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Calanques National Park

Cassis, southern France, shows the landscape in the En-Vau calanque (creek) in the future Parc national des calanques (Marseille’s area prestigious creeks) in 2012.
Cassis, southern France, shows the landscape in the En-Vau calanque (creek) in the future Parc national des calanques (Marseille’s area prestigious creeks) in 2012. Photo: ANNE-CHRISTINE POUJOULAT/AFP (Getty Images)

Much like other beautiful destinations along France’s coastline, Calanques National Park is struggling to keep up with tourism. It’s one of the most popular seaside areas in the country and the only the only national park in Europe to encompass urban areas, land, and sea. But during peak vacation seasons, the area sees up to 2,000 visitors a day. All that foot traffic has eroded the beloved shoreline, France24 reported. To protect the area for locals and future generations, the park has introduced a reservation system for anyone hoping to visit the beaches. This new system will only allow 400 people to visit daily.