Anchorage

Bahía de Chingudi

Shelter: NW, W
Seabed: mud
Anchoring: Allowed

Estuary on the Franco-Spanish border at the mouth of the Bidassoa, shared between Hendaye, Hondarribia and Irun.

Mooring buoys
Visitor buoys
Pontoon

Guide

Approach and anchoring

Mud bottom, good holding. Sheltered from NW and W, open to swell from the N. The marked channel silts and carries very little water at low water springs, so enter around mid-tide. Strong tidal streams run through the bay and boats swing to the ebb. The bay lies under the Hondarribia airport approach: masts are barred from the innermost zone, air draught is limited to 5 m in the next and to 15 m further out. The border runs through the middle of the bay. Working channel VHF 74.

Practical

Anchoring needs prior authorisation from the French DDTM, by email to ddtm-dml@pyrenees-atlantiques.gouv.fr. The bay is filled with permanent buoys assigned to owners and only a few visitor buoys for small boats, so room is tight and boats may have to anchor clear of the buoy field. Hendaye marina lies 0.3 NM NW and the Yacht Club Basque 4.5 NM E for full services. Land the tender at the nautical centre pontoon or the small slipway, close to a Decathlon store.

Ashore

Hendaye-Plage, 3 km of sandy beach, reached on foot from the marina. Old town of Hondarribia on the Spanish side with its 10th century walls and the Charles V castle. Txingudi marshes nature reserve for bird watching on the south shore.