Best anchorages and harbours in Atlantic coast

Hendaye

Marina of 890 berths on the Bidassoa estuary, last French harbour on the Atlantic before the Spanish border.

La Rochelle - Port des Minimes

Marina of 5 100 berths south of La Rochelle, one of the largest leisure harbours on the European Atlantic coast.

Plagne

River port on the Dordogne at Saint-André-de-Cubzac in Gironde, about 1.5 nautical miles north of Cubzac-les-Ponts.

Anse de la Clere

Sand anchorage on the north coast of the île de Noirmoutier, Vendée, between Noirmoutier-en-l'Île and L'Herbaudière.

• Sheltered W, SW, S

Saint-Jean-de-Luz - Ciboure - Port Larraldenia

Marina of 81 berths in the bay of Saint-Jean-de-Luz and Ciboure, on the Basque coast, sheltered behind the three breakwaters of the bay.

Penerf

Tidal anchorage in the Rivière de Pénerf, on the Morbihan coast between the Vilaine estuary and the Gulf of Morbihan.

• Paid
• Sheltered NE, E, SE, S

Anse du Boucau

Mooring off the Pointe Saint-Gildas at Préfailles, on the south coast of Loire-Atlantique.

• Paid
• Sheltered W, E, SW, S, SE

Mouillage de Le Bouil

Sand anchorage on the Vendée coast east of Jard-sur-Mer, between the Pointe du Payré estuary and the beach of Ragounite.

• Sheltered NW, N, NE, E

Anse du Cavalier - Pointe de Boyardville

Sand anchorage off the Pointe de Boyardville on the east coast of Île d'Oléron, facing the Pertuis d'Antioche.

• Free
• Sheltered SW, W, NW

Meschers-sur-Gironde

Small marina on the right bank of the Gironde estuary between Royan and Talmont, 260 berths, max draught 2 m, VHF 9.

Plage du Grand Lanroué

Day anchorage off the Grand Lanroué beach on the Presqu'ile Guérandaise, west of Piriac-sur-Mer in Pays de la Loire.

• Sheltered N, NE, E

Anse de Maupas

Shallow anchorage on the north shore of the Anse de l'Aiguillon, Pays de la Loire, at the western edge of the Marais Poitevin.

• Paid
• Sheltered N, NE, E, W, NW

La Linière

Sand anchorage on the north coast of Noirmoutier island, between L'Herbaudière and Noirmoutier-en-l'Île.

• Sheltered SW, S, SE

Petite Rade

Sand anchorage in the outer roadstead of Les Sables d'Olonne, just south of the harbour entrance, on the Vendée coast.

• Sheltered NW, N, NE, E

Plage des Vergnes

Anchorage on the right bank of the Gironde estuary in Charente-Maritime, mud bottom off Les Vergnes beach.

• Sheltered N, NE, E, SE

Anglet - Brise-Lames

Marina of 425 berths on the right bank of the Adour estuary between Anglet and Boucau, on the Basque coast.

Anse des Soux

Sandy cove on the south coast of the Île d'Yeu, between the Pointe des Corbeaux and the Pointe du But, sheltered from the north.

• Sheltered NW, N, NE, W

Le Plomb

Drying tidal harbour on the Pertuis Breton shore at L'Houmeau, north of La Rochelle, Nouvelle-Aquitaine.

Port de Morin

Tidal harbour of 850 berths at L'Épine on the west coast of Noirmoutier, sheltered behind a sand spit at the mouth of the étier de l'Arceau.

Bourgenay

Rock-bottom anchorage off Talmont-Saint-Hilaire in Vendée, just outside the marina of Port Bourgenay on the Côte de Lumière.

• Sheltered NE, E

Halte Fluviale Montreuil Juigné

River halt on the Mayenne between Angers and the confluence with the Loire, upstream of the écluse de l'Écluseau.

Île aux Oiseaux

Low sand and marsh island in the middle of the Bassin d'Arcachon, known for its two cabanes tchanquées on stilts.

• Sheltered W, NW

Mouillage du Pavé Charron

Buoy field off Charron in the Baie de l'Aiguillon, at the mouth of the Sèvre Niortaise, Charente-Maritime.

• Sheltered NW, N, NE, W, E, SE

Baie de la Perroche

Buoy field of 75 moorings off the Perroche beach on the west coast of Oleron island, Charente-Maritime.

• Paid
• Sheltered N, NE, E

L'Herbaudière

Fishing and yachting harbour of 600 berths on the north-western tip of Noirmoutier, first deepwater shelter south of the Loire estuary.

St Hilaire

Shallow quay on the Vie river at Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie in Vendée, with 6 berths and 0.4 m max draught.

Port d'Arzal-Camoël

Marina of 1250 berths on the Vilaine, immediately upstream of the Arzal dam, between the Morbihan communes of Arzal and Camoël.

Trehiguier

Single visitor buoy on the Vilaine river estuary at Pénestin, south Brittany, mud bottom, well protected from N, NE, E, S and SE.

• Free
• Sheltered N, NE, E, S, SE

Anse de Fouras

Anchorage off Fouras on the Charente-Maritime coast, opposite the Île d'Aix, in the Pertuis d'Antioche.

• Paid
• Sheltered NW, N, W

Anse des Vieilles

Sandy cove on the south coast of Île d'Yeu, 2.5 nm SE of Port-Joinville.

• Sheltered NW, N, NE, W