Port

Le Pouzin

Name: Le Pouzin
Address: Rompon, FR

2.9Rompon, France

Ouvrir dans BoatMap ItinéraireEnregistrer

View full map

Type: Harbour

River halt on the right bank of the Rhône at the mouth of the Ouvèze, between Valence and Montélimar.

Guide

Approach and anchoring

Access from the Rhône navigable channel at PK 138, just downstream of the Charmes-sur-Rhône lock and 6 nm above Cruas, the entrance marked by lateral buoys. Mooring is along a low quay wall with iron rings at the mouth of the Ouvèze, set back from the Rhône so it stays calm and clear of current. The rings take only one or two boats, others make fast to the metal studs along the wall, with room for five or six in all. Depth at the quay is about 1.5 m, so approach slowly and watch the rudder. A whitewater kayak course lies just upstream of the bridge, where water releases can raise the flow.

Practical

Overnight is free, with public bins but no water, electricity or other services on the quay. No fuel berth on site, nearest diesel at Valence l'Epervière 11 nm NE. Bakery, butcher and Carrefour market within 400 m, plus restaurants, a bike shop and a pharmacy in the village.

Ashore

Roman bridge over the Ouvèze dating from the 1st century, 300 m from the pontoon, one of the oldest in the Rhône valley. The ViaRhôna cycle path runs past the halt and reaches Valence in 25 km to the north. Cooperative of Saint-Péray and Cornas wines within 15 km.

History

Le Pouzin stood on the Roman road between Nîmes and Lyon, and the bridge on the Ouvèze is attributed to the reign of Augustus. The railway viaduct across the Rhône, a steel structure of 1875, was destroyed in 1944 and rebuilt after the war.