Best anchorages and harbours in Provence and Côte d'Azur

Plage de la Galère

Sand anchorage on the west side of the Cap Bénat peninsula, between Bormes-les-Mimosas and Le Lavandou in the Var, beneath the Fort de Brégançon presidential residence where a security zone is enforced.

• Sheltered NW, N, NE, E

Pointe de la Bouillabaisse

Sand and seagrass anchorage in the Bay of Cavalaire off La Croix-Valmer, at the eastern end of the Plage du Débarquement, Var.

• Sheltered NW, N, NE, E

Port La Galère

Small marina of 16 berths on the Corniche de l'Estérel, below the La Galère residential estate designed by architect Jacques Couëlle.

Plage des Sablettes

Former anchorage off the Sablettes beach at Menton, on the Franco-Italian border in the eastern Riviera, where anchoring has been prohibited since May 2026.

• Sheltered NW, N, W, SW

Port de la Rague

Marina of 421 berths on the western shore of the Golfe de la Napoule, in Mandelieu-la-Napoule, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur.

Sèche de Cassin

Offshore shoal in the Gulf of Saint-Tropez, between Pampelonne and the Baie des Canebiers, usable as a fair-weather anchorage.

• Sheltered N, NE, W, NW

Anse de Ranquet

Shallow sandy cove on the north-east shore of the Étang de Berre, a short hop south of Istres.

• Sheltered S, SW, W

Plage de la Romaniquette

Anchorage in the Étang de Berre lagoon, west of Saint-Chamas, with sand and algae seabed.

• Sheltered W

Calanque des figuières

Rock-bottomed inlet on the Côte Bleue west of Marseille, between Carry-le-Rouet and Le Rove, next to the Société Nautique des Figuières.

• Sheltered N, NE, NW

Saint Mandrier

Marina of 790 berths on the southern shore of the bay of Toulon, on the Saint-Mandrier peninsula in the Var.

Anse du Gau

Small cove on the west side of Cap Bénat, between Bormes-les-Mimosas and the private harbour of Cap Bénat, in the Var.

• Paid
• Sheltered N, SW, W, NW

Horizon Marine

Private marina at Châteauneuf-les-Martigues on the Étang de Berre, Bouches-du-Rhône, with 70 berths.

Mouillage de Tarente

Anchorage in the baie des Lecques on the Provençal coast, between La Madrague and Saint-Cyr-sur-Mer.

• Sheltered NE, E, SE, S

Calanque de l'Establon

Small calanque on the Côte Bleue west of Marseille, between Niolon and the port of Corbières, inside the parc marin de la Côte Bleue.

• Sheltered N, W, NW

Cap Taillat

Anchorage off the sand tombolo of Cap Taillat, on the Var coast between Cavalaire and Ramatuelle. Sand bottom, sheltered from S, SW, W and NW.

• Sheltered S, SW, W, NW

Chantier Naval de Provence

Boatyard at Port-de-Bouc, on the Golfe de Fos, at the western end of the Étang de Berre channel.

Calanque de Port Pin

Narrow calanque between Port-Miou and En-Vau, inside the Parc national des Calanques, east of Marseille.

• Sheltered NW, N, NE, W, E

La Courtade

North-facing sandy bay on Île de Porquerolles, just east of the village harbour, the longest beach on the island at roughly 2 km, inside the Parc national de Port-Cros.

• Sheltered E, SW, S, SE

Port de Méjean

Small rocky calanque on the Côte Bleue between Marseille and Carry-le-Rouet, west of l'Estaque.

• Sheltered NW, N, NE

Villefranche - Santé

Small harbour tucked in the south-west corner of the Rade de Villefranche, between the old town and the Cap-Ferrat peninsula, on the Côte d'Azur.

Plage de Lequin

Sand-bottom anchorage on the south coast of Porquerolles, about 0.8 NM north-east of the village harbour.

• Sheltered NE, E, S, SE

IGY Vieux-Port de Cannes

Historic harbour of 724 berths at the foot of the Suquet hill in Cannes, opposite the Palais des Festivals and facing the Îles de Lérins.

Mouillage de Saint-Selon

Anchorage on the southern shore of the Saint-Mandrier peninsula, at the entrance to the Toulon roadstead in Provence.

• Sheltered NW, N, W

Cavalaire

Marina of 1200 berths in the bay of Cavalaire, between Cap Cavalaire and Cap Lardier, Var coast.

Pointe st Etienne - st Chamas

Anchorage on the northern shore of the Étang de Berre, off the Pointe Saint-Étienne between Saint-Chamas and Istres, Bouches-du-Rhône.

• Sheltered NW, W, SW

Le troue du diable

Rocky cove at the foot of the Bec de l'Aigle cliffs west of La Ciotat, Provence.

• Sheltered NW, N, NE, W, E

Sanary-sur-Mer

Harbour of 550 berths on the Var coast, between Bandol and Toulon, sheltered behind a curved breakwater.

Plage de la Bauma

Anchorage on the east side of the Presqu'île de Giens in the Var, mixed sand and weed bottom, sheltered from NW through S.

• Sheltered NW, W, SW, S

Baie de la Gorguette

Anchorage on the Provençal coast between Bandol and Sanary-sur-Mer in the Var, off the Plage de la Gorguette.

• Sheltered N, NE, E, SE, NW

Bandol

Major marina of 1 600 berths in the bay of Bandol, between the Ile de Bendor and the town of Sanary-sur-Mer, on the Var coast.