Anchorage

Grand-Cale - Porquerolles

4.3FranceVar

Shelter: NW, N, NE, W
Seabed: sand
Anchoring: Allowed

Anchorage on the south coast of Porquerolles, within the Parc national de Port-Cros, between Calanque de l'Oustaou de Diou and the south-eastern headland of the island.

Guide

Approach and anchoring

Approach from the S in clear water. The clean sand is a central bar running out from the small beach in about 7 to 9 m, holding well, but posidonia covers most of the rest so room on the sand is limited and boats compete for it. Shelter from NW through NE is good, holding 30 knots of mistral, but it is fully open to southerlies and the Mediterranean swell, with ferries offshore sending a swell in late in the night, so it is a fair-weather stop for the night. Porquerolles village and harbour are 1 NM to the NW, Port Auguier 3.8 NM to the NW.

Practical

No services on site. Water, fuel and berths at Porquerolles harbour. Anchoring on posidonia seagrass meadows is prohibited by the national park across Hyères roads.

Ashore

A path scrambles up the cliff from the little beach onto the island trail network, with the village of Porquerolles about 45 minutes away, the climb included. The coastal footpath reaches Calanque du Brégançonnet and the Sémaphore du Bon Renaud in about the same time, and Plage Notre-Dame, one of the longer beaches on the island, sits 2 km to the NE by track. Caves and underwater tunnels nearby are good for snorkelling.

History

Porquerolles was bought by the French state in 1971 and integrated into the Parc national de Port-Cros, which had been founded in 1963 as one of the earliest national parks in France.