Best anchorages and harbours in Normandy

Caen

Wet basin in the centre of Caen at the head of the Canal de Caen à la Mer, 92 berths, max draught 3.4 m.

Barneville-Carteret

Tidal harbour on the west coast of the Cotentin in Manche, with a retention gate on the Gerfleur estuary keeping 700 berths afloat.

Cancale

Open roadstead off the oyster port of Cancale, facing the Baie du Mont-Saint-Michel in Brittany.

• Sheltered NW, N, NE, W, E

Estuaire de l'Orne

Buoy mooring field of 180 berths in the estuary of the Orne, between Ouistreham and Merville-Franceville, in Calvados.

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

Jonville

Open anchorage on the east coast of the Cotentin peninsula, just north of Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue, with a sand bottom.

• Sheltered N, NE, SW, W, NW

Poses

Point on the Seine at the Poses-Amfreville dam, the tidal limit of the river upstream from Rouen. Anchoring is prohibited in the dam and lock zone.

• Sheltered N, NE, W, SW, S

Saint Valery-en-Caux

Lock-gated harbour of 560 berths set in a breach in the chalk cliffs of the Pays de Caux, on the Seine-Maritime coast between Dieppe and Fecamp.

Ouistreham Riva-Bella

Lock-gated marina of 650 berths at the mouth of the Orne canal in Normandy, entry point to Caen by the ship canal.

Anse du Brick

Sandy cove on the north coast of the Cotentin peninsula, six miles east of Cherbourg, sheltered from westerly winds.

• Sheltered E, SW, S, SE

Plage d'Urville

Anchorage off the beach of Urville-Nacqueville on the north coast of the Cotentin, west of Cherbourg, with a mixed bottom of sand, rock and weed.

• Sheltered SE, S, SW

Veulettes

Open roadstead off the shingle beach of Veulettes-sur-Mer on the Côte d'Albâtre, Seine-Maritime, between Fécamp and Saint-Valery-en-Caux.

• Sheltered SW, S, SE

Baie de Mont Saint Michel

Vast sand bay between Cancale and Granville, inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list for the abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel. Tidal range reaches 14 metres at equinoctial springs, among the largest in Europe.

• Sheltered N, NE, W, E, SW, S, SE

La Mauvaise

Anchorage off the Normandy coast north of Granville, sand bottom, sheltered from NW, N, NE and W winds.

• Sheltered NW, N, NE, W

Dieppe

Commercial and leisure port of 570 berths at the mouth of the Arques, on the chalk cliffs of the Pays de Caux in Normandy.

Honfleur

Lock-gated harbour at the mouth of the Seine estuary in Calvados, with the Vieux Bassin and Bassin de l'Est hosting around 50 visitor berths.

Cherbourg - Petite Rade

Anchorage in the Petite Rade of Cherbourg, Normandy, along the wall of Port Chantereyne marina. Anchoring is only prohibited inside the buoyed military zone; outside it boats lie on mud, with the marina 0.2 nm to the south for all services.

• Sheltered NW, W, E, SW, S, SE

Île du Large (Est)

Rock-bottom anchorage on the east side of Île du Large, one of the Îles Saint-Marcouf, off the east coast of the Cotentin.

• Sheltered NW, N, W

Oissel Halt Fluvial

River halt on the Seine at Oissel, about 12 km upstream of Rouen, on the left bank in Normandy.

Mont Saint-Michel

Tidal anchorage in the bay of Mont Saint-Michel, Normandy, off the UNESCO World Heritage abbey island. Sand and mud bottom, shelter from NW through SE.

• Sheltered NW, W, SW, S, SE

Pointe d'Agon

Sand anchorage in the Havre de Regnéville on the west coast of the Cotentin, 60 mooring buoys, sheltered from NW through SE.

• Free
• Sheltered NW, N, NE, W, E, SE

Honfleur Visitors "quais"

Visitor berths along the quays of the Vieux Bassin of Honfleur, at the south bank of the Seine estuary in Normandy. Six pontoon spaces for yachts under 14 m.

Port Homard

Drying anchorage on the west coast of the Cotentin, north of Granville, sand bottom among granite rocks.

• Sheltered NW, N, NE, W, E

La Grande Grève

Sand anchorage on the east side of the Cotentin peninsula, 0.3 nm north of Barfleur harbour and 5.3 nm from Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue.

• Sheltered S, SW, W, NW

Île du Large (Ouest)

Rocky anchorage west of the Île du Large, one of the two Saint-Marcouf islands off the east coast of the Cotentin peninsula in Normandy.

• Sheltered NE, E

Port Chantereyne - Cherbourg-en-Cotentin

Marina of 1600 berths inside the Cherbourg roadstead, Normandy, sheltered by the largest artificial harbour in the world.

Poses

River port on the Seine upstream of Rouen, at the last tidal lock on the river.

Querqueville

Anchorage in the west roadstead of Cherbourg, off Querqueville, mud and kelp bottom.

• Sheltered NW, N, W, SW, S

Les Trois Ilets

Anchorage off the Îles Chausey archipelago in the Golfe de Saint-Malo, Manche department.

• Sheltered NW, N, NE, SW, S

Dives - Cabourg - Houlgate

Marina of 560 berths at the mouth of the Dives river in Calvados, serving the three seaside towns of Dives-sur-Mer, Cabourg and Houlgate on the Côte Fleurie.

Port Marie

Sand anchorage on the west coast of the Cotentin peninsula, Normandy, open to westerly weather but sheltered from NW, N and NE.

• Sheltered NW, N, NE