Best anchorages and harbours in French West Indies

Baie Longue

Anchorage off Baie Longue beach, on the west coast of French Saint-Martin, 3.2 NM west-south-west of Marigot.

• Sheltered NW, N, NE, E

Marina Fort Louis

Main marina of Marigot, on the bay side below Fort Louis, with 150 berths and direct access from the sea without a bridge.

Sainte-Luce bourg

Water off the bourg of Sainte-Luce on the south coast of Martinique. Sand bottom, sheltered only from north-west through north-east. Anchoring is prohibited.

• Sheltered NW, N, NE

Grande Baie

Bay between Bas-du-Fort and Le Gosier on the south coast of Grande-Terre, sand bottom, 1.3 miles west of Îlet du Gosier.

• Sheltered NW, N, NE, E

Chenal de Pointe-à-Pitre

Anchorage by the sailing club at the entrance to Marina Bas-du-Fort, on the Pointe-à-Pitre approach channel, sand bottom.

• Sheltered N, NE, E

Anse Madame

Cove off Schœlcher town, west of Fort-de-France, on the north shore of Fort-de-France bay.

• Sheltered N, NE, E

Rivière-Sens Sud

Anchorage and buoys just south of Marina de Rivière-Sens, in Gourbeyre, sand bottom with a long beach ashore.

• Paid
• Sheltered N, NE, E

Îlet Baude

Sheltered water around Îlet Baude in the south-east corner of the Cul-de-Sac du Marin. Weed and mud bottom, sheltered from every sector.

• Sheltered NW, N, NE, W, E, SW, S, SE

Anse Céron sud

Anchorage in the southern part of Anse Céron, north of Le Prêcheur, on the north Caribbean coast.

• Sheltered NE, E, SE

Les Trois-Îlets

Mooring area off the bourg of Les Trois-Îlets, on the south side of the Baie de Fort-de-France. Weed and mud bottom, sheltered from north-west through west and south to south-east, open to the north and north-east.

• Free
• Sheltered NW, W, SW, S, SE

Pointe la Mare

Anchorage under Pointe la Mare, between Saint-Pierre and Le Prêcheur, on the north Caribbean coast.

• Sheltered N, NE, E, SE

Anse Corps de Garde

Beach anchorage west of Sainte-Luce on the south coast of Martinique. Sand bottom, sheltered from north-west through north to east, open to the south.

• Sheltered NW, N, NE, E

Anse Chaudière

Cove on the west coast of Martinique, 0.55 miles south of the Anses-d'Arlet bourg. Sand, rock and weed, sheltered from north-east through east to south-east.

• Sheltered NE, E, SE

Baignoire de Joséphine

White sand shoal fringed with coral between Îlet Thierry and Îlet Oscar off Le François, where you can stand in 0.5 to 1.5 m of water.

• Sheltered NW, N, W, E, SW, S, SE

Petite Plage, Grand Case

Anchorage off Petite Plage at the north-east end of Grand Case bay, on the north-west coast of French Saint-Martin.

• Sheltered NE, E, SW, S, SE

Marina Pointe du Bout

Marina of about 100 berths at Pointe du Bout, Les Trois-Îlets, on the south shore of Fort-de-France bay, in the island's main hotel resort.

Morne Cabri

Anchorage at the head of Fort-de-France bay, off Morne Cabri on the Le Lamentin shore.

• Sheltered NW, N, NE, E, S, SE

Anse Turin

Cove north of Le Carbet village, on the Caribbean coast, where Paul Gauguin and Charles Laval stayed in 1887.

• Sheltered NE, E, SE

Port de Deshaies

Fishing harbour and town quay of Deshaies, in the north-west of Basse-Terre, at the head of the bay where yachts lie on buoys or at anchor.

Anse Fortune

Small cove on the west coast of Martinique, 0.7 miles north of Grande Anse d'Arlet. Sand and rock, sheltered from east through south-east to south.

• Sheltered E, S, SE

Île Chevreau

Day anchorage by Île Chevreau, an islet off the north-west coast of Saint-Barthélemy, 0.9 NM north-east of Anse du Colombier.

• Sheltered NE, E

Vatable

Anchorage off Vatable in the bay of Les Trois-Îlets, south side of the Baie de Fort-de-France. Sand and mud, sheltered from east through south to west, open to the north.

• Sheltered W, E, SW, S, SE

Grand Étang de Simsonbaai

Western part of the Simpson Bay lagoon on the French side, 1.9 NM west of Port La Royale, an enclosed anchorage with sand bottom.

• Sheltered N, NE, E, SE, S, SW, W, NW

Port de pêche de Sainte-Anne

Anchorage opposite the fishing harbour of Sainte-Anne on the south coast of Grande-Terre, mud bottom, a usual stop between Bas-du-Fort and Saint-François.

• Sheltered NW, N, NE, W, E, S, SE

Pointe Cayot

Anchorage south-west of Pointe Cayot, charted as Pointe Cailloux, in the Cul-de-Sac du Marin. Sand and weed with seagrass, sheltered from north-east through south to south-west.

• Sheltered NE, E, SW, S, SE

Loup Garou

Sand cay off Le Robert harbour on the Atlantic coast, protected by a biotope protection order since 2002.

• Sheltered NE, E

Port de Baie-Mahault

Small-boat harbour of Baie-Mahault at the southern end of the Grand Cul-de-Sac Marin, on the north side of the Jarry industrial area.

Rivière-Sens Nord

Anchorage on the north side of Marina de Rivière-Sens, south of Basse-Terre town, sand and weed bottom with a beach ashore, sheltered from N through SE.

• Sheltered N, NE, E, SE

Deshaies Sud

Anchorage 0.7 nm south of Deshaies harbour, on the south side of the bay, sand and rock bottom, sheltered from NE through SE.

• Sheltered NE, E, SE

Anse Caraïbe

Cove with a beach on the Pointe-Noire coast, leeward side of Basse-Terre, sand, rock and weed bottom, sheltered from NE through SE.

• Sheltered NE, E, SE