Anchorage

Les Trois Frères

2.9FranceMarseille and the Calanques

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Shelter: SW, S, SE
Seabed: sand
Anchoring: Allowed

Sand anchorage off the coast of La Ciotat, on the Provence coast east of Marseille.

Beach

Guide

Approach and anchoring

Approach from seaward with the three rocks of Les Trois Frères visible from several miles offshore. Sand bottom with patches of posidonia, pick a clear sand area as anchoring on posidonia is prohibited on the French Mediterranean coast. Anchor in about 5 m, with room to tuck in behind the breakwater. Shelter from SW, S and SE, and it serves best as a quick overnight refuge in a strong southerly rather than a destination. Mistral from the NW hits this stretch hard and makes the anchorage untenable.

Practical

Nautic Club Médéen lies 0,1 NM to the SE and Horizon Marine 0,2 NM to the SE for fuel, water and a lift-out. All commerces in La Ciotat within walking distance of the nearby quays.

Ashore

The anchorage looks onto industrial installations, with a motorway close behind bringing road noise by day, though it falls quiet at night. To the west the Parc national des Calanques boundary starts immediately, with the Bec de l'Aigle cliff, 155 m high, dominating the shoreline. Coastal path from La Ciotat to the Calanque de Figuerolles, roughly 1.5 km along the shore.