Harbour

Île du Frioul

3.7Marseille, FranceMarseille and the Calanques

Maximum length: 17 m
VHF channel: 9
Maximum draught: 11 m

Marina of 800 berths on the Frioul archipelago, built in the strait between Pomègues and Ratonneau, 2.5 nautical miles off Marseille.

Guide

Approach and anchoring

Entrance from the east through a wide buoyed channel between the two islands. Max draught 11 m at the outer pontoons. Exposed to easterly winds which close the entrance in heavy weather. VHF 9.

Practical

800 berths, water and electricity on pontoons, no fuel berth on site. Bakery, grocery shop and restaurants on the village quay. Frequent Frioul If Express ferries to the Old Port of Marseille, 20 minutes crossing.

Ashore

Château d'If on the neighbouring islet, a 16th century fortress built under François I and setting of Alexandre Dumas' novel, 15 minutes by ferry. Marked paths cross Ratonneau and Pomègues to the old quarantine hospital of Caroline and the southern batteries. Swimming coves at Saint-Estève and Morgiret within 20 minutes on foot.

History

The archipelago served as a quarantine station for ships arriving in Marseille from the 18th century onward. The hôpital Caroline on Ratonneau, built from 1823, received travellers suspected of yellow fever. The islands were fortified again by the German army during World War II, leaving bunkers still visible.