Anchorage

Avant Port Du Cap d'Agde

Shelter: NW, N, NE, W, E, SW, SE
Seabed: sand
Anchoring: Allowed

Outer anchorage off the Cap d'Agde marina, on the volcanic headland of Mont Saint-Loup in Herault, Occitanie.

Beach

Guide

Approach and anchoring

Approach on a NW heading once past the Roches Noires, the dark basalt reefs off the cape. Sand bottom with good holding. The site is largely open, with partial cover from NW through N and E to SE; exposed to SW swell and the tramontane gusts that accelerate off the headland.

Practical

Cercle Nautique jetty lies 0.2 NM to the N and Cap d'Agde marina 0.4 NM to the N. The marina has more than 3 000 berths, fuel berth with diesel and petrol, water, electricity, boatyard with 50 t and 240 t travel lifts, and 24 h capitainerie on VHF 9.

Ashore

Plage Richelieu sand beach starts 600 m N of the anchorage. Musee de l'Ephebe on Mas de la Clape displays underwater archaeology finds including the bronze Ephebe of Agde raised from the Herault river. Fort de Brescou, a 16th century island fort, stands 1 NM to the SE and can be visited in season.

History

Agde was founded around 525 BC as the Greek colony Agathe Tyche by settlers from Phocaea, one of the oldest cities in France. The modern Cap d'Agde resort was developed from 1970 onwards under the Mission Racine coastal planning scheme for Languedoc-Roussillon.

Key facts

Type: Anchorage
Coordinates: 43.27094, 3.50473 (43°16.26'N 3°30.28'E)
Country: France
Shelter: Sheltered from north-west, north, north-east, west, east, south-west, south-east winds
Seabed: sand
Anchoring: Allowed
Services: Beach
Boaters' rating: 3.2/5
Updated: July 7, 2026