Best anchorages and harbours in Atlantic coast

Mouillage de l'Untxin

Anchorage in the Bay of Saint-Jean-de-Luz and Ciboure, off the mouth of the Untxin river, sheltered by the Artha, Sainte-Barbe and Socoa breakwaters.

• Paid
• Sheltered NW, W, SW, S

La Patache

Anchorage off the northwest tip of Île de Ré, near the hamlet of La Patache and the Phare des Baleines.

• Sheltered NW, N

Plage des Saumonards

Anchorage off the east coast of Île d'Oléron, behind the Forêt des Saumonards, facing Fort Boyard, Charente-Maritime.

• Sheltered W, SW, S

Plage du Gros Jonc

Open roadstead off the south-west coast of the Île de Ré in Charente-Maritime, facing the Pertuis d'Antioche.

• Sheltered W, SW, S, SE

Anse de Toulin

Sandy anchorage off the Côte d'Amour, just south of Le Pouliguen harbour entrance in the bay of La Baule.

• Sheltered N, SW, W, NW

Anse de Trébézy

Anchorage on the north shore of the Loire estuary, west of Saint-Nazaire, mud bottom, sheltered from NW, N and W winds.

• Sheltered NW, N, W

Anse de Ker Châlon

Sand anchorage on the north-east coast of the Île d'Yeu, 0.4 NM south-east of Port Joinville, close to the town and the Plage de Ker Châlon.

• Sheltered SE, S, SW, W

Banc du Tourlinguet

Sandbank at the entrance of Arcachon Bay, Gironde, where anchoring is prohibited by maritime regulation.

• Sheltered NW, N

Baie du Pouliguen

Sand anchorage in the bay of La Baule, between Le Pouliguen to the W and Pornichet to the SE, on the Guerande peninsula.

• Sheltered N, NE, E

Anse du Saillant

Mud-bottom anchorage on the east side of Île d'Aix in Charente-Maritime, inside the Pertuis d'Antioche.

• Sheltered NW, N, W, SW

Anse Gavy

Buoy mooring on the Saint-Nazaire side of the Loire estuary, near the Pointe de Chémoulin.

• Free
• Sheltered NW, N, NE

Plage de la Chambrette

Anchorage off the sandy Chambrette beach at the tip of the Médoc peninsula, inside the Gironde estuary mouth near Le Verdon-sur-Mer.

• Sheltered NW, W, SW, S

Entree Port De Jard Sur Mer

Anchorage off the entrance to Jard-sur-Mer harbour, southern Vendée coast, sand bottom.

• Sheltered NW, N, NE

Boucau near Bayonne

Estuary area at the mouth of the Adour between Boucau and Anglet, near Bayonne. Anchoring is prohibited in the navigable channel used by commercial traffic.

• Sheltered NE, W, E, SE

Ile Verte

Anchorage in the Gironde estuary off the Île Verte, a wooded island on the right bank between Blaye and Bourg, about 35 NM upstream from Royan.

• Sheltered NE, E, S, SW, W

Pointe de Hautebelle

Anchorage on the north shore of the Bassin d'Arcachon, between Claouey and Andernos-les-Bains, mud bottom.

• Sheltered N, NE, NW

Île du Pilier Nord

Anchorage on the north side of Île du Pilier, a small rocky island off Noirmoutier, 2.7 NM west of L'Herbaudière.

• Sheltered N, NE, E

Maubuisson

Anchorage on the east shore of Lac d'Hourtin-Carcans, the largest natural freshwater lake in France, in the Médoc.

• Free
• Sheltered S, SW, W, NW

Île de Patiras

Estuary anchorage in New Aquitaine, 0.9 nm W of Port de la Belle Étoile, mud bottom, sheltered from the south.

• Sheltered S

la Pointe aux chevaux

Anchorage on the western shore of the Bassin d'Arcachon between Claouey and Le Canon, on the Cap-Ferret peninsula, sand bottom, sheltered from N, W and NW winds.

• Sheltered N, W, NW

Roches du repos

Rock anchorage off the Vendée coast, south of Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie, open to the Atlantic swell.

• Free
• Sheltered N, NE, E

Port-des-Barques

Mooring on buoys off Port-des-Barques in the Charente estuary, Charente-Maritime, 4 berths on sand.

• Paid
• Sheltered N, NE, E, SW, S, SE

Châtelaillon - Plage

Anchorage off Châtelaillon-Plage on the Pertuis d'Antioche, south of La Rochelle, Charente-Maritime.

• Paid
• Sheltered N, NE, E, NW

Lac d'Hourtin - Piqueyrot

Sand-bottom anchorage on the eastern shore of the lac d'Hourtin-Carcans, Gironde, the largest natural freshwater lake in France at around 6,200 hectares.

• Paid
• Sheltered N, SE, S, SW, W, NW

Pointe de Manson

Buoy mooring with 2 berths off the Pointe de Manson on Île d'Oléron, sand bottom, sheltered from W through SW, open to the E across the Pertuis de Maumusson.

• Paid
• Sheltered NW, W, SW

Fouras - La Fumée

Anchorage off the Pointe de la Fumée at Fouras, Charente estuary, facing the Île d'Aix and the approaches to Rochefort.

• Sheltered SW, S, SE

Vert Bois

Anchorage on the west coast of the Île d'Oléron, off the Vert Bois beach and the Saint-Trojan forest, Charente-Maritime.

• Sheltered NE, E

Pointe du Tedey

Anchorage on the western shore of Lac de Lacanau in the Médoc, about 1.6 nm west of Lacanau-Ville.

• Sheltered NW, N, W, SW

Anse de la Coué

Small anchorage on the south side of the Fouras peninsula, Charente-Maritime, tucked beside Fouras Port Sud.

• Paid
• Sheltered N, NE, E

Plage Sud

Open roadstead off Mimizan-Plage on the Landes coast, south of the Arcachon basin, sand bottom.