Anchorage

Baie de Bandol

3.0FranceVar

Shelter: NW, N, NE, W
Seabed: sand, algae
Anchoring: Allowed

Anchorage in the bay of Bandol in the Var, between the mainland and the Île de Bendor 300 m offshore.

Mooring buoys
Beach

Guide

Approach and anchoring

Approach from the south, leaving the Île de Bendor to starboard. The bay is open to the south and southwest, and shelter holds well with winds from NW through N to NE. Watch for swell rolling in when the mistral swings southwest. No buoyed channel, sound carefully as you close the beach.

Practical

Drop on sand in 4 to 8 m clear of the posidonia patches, which are protected and must not be dragged through. Port of Bandol lies 0.5 NM to the west for fuel, water and provisions. Port de la Gorguette sits 0.7 NM to the southeast for smaller shelter.

Ashore

The seafront promenade of Bandol runs along the Quai de Gaulle, reached by tender in under ten minutes. Île de Bendor, developed by Paul Ricard in the 1950s, has a small harbour, a diving club and a maritime exhibition space. The GR 51 coastal path climbs to the Cap de l'Aigle with views back over the bay.

History

Bandol was fortified under Louis XIV and developed as a wine shipping port in the 19th century for the AOC Bandol vineyards on the surrounding hillsides.