Vallon des Auffes, Mediterranean fishing port in Marseille, France

Vallon des Auffes is a working fishing port nestled in a narrow cove where about fifty fishermen's huts and boats sit tightly packed on either side. An arched concrete bridge links the two sides, creating a sheltered enclosure where water meets stone and fishing gear.

The name comes from the auffe, or alfa grass, which rope makers used for nets and cordage; auffiers settled here around 1750. In the 19th century Jean François Mayor de Montricher built the 60 m bridge of reinforced concrete and Cassis stone, with three 17 m semicircular arches, while the cove was dammed to keep the foundations dry.

The restaurants here serve dishes prepared from the daily catches of working fishermen using recipes passed down through generations. You can watch the fishing community at work, from boat preparation to the selection of ingredients at dawn.

The cove is reached from the Corniche Kennedy, 2 km south-west of the Vieux-Port, between the Catalans beach and Malmousque bay. A 100-metre rock jetty protects the entrance, and the quays and steps line the water on both sides of the bridge. The site is small and seen on foot in a short time.

The bronze figure at the entrance is part of the Monument to the Dead of the East Army and the Far Lands, inaugurated by President Gaston Doumergue in 1927. The 5-metre Victory stands with arms raised, framed by a 15-metre portal and soldiers of the First World War. It was classified as a historic monument on 23 July 2009.