Best anchorages and harbours in Atlantic coast

Fort Boyard

Stone sea fort between the Île d'Aix and the Île d'Oléron, in the Pertuis d'Antioche off the Charente-Maritime coast. Anchoring and approach within 50 m of the walls are prohibited.

Générelles

Isolated buoy mooring off the Pointe de Grouin du Cou coast in Vendée, west of the Aiguillon bay, Pays de la Loire.

• Paid
• Sheltered NW, N, NE

Île aux Oiseaux ouest

Mud anchorage on the west side of the Île aux Oiseaux, a low tidal island at the centre of the bassin d'Arcachon, known for its two stilt-mounted cabins, the cabanes tchanquées.

• Sheltered N, NE, E

Île de la Grenouillette

Anchorage on the Charente river upstream of Rochefort, mud bottom, sheltered from NE, E and SE winds.

• Sheltered NE, E, SE

Île du Pilier

Sand anchorage off the Île du Pilier, a granite islet 2.7 NM northwest of L'Herbaudière on Noirmoutier, Vendée.

• Sheltered SW, S

Jetée Thiers

Anchorage off the Jetée Thiers in the Bassin d'Arcachon, just west of the town of Arcachon.

L'Erdre

Anchorage on the Erdre river at Sucé-sur-Erdre, north of Nantes, mud bottom, sheltered from all sectors except south and east.

• Sheltered N, NE, SE, SW, W, NW

La Flotte

Buoy field off La Flotte-en-Ré on the north coast of Île de Ré, Charente-Maritime, sand bottom.

• Sheltered W, E, SW, S, SE

La Gourgue

Lake anchorage on the Cazaux-Sanguinet lake in the Landes de Gascogne, weed bottom.

• Sheltered SW

La Grande Escoure

Lake anchorage on the Étang de Lacanau in the Médoc, mud bottom.

• Sheltered SW, W, NW

La Grande Vallée

Buoy mooring area off the north-east coast of the Île de Ré, in the Pertuis Breton, opposite Rivedoux-Plage.

• Sheltered W, SW, S

La Nor

Anchorage in the baie de Bourgneuf, Pays de la Loire, mud bottom with good holding, open to westerly weather.

• Sheltered NE, E, SE

La plage des Aigrettes

Sand anchorage on the north shore of the Étang de Cazaux-Sanguinet in the Landes, one of the largest freshwater lakes in France.

• Sheltered N, NE

Le chemin

Buoy mooring in the Pertuis Breton off the Pointe d'Arçay, Vendée coast.

• Sheltered NW, N, NE

Le Cormier

Anchorage on the Jade coast near Pornic, sand and rock bottom, shelter from NE through E and from SW through SE.

• Sheltered NE, E, SW, S, SE

Le Petit Piquey

Anchorage on the eastern shore of the Bassin d'Arcachon, off the village of Petit Piquey on the Lège-Cap-Ferret peninsula, in New Aquitaine.

• Sheltered NW, N, NE, W, SW

Les Alises

Anchorage on the north coast of the Île d'Oléron, close to Saint-Denis-d'Oléron, Charente-Maritime.

• Sheltered S, SW, W

Les Formes

Mud-bottom anchorage in the Baie de Bourgneuf, southern Loire-Atlantique, sheltered from NW and W.

• Sheltered NW, W

Mornac-sur-Seudre

Drying anchorage in the Seudre estuary, opposite the oyster village of Mornac-sur-Seudre, Charente-Maritime.

• Free
• Sheltered N, NE, E, SE, S, SW, W, NW

Mouillage de Gauseirans

Open roadstead off the beaches of Anglet on the Basque coast, sand bottom, exposed to the Atlantic swell.

• Sheltered E

Mouillage de Larrigade

Sand-bottom anchorage on the Landes coast in New Aquitaine, sheltered from S, SW, W and NW.

• Sheltered S, SW, W, NW

Mouillage de Le Bourg

Outer anchorage north of Saint-Martin-de-Ré on the Île de Ré, sand bottom, exposed to the westerly sector.

• Sheltered W, SW

Parc Fromentine

Sand-bottom anchorage in the Goulet de Fromentine, off the Vendée coast, near the bridge to Île de Noirmoutier.

• Sheltered NE, E, SW, S, SE

Plage Américaine

Sand anchorage on the west shore of Lac de Cazaux et de Sanguinet, the second largest natural lake in mainland France, in the Landes de Gascogne.

• Sheltered W, SW

Plage de Cassy

Buoy field off Cassy beach on the north shore of the Bassin d'Arcachon, commune of Lanton, 200 m from the village.

• Sheltered N, NE, E

Plage de L'Anse du Fourneau

Anchorage off the north coast of the Île de Ré, between the villages of Ars-en-Ré and Loix, in Charente-Maritime.

• Sheltered W, SW

Plage de l'arnèche

Anchorage in the Gironde estuary off Meschers-sur-Gironde, mud bottom, sheltered from N to E.

• Sheltered N, NE, E

Plage des Carrés

Mooring field off the plage des Carrés at Pornic, on the Jade coast of Loire-Atlantique, sand bottom, sheltered from N, NE and E winds.

• Sheltered N, NE, E

Plage du galon d’or

Open anchorage off the long sand beach of Galon d'Or on the west coast of Île d'Oléron, south of Saint-Trojan-les-Bains.

• Sheltered W, SW, S, SE

Plage du Veillon

Anchorage off the sandy Veillon beach at the mouth of the Payré estuary, south of Talmont-Saint-Hilaire in Vendée.

• Sheltered NW, N, NE, E