Best anchorages and harbours in Vendée

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

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.

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

Baie du Dervin

Sandy bay between Le Croisic and Le Pouliguen on the south Brittany coast, sheltered from the northerly quadrant, open to the south.

• Sheltered NW, N, NE

Baie de Cayola

Rocky bay on the Vendée coast between Les Sables-d'Olonne and Port-Bourgenay, 1.9 nm NW of Port-Bourgenay.

• Sheltered N, NE, E

L’Épine

Anchorage off the village of L'Épine on the west coast of Île de Noirmoutier, Pays de la Loire.

• Sheltered N, NE, E

Port du Collet

Tidal harbour at the northern edge of Baie de Bourgneuf, on the Loire-Atlantique coast facing Noirmoutier.

Le Grand Traict

Tidal lagoon north of Le Croisic and Guérande, on the south coast of Brittany, used as a waiting anchorage by shoal-draught boats.

• Free
• Sheltered NW, N, NE, W

Pornichet

Mooring field off Pornichet on the Baie de La Baule, Loire-Atlantique, at the western end of the Côte d'Amour.

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

Jetée Des Ileaux

Anchorage off the east coast of Noirmoutier island, in the bay between the jetty and the Gois causeway, on mud.

• Sheltered NW, N, NE, W, SW

Les Portes de l'Atlantique - Port à Sec

Dry-stack marina on the south bank of the Loire estuary at Le Migron, commune of Frossay, between Paimbœuf and Nantes.

Préfailles

Open anchorage off Préfailles on the Pointe Saint-Gildas, south side of the Loire estuary in Pays de la Loire.

• Sheltered N, NE

Plage des Dames

Anchorage of around 53 places off the Plage des Dames on the north-east shore of the Île de Noirmoutier.

• Paid
• Sheltered S, SW, W

La Gravette

Drying tidal harbour on the Jade coast at La Plaine-sur-Mer, at the northern entrance to the Bay of Bourgneuf.

Plage de la Petite Corniche

Anchorage off the south coast of the Île d'Yeu, Vendée, at the foot of the coastal path known as the Sentier de la Corniche.

• Sheltered NW, N, W, SW, S

Pornic

Anchorage in the bay of Pornic, Loire-Atlantique, off the Côte de Jade on the southern shore of the Loire estuary.

• Sheltered NW, N, NE

Plage des Sableaux

Anchorage off the Plage des Sableaux on the east coast of Noirmoutier island, Vendée, 16 berths on sand.

• Paid
• Sheltered NW, W, SW

Paimboeuf

River port on the left bank of the Loire estuary, about 15 nautical miles downstream of Nantes and 10 miles upstream of Saint-Nazaire.

Anse de Toulin

Sandy anchorage off the Côte d'Amour, just south of Le Pouliguen harbour entrance in the bay of La Baule.

• Sheltered N, SW, W, NW

Anse de Trébézy

Anchorage on the north shore of the Loire estuary, west of Saint-Nazaire, mud bottom, sheltered from NW, N and W winds.

• Sheltered NW, N, W

Anse de Ker Châlon

Sand anchorage on the north-east coast of the Île d'Yeu, 0.4 NM south-east of Port Joinville, close to the town and the Plage de Ker Châlon.

• Sheltered SE, S, SW, W

Pornichet

Marina of 1150 berths on the Baie de La Baule south of the Loire estuary, one of the largest marinas on the French Atlantic coast.

Baie du Pouliguen

Sand anchorage in the bay of La Baule, between Le Pouliguen to the W and Pornichet to the SE, on the Guerande peninsula.

• Sheltered N, NE, E

Port de Gourmalon

Marina of 350 berths in Pornic on the south Brittany coast of Loire-Atlantique, on the north shore of the Baie de Bourgneuf.

Anse Gavy

Buoy mooring on the Saint-Nazaire side of the Loire estuary, near the Pointe de Chémoulin.

• Free
• Sheltered NW, N, NE

Île du Pilier Nord

Anchorage on the north side of Île du Pilier, a small rocky island off Noirmoutier, 2.7 NM west of L'Herbaudière.

• Sheltered N, NE, E

Roches du repos

Rock anchorage off the Vendée coast, south of Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie, open to the Atlantic swell.

• Free
• Sheltered N, NE, E

Comberge

Small drying harbour on the south coast of the Pays de la Loire, between Saint-Michel-Chef-Chef and Pornic, a short hop from the Île du Pilier anchorages.