Anchorage

Île d'If

Shelter: S
Seabed: sand
Anchoring: Forbidden

Small island off Marseille in the Frioul archipelago, home to the Château d'If fortress, 1.3 nautical miles from the Vieux-Port.

Pontoon

Guide

Approach and anchoring

Approach from the east via the Marseille roadstead. Anchoring around the island is prohibited to protect the Posidonia seagrass and the classified site. Landing is restricted to the ferry jetty operated by the Frioul If Express. Exposed to the mistral from the northwest.

Practical

No facilities for private boats. Visitors leave their yacht at the Vieux-Port or Frioul marina on Île de Pomègues and take the shuttle. The fortress is open daily except Mondays off-season, entry through the Centre des monuments nationaux.

Ashore

Château d'If fortress, built 1527 to 1531 under François I, is the main feature, a 15 minute climb from the landing. Views back to Marseille and the Frioul islands of Ratonneau and Pomègues to the west, 0.8 nautical miles away.

History

The fort was ordered by François I in 1524 to defend the roadstead of Marseille against Charles V. It later served as a state prison and was made famous as the setting of Alexandre Dumas' novel Le Comte de Monte-Cristo, published in 1844.