 150 m2, plus 100 m2 to renovate. 70 % of buyers are looking for year-round homes, 50 % are from the Bouches-du-Rhône. Finally, foreign clients are extremely rare.