If Castle and Fioul Island

While experiencing the port area of Marseille a worth while trip is to take the Frioul If express to the nearby Ile d'IF to visit the old castle and/or a trip to Ile du Frioul. The cost of the boat ride to one island is 10 Euros and for both 15. The hours start early morning and run late into the night but check the schedule which you will find at most hotels, tourism office, and of course at the port. There is plenty to do in the area so you can make good use of your time.

If you are only going to do one I would suggest to check out the Chateau d'If. It does cost another 5 Euros to check out this Monument (in my opinion I think it is worth it). The history is quite interesting from it's beginning in 1516 when the King ordered the construction of a fortress here which was completed in 1531 and served as a prison. The wealthy prisoners could pay a fee for spacious rooms with fireplaces and windows while the poorest prisoners stayed in the dungeons.

The chateau was opened to the public in 1890 and on July 7, 1926 it was classified as a historic monument.

The boat ride was smooth and pretty quick. I also went to Fioul Island. In the literature there are many nature highlights but I didn't take the time to explore this. I notice some property/condos there (not very many), a marina, and quite a few restaurants in several price range. Having dinner here is what I had in mind in this leg of the trip for I was at the castle around 5pm. While strolling along the boardwalk I was curious as to why not many people was at the restaurants. They had the menus outside and after I made my selection I took a seat on the patio and the server came over with two tiny menus, One was for drinks and other for desserts. When I asked about it I was informed that dinner was not served until later. I decided to take the next boat in 10 minutes back to the main port and have dinner there.