Best anchorages and harbours in Southern California
33 documented anchorages and harbours in Southern California, ranked by boaters' ratings: shelter, seabed, services, photos and reviews, ready to open in the BoatMap app.
Top rated
33 places
- 1AnchorageUnited States
Glorietta Bay
4.9Managed anchorage in a small bay on the east side of San Diego Bay, off Coronado, southern California.
- Sheltered W, SW
2AnchorageUnited StatesAvalon Harbor
4.9Main harbour of Santa Catalina Island, on the south-east shore below the town of Avalon, with a sand bottom.
- Paid
- Sheltered SE, S, SW, W, NW
3AnchorageUnited StatesLittle Harbor
4.8Cove on the Pacific side of Santa Catalina Island, California, with a campground and fresh water ashore.
- Sheltered NW, N, NE, E, SE
4AnchorageUnited StatesEmerald Bay
4.8Mooring cove on the north-west shore of Santa Catalina Island, California, with a sand beach and a sand bottom.
- Sheltered NW, N, NE, E
5AnchorageUnited StatesA1 ‘La playa’ anchorage
4.5Designated weekend anchorage in the Shelter Island Yacht Basin, San Diego Bay, between San Diego and Southwestern Yacht Clubs.
- Sheltered NW, N, NE, W, E, SW, S, SE
6AnchorageUnited StatesDescanso Bay
4.5Mooring field and anchorage on the east end of Santa Catalina Island, California, immediately north-west of Avalon Harbour.
- Paid
- Sheltered W, SW, S
7AnchorageUnited StatesDana Cove
4.5Designated anchorage in the west basin of Dana Point Harbor, on the Orange County coast of California.
- Sheltered NW, N, NE, W, E, SW, S, SE
8AnchorageUnited StatesMariners Basin
4.4Anchorage in the south-west corner of Mission Bay, San Diego, with a sand and mud bottom and protection on every side.
- Sheltered N, NE, W, E, SW, S, SE
9AnchorageUnited StatesMoonstone Cove
4.3Anchorage and mooring cove on the north-east shore of Catalina Island, around 20 nm south of Los Angeles Harbour, with a sand bottom.
- Sheltered NW, N, W, SW
- 10AnchorageUnited States
Little Scorpion anchorage
4.3Anchorage on the north-east side of Santa Cruz Island, in Channel Islands National Park, California, a short distance east of Scorpion Anchorage, on a sand bottom.
- Sheltered SW, S, SE
- 11AnchorageUnited States
Cuyler Harbor
4.2Bight on the north-east shore of San Miguel Island, the westernmost of California's Channel Islands and part of the national park.
- Sheltered NW, N, W, SW, S
12AnchorageUnited StatesSanta Barbara anchorage (Seasonal)
4.1Seasonal open-roadstead anchorage off Santa Barbara on the southern California coast, on a sand bottom.
- Sheltered NW, N, NE
- 13AnchorageUnited States
Scorpion anchorage
3.6Cove with a pier on the north-east side of Santa Cruz Island, in Channel Islands National Park off Ventura, California.
- Sheltered W, SW, S
- 14AnchorageUnited States
Little Fishermans Cove
3.4Open anchorage on the coast of Santa Catalina Island, California, with a sand bottom. It sits about 20 nautical miles south-west of San Pedro.
- Sheltered SE, S, SW, W
15AnchorageUnited StatesA9 "Cruiser" Anchorage
3.4Designated cruisers anchorage in San Diego Bay, California, off the eastern tip of Harbor Island, with fresh water available nearby.
- Sheltered NW, N, NE, E
- 16AnchorageUnited States
Indian Rock
3.3Open anchorage off Santa Catalina Island, California, on a sand bottom. It lies roughly 19 nautical miles south-west of San Pedro.
- Sheltered S, SW, W
17AnchorageUnited StatesCatalina Harbor
3.3Mooring off the West End of Santa Catalina Island, California, near Howland's Landing, set on a sand bottom with all-round shelter.
- Sheltered N, NE, E, SE, S, SW, W, NW
- 18AnchorageUnited States
Lanning cove
2.7Small open cove on Santa Cruz Island, off the California coast, with a sand and rock bottom.
- Sheltered NW, W, SW
- 19AnchorageUnited States
Big Drakes Bay
2.7Anchorage off Peacock Park in Coconut Grove, on the western shore of Biscayne Bay, Miami.
- Sheltered NW, N, NE
20AnchorageUnited StatesBechers bay
2.7Broad semicircular bay on the north-east side of Santa Rosa Island, the main point of entry to the island in Channel Islands National Park, California.
- Sheltered NW, W, SW, S
- 21AnchorageUnited States
Lovers Cove
2.1Open anchorage off Santa Catalina Island, California, on sand. It lies about 22 nautical miles south of San Pedro across the channel.
- Sheltered S, SW, W
22AnchorageUnited StatesIsthmus Cove, Two Harbors
1.2Anchorage and mooring field at Isthmus Cove, Two Harbors, on the north shore of Santa Catalina Island, California.
- Paid
- Sheltered NW, W
23AnchorageUnited States4th of July Cove
Small mooring cove on Catalina Island, just west of Isthmus Cove and Two Harbors, with a sand bottom.
- Sheltered NW, W, SW, S
24AnchorageUnited StatesCabrillo State Marine Reserve
Anchorage along the Cabrillo State Marine Reserve off Point Loma, San Diego, on California's south coast.
- Sheltered NW, N, NE, E
- 25AnchorageUnited States
Cherry Cove
Mooring cove on the west end of Catalina Island, west of Two Harbors, with a sand bottom.
- Paid
- Sheltered W, SW, S
- 26AnchorageUnited States
Lobster Bay
Small bay on the west coast of Santa Catalina Island, California, about 0.85 miles west of Catalina Harbor.
- Sheltered NE, E, SE
27AnchorageUnited StatesParson’s Landing
Anchorage off Hoppys Landing, by the causeway linking West Island to the mainland at Fairhaven, Massachusetts.
- Sheltered S, SE
28AnchorageUnited StatesPrisoners Harbor
Anchorage on Santa Cruz Island, the largest of the California Channel Islands, about 23 NM offshore from Santa Barbara.
- Sheltered SE, S, SW, W
- 29AnchorageUnited States
Ripper’s Cove
Anchorage on the north shore of Santa Catalina Island, California, about 4 nautical miles east of Isthmus Cove.
- Sheltered W, E, SW, S, SE
- 30AnchorageUnited States
Santa Barbara
Open roadstead off the Santa Barbara waterfront in California, anchoring on a sand bottom east of the harbour.
- Sheltered NW, N, NE