- Shelter
- SW, W, NW
- Seabed
- sand
- Anchoring
- Allowed
Anchorage on the Étang de Berre, a 155 km² brackish lagoon west of Marseille connected to the Mediterranean by the Canal de Caronte at Martigues.
- Beach
Guide
Approach and anchoring
Enter the lagoon through the Canal de Caronte at Martigues, which carries commercial traffic for the Fos oil terminal. Keep to the marked channel, VHF 12 for port control. Air draught limited by the bridges on the canal, check clearances before transit. Off Figuerolles beach a submerged pipe with rockfill runs out from the start of the beach, so approach the sand with care.
Practical
Anchor off the beach in shallow sand in 2 to 4 metres, the bottom turning to mud and weed with firmer holding at 5 to 6 metres; fine weed around the edges clogs engine filters. Depths reach 6 to 9 m in the central basin. Shelter from the SW, W and NW sectors, but the mistral still gusts across the lagoon, raises a short sea and has dragged anchors, so lay plenty of chain; exposed to the SE marin. Port de Ferrières 2.7 nm south and Club Nautique de Martigues 3 nm south for services.
Ashore
The anchorage lies off the Figuerolles beach and park at Martigues, with a children's playground ashore. Land the dinghy on the beach by the sailing club, from where a large supermarket and a hardware store are a short walk away. Martigues, known as the Venice of Provence for its three waterfront districts, sits at the southern outlet, and the Musée Ziem holds Félix Ziem's marine paintings of the lagoon. The mistral often brings wind well above 30 knots into the basin, used by the local sailing clubs for training.
Key facts
- Type
- Anchorage
- Coordinates
- 43.45064, 5.05674 (43°27.04'N 5°3.40'E)
- Country
- France
- Shelter
- Sheltered from south-west, west, north-west winds
- Seabed
- sand
- Anchoring
- Allowed
- Services
- Beach
- Boaters' rating
- 3.9/5
- Updated
- October 15, 2026
Getting there
Etang de Berre lies at 43°27.04'N 5°3.40'E, that is 43.45064, 5.05674 in decimal degrees.
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Write a reviewFrequently asked questions
Which winds is Etang de Berre sheltered from?
Etang de Berre is sheltered from south-west, west, north-west winds.
Can you anchor at Etang de Berre?
Yes, anchoring is allowed at Etang de Berre.
How do boaters rate Etang de Berre?
Etang de Berre is rated 3.9/5 by boaters on BoatMap.
Explore the region
- France
- Provence and Côte d'Azur
- Camargue and Gulf of Fos
- Marseille and the Calanques
- Var
- Riviera · Alpes-Maritimes
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