Best anchorages and harbours in Atlantic coast

Pointe d'Arçay

Anchorage at the tip of the Pointe d'Arçay sand spit, at the mouth of the Lay estuary in Vendée.

• Sheltered NW, W, SW, S

Pointe de Pen-Bron

Anchorage off the sand spit of Pen-Bron at the entrance to the Traict du Croisic, opposite the fishing harbour of Le Croisic in Pays de la Loire.

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

Chatelaillon

Shallow anchorage off the long sandy beach of Chatelaillon, in the Pertuis d'Antioche south of La Rochelle.

• Sheltered NW, N, NE, W, E

Gironde vitrezay

Tidal mooring on the right bank of the Gironde estuary, at Saint-Sorlin-de-Conac in Charente-Maritime.

• Free
• Sheltered NE, E

Pyla-sur-Mer

Anchorage in the bassin d'Arcachon off the Pyla-sur-Mer beach, at the foot of the Dune du Pilat. Sand bottom, shelter from NE to SE winds.

• Sheltered NE, E, SE

Gracie Ferrande

Anchorage off Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie on the Vendée coast, close to the entrance of the Vie estuary.

• Sheltered N, NE, E, SE

Saint-Guérin

Anchorage in the ria of Pénerf, southern Brittany, on the west bank opposite the village of Saint-Guérin, in Morbihan.

• Sheltered N, NE, SW, W, NW

Anse de la Fertalière

Mud-bottom anchorage on the Charente estuary approaches south of La Rochelle, sheltered from N to E winds.

• Sheltered N, NE, E

Mimbeau

Sheltered sand spit on the inner side of the Cap Ferret peninsula, Bassin d'Arcachon.

Le Grand Fauchon

Anchorage in the Pertuis d'Antioche off Fouras, north of Île d'Aix, mud bottom, sheltered from N, NW and W winds.

• Sheltered N, W, NW

Plage du Grand Traict

Open anchorage off the sandy beach of Grand Traict on the Guérande peninsula, between Pornichet and Le Croisic, on the southern Loire-Atlantique coast.

• Sheltered NW, N, NE

Sauvage

Spot on the Étang de Biscarrosse et de Parentis in the Landes forest, New Aquitaine, inside a military zone where mooring is prohibited.

• Sheltered N, SW, W, NW

Le Gois échouage

Drying anchorage on mud in the Baie de Bourgneuf along the Passage du Gois, the tidal causeway linking Noirmoutier to the mainland, in the Pays de la Loire.

• Sheltered NW, W, SW

Andernos

Anchorage off Andernos on the north-east shore of the Bassin d'Arcachon, Gironde. Sand and mud bottom, shelter from NE, E and SE winds.

• Sheltered NE, E, SE

Andernos les Bains

Single-berth anchorage off Andernos-les-Bains on the north shore of the Bassin d'Arcachon, at the foot of the 232 metre wooden pier.

• Sheltered N, NE, E, SE

Baie de Nauzan

Small sandy cove between Saint-Palais-sur-Mer and Vaux-sur-Mer on the Côte de Beauté, at the mouth of the Gironde.

• Sheltered NE, E

Banc Arc

Sand bank at the entrance of the bassin d'Arcachon, classified as a réserve naturelle nationale since 1972.

Banc d'Agnas

Sand bank anchorage in the Pertuis de Maumusson area, off Île d'Oléron, 0.8 NM SE of Le Château-d'Oléron in Charente-Maritime.

Banc d'Arguin

Shifting sand bank at the mouth of Arcachon Bay, between the Cap Ferret spit and the Dune du Pilat.

• Sheltered E

Cale d'accès du Paradis

Slipway on the Loire between Le Pellerin and Couëron, downstream of Nantes. Anchoring is prohibited.

• Sheltered NW, N, NE

Cap Ferret

Anchorage off the inner shore of the Cap Ferret peninsula, Bassin d'Arcachon, Gironde.

Carquefou

Anchorage of about 80 buoys on the Erdre river, in Carquefou, 12 km upstream from Nantes.

• Sheltered N, NE, E, SE, S, NW

Claouey

Shallow anchorage on the west shore of Arcachon Bay, off the village of Claouey at the northern end of the Cap Ferret peninsula.

• Sheltered NW, W

Claouey Pastourelle

Anchorage on the north-west shore of the Bassin d'Arcachon, off the village of Claouey on the Cap Ferret peninsula.

• Sheltered NW, W, SW

Club Nautique Rochefortais

River anchorage on the Charente upstream of Soubise, off the Club Nautique Rochefortais, between Rochefort and the estuary.

• Paid
• Sheltered NE, E, SE

Conche Madame

Anchorage on the west coast of the Île d'Oléron in Charente-Maritime, on the Atlantic side between Saint-Pierre-d'Oléron and Saint-Denis.

• Sheltered NE, E

Côte des Basques

Open anchorage off the Côte des Basques beach in Biarritz, Basque coast.

• Sheltered NE, E, SE

Craste De liboy

Anchorage on the Étang de Cazaux et de Sanguinet, on the west shore near Navarrosse, Landes.

• Sheltered E, S, SE

Euronat

Open anchorage off the Euronat beach on the Médoc Atlantic coast, north of the Gironde estuary mouth.

• Sheltered NE, E, SE

Fort Boyard

Stone sea fort between the Île d'Aix and the Île d'Oléron, in the Pertuis d'Antioche off the Charente-Maritime coast. Anchoring and approach within 50 m of the walls are prohibited.