Mouillage

Îlot de la Gabinière sud

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Shelter: N
Seabed: rock
Anchoring: Forbidden

Buoy field on the south side of La Gabinière, the small islet off the southern tip of Port-Cros, inside the Parc national de Port-Cros.

Mooring buoys
Visitor buoys

Guide

Approach and anchoring

Approach from the north-west from Port-Cros in daylight. Five buoys available, rock bottom, anchoring is prohibited within the national park core zone. Shelter from N only; exposed to S, SE and SW swell which makes the site untenable in any southerly weather.

Practical

Buoy use is managed by the Parc national: pick up a free mooring within the time slot allowed and keep one person aboard to work the boat, as several may share a buoy. The buoys are given priority to the local dive operators and fill with dive groups through summer, so June or September are quieter. Scuba divers must first sign the park diving rules at the maison du parc. No facilities. Nearest services at Port-Cros village 1.4 NM NW.

Ashore

No landing on La Gabinière itself, access is banned to protect seabird colonies including Cory's shearwater. The islet sits inside the strict reserve zone of the Parc national de Port-Cros, the first marine national park in Europe, created in 1963. Noted snorkelling along the drop-off on the south face.

Story

The Gabinière drop-off is one of the most documented dive sites on the French Riviera, with large dusky groupers observed on the south wall since the species became protected in 1993.