Port

Port-Saint-Louis-du-Rhône

4.1Port-Saint-Louis-du-Rhône, FranceCamargue and Gulf of Fos

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Maximum length: 85 ft
VHF channel: 9
Maximum draught: 22 ft

Lock-gated port of 340 berths at the mouth of the Grand Rhone, on the western edge of the Camargue, linking the Rhone waterway to the Mediterranean.

Guide

Approach and anchoring

From sea, approach via the Golfe de Fos leaving the commercial shipping lanes of Fos to the west. Entrance through the Saint-Louis lock which links the sea to the Canal Saint-Louis and then the Rhone. Lock operates on request by VHF 9 outside commercial movements. Inside the basins, channel depth up to 7 m suitable for deep-draught yachts and motor cruisers. Strong river current on the Rhone side at high flow. Shelter from the Mistral is only moderate for the low-lying setting and the pontoons creak and surge when it blows hard.

Practical

340 berths across several basins run by different operators; some pannes lie up to 1.5 km from the office and town. Water and shore power at berths, included. Self-service fuel on the YSBLUE dock, open 24 hours by card. The capitainerie meets arrivals by RIB and guides them in, so register before berthing. A heated clubroom with TV, library, washing machines and a kitchen is open to crews. Boatyards with travelifts over 20 tonnes make this a main wintering site between the Mediterranean and the French canals. Shops 800 m away, though mosquitoes are a persistent nuisance.

Ashore

Parc naturel regional de Camargue starts immediately east of the town, flamingos visible on the Etang de Vaccares 15 km by road. Tour Saint-Louis, a Vauban-era tower from 1737, marks the original river mouth at the Theatre de la Mer, 1 km from the pleasure basins. Saltworks of Salin-de-Giraud 25 km by road. In town, the restaurant Le Bistrot de la Tour is a shaded spot for lunch, and fresh oysters are sold at the Viviers de Carteau about 2 km away.

History

The town was founded in 1863 and named after King Louis IX when the mouth of the Rhone was rectified and the canal opened to allow navigation between the river and the sea, bypassing the silted natural delta.

Key facts

Type: Harbour
Coordinates: 43.38574, 4.80859 (43°23.14'N 4°48.52'E)
Town: Port-Saint-Louis-du-Rhône
Country: France
Maximum draught: 22 ft
Maximum length: 85 ft
VHF channel: 9
Phone: +33 4 42 86 39 11
Boaters' rating: 4.1/5
Updated: October 15, 2026

Getting there

Port-Saint-Louis-du-Rhône lies at 43°23.14'N 4°48.52'E, that is 43.38574, 4.80859 in decimal degrees. Call the harbour on VHF channel 9 before entering.

Directions +33 4 42 86 39 11VHF 9