Best anchorages and harbours in Atlantic coast

Pen Cadenic

Anchorage on the north shore of the Pénerf estuary in southern Morbihan, Brittany, on the approach to the village of Le Tour-du-Parc.

• Sheltered NW, W, SW

Anse de la Fosse

Small sand-bottom anchorage on the north coast of Île d'Oléron, about 0.4 nm east of Saint-Denis-d'Oléron.

• Paid
• Sheltered W, SW, S

La Palmyre - Bonne-Anse

Marina of 360 berths inside the Bonne Anse lagoon at the northern entrance of the Gironde estuary, on the Côte de Beauté.

Ars-en-Ré - Bassin de la Prée

Tidal basin of the port of Ars-en-Re on the north shore of the Ile de Re, Charente-Maritime.

Hourtin Port

Small inland marina on Lac d'Hourtin-Carcans in the Médoc, the largest natural freshwater lake in France.

Port de Cazaux

Inland harbour of 350 berths on the lake of Cazaux-Sanguinet, south of Arcachon, not connected to the sea.

La Vigne

Anchorage on the north shore of Cap Ferret, inside the Bassin d'Arcachon, sand bottom.

• Sheltered SW, W, NW

Saint-Martin de Ré

Anchorage off Saint-Martin-de-Ré on the north coast of the Île de Ré, in the Pertuis Breton, Charente-Maritime.

• Paid
• Sheltered SE, S, SW

Port-La-Vie

Marina of 1 000 berths at the mouth of the Vie river in Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie, on the Vendee coast.

La Meule

Small rocky inlet on the south coast of the Île d'Yeu, used as a fishing and visitor mooring under the white Notre-Dame-de-la-Bonne-Nouvelle chapel.

• Sheltered N, NE, NW

Les Conches

Open anchorage off the Longeville-sur-Mer beach in southern Vendée, sand bottom.

• Sheltered NE, E, SE

arcachon bay

Sand anchorage on the north shore of the bassin d'Arcachon, off the oyster village of Le Canon on the presqu'île du Cap-Ferret.

• Sheltered E, S, SE

La Patache

Sand anchorage off Pointe de la Patache, on the north-west tip of Île de Ré, at the outer entrance of the Fier d'Ars.

• Sheltered NW, N, W, SW, S, SE

Le vasard de Beychevelle

Mud bank anchorage on the Gironde estuary off Beychevelle, in the Médoc vineyards of Nouvelle-Aquitaine.

• Sheltered NW, NE, W, E

Port Maguide

Lakeside marina of 500 berths on the north shore of Lac de Biscarrosse et de Parentis, in the Landes.

Rivedoux Plage

Drying sand and mud anchorage off Rivedoux-Plage on the east coast of Île de Ré, at the foot of the Pont de l'Île de Ré.

• Sheltered NW, W, E, SW, S, SE

Port Lavigne

Tidal harbour on the Loire estuary, on the south bank downstream of Nantes in the Pays de la Loire.

Saint-Denis-d'Oléron

Marina of 730 berths at the northern tip of the Île d'Oléron, the largest marina on the island.

Île Dumet

Rocky islet 3 NM off Piriac-sur-Mer in the bay of Vilaine, Loire-Atlantique. Forain anchorage on the south side.

• Sheltered NW, N

Saint Jean de Monts

Open roadstead off the long sandy beach of Saint-Jean-de-Monts, Vendée coast south of the Baie de Bourgneuf.

• Paid
• Sheltered N, NE, E

Sucé Sur Erdre

Small river marina on the Erdre, 15 km north of Nantes in the Pays de la Loire. Nine berths, max draught 1 m.

Angers - cale de la savate

River pontoon on the Maine in central Angers, about 20 berths for river cruising boats in Pays de la Loire.

le pellerin

River port on the Loire in Loire-Atlantique, about 15 km downstream from Nantes on the left bank.

L'herbe

Anchorage off the oyster village of L'Herbe on the Cap-Ferret peninsula, facing the Île aux Oiseaux inside the Bassin d'Arcachon.

• Sheltered N, SW, W, NW

Port de la Roche Bernard

River port of 563 berths on the Vilaine, 8 nautical miles upstream from the Arzal dam, in Morbihan, Brittany.

Port de plaisance de Bordeaux

City-centre marina on the Garonne river in Bordeaux, 278 berths, max draught 2.5 m, VHF 12.

La Marechal

Small river port on the right bank of the Gironde estuary, in the Saint-Ciers-sur-Gironde area of northern Médoc.

Sablanceau

Sand beach anchorage on the southeast shore of Île de Ré, just north of the Pont de l'Île de Ré, facing the Pertuis Breton.

• Sheltered NW, W, SW, S

Port Adhoc Soubise

Dry port and boatyard of 240 places on the right bank of the Charente at Soubise, facing Rochefort; the afloat pontoon takes only a handful of boats and dries at low water.

Anse des Broches

North-facing cove on the Île d'Yeu, Vendée, west of Port-Joinville.

• Sheltered NE, E, S, SE