Best anchorages and harbours in Atlantic coast

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

Port Lily

Small lake port on the Biscarrosse et Parentis lake, in the Landes, between Port Latécoère to the south and Port de l'Écluse to the north.

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.

Lacanau

Lakeside harbour on the Étang de Lacanau in the Médoc, freshwater basin not connected to the sea.

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

St Seurin d'Uzet

Tidal drying harbour on the right bank of the Gironde estuary, 15 km downstream of Mortagne-sur-Gironde, in Charente-Maritime.

Bassin de St Nazaire

Locked commercial basin at the mouth of the Loire in Saint-Nazaire, no longer open to pleasure craft and now reserved for commercial shipping.

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

Les Bernu

River pontoon that dries at low water on the right bank of the Gironde estuary, commune of Saint-Genès-de-Blaye, facing the Île Nouvelle.

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

Anglet Montbrun

Small basin on the right bank of the Adour at Anglet, between Bayonne and the sea, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, maximum draught 1 m.

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

Borne

Small tidal harbour on the south shore of the Bassin d'Arcachon, in the commune of La Teste-de-Buch.

Bouchemaine

River port of 48 pontoon berths on the Maine at Bouchemaine, 300 m upstream of the confluence with the Loire, 8 km south-west of Angers.

Cale d'accès du Paradis

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

• Sheltered NW, N, NE

Cale ronde

Small landing on the Seudre estuary at La Tremblade, in the oyster-farming heart of the Marennes-Oléron basin.

Campeole

Small freshwater port on the Biscarrosse lake in New Aquitaine, with 5 berths and a 0.4 m maximum draught for shallow craft.

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

Châtelaillon - Plage

Drying harbour of 180 berths at Châtelaillon-Plage on the Pertuis d'Antioche, south of La Rochelle in Charente-Maritime.

Chenal perotine

Tidal channel on the east coast of Île d'Oléron leading to the fishing and leisure harbour of Boyardville, opposite Fort Boyard.

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