Surfer at Pointe Rouge, Marseille

Surfers at Pointe Rouge, Marseille

Surf and surfers on the Mediterranean at one of the beaches of Marseille.

Surf at Pointe Rouge, Marseille

The Mediterranean in winter is not the sleepy sea lapping the sandy beaches of the summer holidays. So much the better for water-sports: the water temperature is 15°C, the air much the same and the sun is still strong enough to limit the chill of the brisk wind. That’s the Château d’If on the island beyond in the bay and the archipelago to the left is the Îles du Frioul.