Harbour

Mâcon

4.0Macon, FranceBurgundy and the Saône

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VHF channel: 10

River marina on the right bank of the Saône at Mâcon, in southern Burgundy, opposite the quai Lamartine.

Guide

Approach and anchoring

Access via the Saône, navigable for pleasure craft between Saint-Symphorien-sur-Saône and Lyon. No tide, current runs downstream at around 1 kn in normal flow, stronger after spring rain. VHF 10. Entrance on the north side of the basin, dredged to about 2 m. Headroom under the Saint-Laurent bridge upstream is around 6 m at normal water level.

Practical

31 berths with water and electricity on each finger; the connectors are reversed, so carry a male-to-male water fitting and a power adapter. A transponder from the office opens the gate, so single-handers should keep it until departure. Diesel pump on the fuel quay, though it is not always in service. Clean showers, one washing machine with a 3 euro token so arrive early, plus a U-Ship chandlery and a boatyard with haul-out on site. Around 19 to 24 euros a night for a 10 to 14 m boat. Shops and the town centre are a fair walk, over a kilometre, or about 12 minutes by bike, and the capitainerie lends bikes.

Ashore

The old town, with the Vieux Saint-Vincent towers and the Maison de bois on the place aux Herbes, is a walk or short cycle upriver from the marina. A park with a swimming pool and sports field adjoins the harbour, and cycle paths run along the Saône. Le Poisson d'Or near the marina and Les Mouettes in the harbour are well-regarded tables, with Le Casis in the town centre. Mâcon-Ville TGV station gives direct trains to Paris and Lyon. Roche de Solutré prehistoric site 8 km west by road.

History

Mâcon was the Roman Matisco on the Agrippa road from Lyon to Boulogne. The poet Alphonse de Lamartine was born here in 1790 and the quay bearing his name runs along the marina.