Anchorage

Halte de Bessan

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

River halt on the Hérault between Agde and Pézenas, mud bottom, all-round shelter.

Pontoon
Dock

Guide

Approach and anchoring

Upriver on the Hérault from Agde, navigation limited to vessels of shallow draught. Full shelter on all sectors thanks to wooded banks. No current of note outside floods. Pass under the road bridges carefully; local knowledge recommended for air draught.

Practical

Quiet pontoon on the river bank. Agde quai visiteurs 3 NM to the SE, Quai François Palumbo 3 NM to the SE for fuel and full services.

Ashore

Bessan village centre at 0,7 km, bakery, grocery and weekly market on Sunday morning. Church of Saint-Pierre-ès-Liens from the 14th century in the village. Canal du Midi crossing at Agde lock 4 km downstream, one of the few round locks in France.

History

Bessan sits on the Via Domitia, the Roman road from Italy to Spain opened in 118 BC. The village kept a river trade with Agde throughout the medieval period.

Key facts

Type: Anchorage
Coordinates: 43.35396, 3.43121 (43°21.24'N 3°25.87'E)
Country: France
Shelter: Sheltered from north, north-east, east, south-east, south, south-west, west, north-west winds
Seabed: mud
Anchoring: Allowed
Fees: Free
Services: Pontoon, Dock
Boaters' rating: 4.9/5
Updated: July 7, 2026