- Maximum length
- 65 ft
- VHF channel
- 9
- Maximum draught
- 8 ft
Marina of 2 600 berths at the south edge of the Arcachon basin in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, the largest pleasure port on the French Atlantic coast.
Guide
Approach and anchoring
Enter the basin via the Passes, two shifting sandbank channels surveyed and marked seasonally by SHOM. Contact the Cap Ferret semaphore before arrival, on VHF 16 or +33 5 56 60 60 03, as they track boats on AIS and email the current buoy positions, which shift from the charted line and can be far apart; passage is refused in a big swell. Arrive about 90 minutes to 2 hours before high water, under engine only and with lifejackets on in the channel, and by day as the buoys are unlit. Tidal currents in the passes reach 5 knots on springs. Inside the basin the port entrance lies east of the Jetée Thiers. VHF 9. Max draught 2,5 m in the basin.
Practical
2 600 berths on nine pontoons, diesel and petrol station, water and electricity at all berths, a boatyard with 50 t and 27 t travel lifts, capitainerie open 7 days a week in season. On arrival moor at the reception pontoon by the fuel dock on the left of the entrance to complete formalities, showing registration and insurance; booking is through the port's own app, and email and VHF often go unanswered. It is among the most expensive ports in France, with a two night minimum, the first night often charged then the second free when arriving from sea. Visitor berths can be a 30 minute walk from town, though a tender to the south-west side shortens it, and the city-side showers are older than those by the capitainerie.
Ashore
Plage d'Arcachon fronts the port to the west. The marina has restaurants on site, Les Terrasses du Port and Le Transat. Ville d'Hiver, a listed district of 300 villas built between 1862 and 1900, sits on the hill behind the port. Oyster farms of Cap Ferret and L'Herbe are reachable by ferry from Jetée Thiers. The Dune du Pilat, the highest sand dune in Europe at 106 m, lies 8 km south, reached by the number 3 bus from the railway station for about 2 euros return or by a cycle path the whole way.
History
Arcachon was created as a commune in 1857 by imperial decree, detached from La Teste-de-Buch, after the Pereire brothers extended the railway and built the Ville d'Hiver for tuberculosis patients seeking pine-scented air.
Key facts
- Type
- Harbour
- Coordinates
- 44.65948, -1.14882 (44°39.57'N 1°8.93'W)
- Town
- Arcachon
- Country
- France
- Maximum draught
- 8 ft
- Maximum length
- 65 ft
- VHF channel
- 9
- Phone
- +33 5 56 22 36 86
- Boaters' rating
- 2.6/5
- Updated
- October 15, 2026
Getting there
Arcachon lies at 44°39.57'N 1°8.93'W, that is 44.65948, -1.14882 in decimal degrees. Call the harbour on VHF channel 9 before entering.
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Write a reviewFrequently asked questions
What boat length does Arcachon accept?
Arcachon accepts boats up to 65 ft.
Which VHF channel for Arcachon?
Arcachon answers on VHF channel 9.
How do boaters rate Arcachon?
Arcachon is rated 2.6/5 by boaters on BoatMap.
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