Anchorage

Porz Kernok

4.8FranceNorth Finistère and Iroise

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Shelter: NW, N, NE, W, E, SW
Seabed: sand, algae
Anchoring: Allowed

Drying harbour on the east side of Île de Batz, off Roscoff in north Finistère, the main anchorage of the island.

Water
Beach

Guide

Approach and anchoring

Approach through the Canal de l'Île de Batz between Roscoff and the island, strong tidal streams up to 4 knots on springs. Enter Porz Kernok from the SE and pick up a vacant buoy, or take the ground, as the harbour dries at low water springs. It dries to flat, firm mud, sand only along the beach edge, so zigzag between the mooring buoys to a clear patch off the beach below the church and lie fore and aft. Keep off the heavy ground chains that run between the buoys, and off the empty patches away from the moorings, which are left clear for the barge or are pebbly. Shelter from NW through N and E to SW, open to the SE where the tide pushes in. Water tap on the quay.

Practical

Mooring buoys managed by the local council, water on the quay, no fuel or power. A hot shower stands above the beach, with a 2 euro token sold at the Bar du Port, and public toilets by the church. Small shops and a bakery in the village of Le Bourg, 300 m from the quay. Moll landing is 0.2 NM SE, Roscoff-Bloscon marina 2.5 NM SE with full facilities.

Ashore

The Georges Delaselle botanical garden at the east end of the island opened in 1897 and holds about 2500 species from the southern hemisphere, a 30-minute walk from the harbour. The island lighthouse can be climbed for a wide view. A coastal footpath circles the whole island in about 3 hours, and passenger ferries to Roscoff run every 30 minutes in season.

History

Île de Batz has been inhabited since the early Middle Ages and is associated with Saint Pol Aurélien, one of the founding saints of Brittany, who is said to have established a monastery on the island in the 6th century.

Key facts

Type: Anchorage
Coordinates: 48.74288, -4.01251 (48°44.57'N 4°0.75'W)
Country: France
Shelter: Sheltered from north-west, north, north-east, west, east, south-west winds
Seabed: sand, algae
Anchoring: Allowed
Services: Water, Beach
Boaters' rating: 4.8/5
Updated: October 15, 2026