Best anchorages and harbours in Atlantic coast

Chatressac

Oyster port of 60 berths on a tidal creek of the Seudre estuary, commune of Chaillevette in Charente-Maritime.

Embarcadère de Lamarque

River anchorage off the Lamarque ferry landing on the left bank of the Gironde estuary, in the Médoc, opposite Blaye.

• Sheltered W

Fouras - Port Nord

Anchorage on the north shore of the Fouras peninsula, Charente-Maritime, looking across the Rade des Basques toward the Île-d'Aix.

• Paid
• Sheltered W, SW, S, SE

L’eguille/seudre

River anchorage on the Seudre estuary in Charente-Maritime, mud bottom, opposite the oyster village of L'Éguille-sur-Seudre.

• Sheltered W

La Blanche Plate

Anchorage on the northern shore of the Île de Ré in Charente-Maritime, between La Flotte and Saint-Martin-de-Ré, on sand.

• Sheltered W, SW, S

La Rochelle before marina

Waiting anchorage west of the Port des Minimes entrance in La Rochelle, used before lock openings or when berths are full.

• Sheltered NW, N, NE, E, SE

Le Canon

Anchorage off the village of Le Canon on the north shore of Arcachon Bay, on the Cap Ferret peninsula.

• Sheltered NW, N, W

Le Gourcq

Sand-bottom anchorage in New Aquitaine, sheltered from N, SW, W and NW, off the Cazaux lake shoreline.

• Sheltered N, SW, W, NW

Plages des Anneries

Shallow beach anchorage on the north coast of the Île de Ré, east of the Pointe du Grouin, in New Aquitaine.

• Sheltered N, NE, E

Ponton Belem

Dedicated berth of 15 places on the Loire at Nantes, named after the three-masted barque Belem which calls there.

Port de l'Erdre

River port of 50 berths on the Erdre at Nantes, upstream of the Saint-Félix lock, in Pays de la Loire.

Rivedoux Plage

Open anchorage off the east coast of the Ile de Re, just south of the Ile de Re bridge linking the island to La Rochelle.

• Sheltered NW, W, SW, S, SE

Sucé sur Erdre

River anchorage on the Erdre north of Nantes, in a widened reach of the river classed among the protected landscapes of the Loire-Atlantique.

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

Tahiti Beach

Anchorage off Plage Tahiti on the Cap Ferret peninsula in Arcachon Bay, sand bottom with rock and seagrass patches, sheltered from N, NE and E.

• Sheltered N, NE, E

Talmont sur Gironde

Small tidal port on the Gironde estuary below the cliff of Talmont, in Charente-Maritime.

Bonne Anse

Tidal bay on the northern side of the Gironde estuary mouth, between Pointe de la Coubre and La Palmyre.

• Sheltered N, NE, E, SW, W, NW

La Flotte en Ré

Drying harbour on the north coast of Île de Ré in Charente-Maritime, with a retention gate keeping about 200 pontoon berths afloat.

Anse de la Maleconche

Sandy anchorage on the north-east coast of Île d'Oléron, 1.2 nm east of Le Douhet harbour.

• Sheltered W, SW, S, SE

La Tremblade

Port of 115 berths on the Seudre estuary, in the heart of the Marennes-Oléron oyster basin in Charente-Maritime.

Ars-en-Ré - Bassin de la Prée

Tidal basin of the port of Ars-en-Re on the north shore of the Ile de Re, Charente-Maritime.

Boyardville

Marina of 180 berths on the east coast of the Île d'Oléron, facing Fort Boyard and the Île d'Aix.

Plage de la Grande Conche / Plage des Ovaires

Open bay on the south-east shore of the Île d'Yeu, in the Vendée, with a sand bottom and a ban on anchoring over the seagrass beds.

• Sheltered W, SW

Plateau Cordouan

Sandbank anchorage around the Cordouan lighthouse, at the mouth of the Gironde estuary between Le Verdon and the Pointe de Grave, New Aquitaine.

Saint-Martin de Ré

Anchorage off Saint-Martin-de-Ré on the north coast of the Île de Ré, in the Pertuis Breton, Charente-Maritime.

• Paid
• Sheltered SE, S, SW

Conche des Baleines

Sand-bottomed bay on the northwest tip of the Île de Ré, around 40 moorings, sheltered from E, SE, S and SW winds.

• Sheltered E, SW, S, SE

Cordemais

River port of around 60 berths on the north bank of the Loire estuary, 20 km upstream of Saint-Nazaire.

Hourtin Port

Small inland marina on Lac d'Hourtin-Carcans in the Médoc, the largest natural freshwater lake in France.

Plage des Souzeaux - Anse Rouge

Anchorage on the north coast of Noirmoutier island, between the Souzeaux beach and the Plantier point, with around 200 moorings on mud bottom.

• Paid
• Sheltered SW, S

Port de plaisance de Bordeaux

City-centre marina on the Garonne river in Bordeaux, 278 berths, max draught 2.5 m, VHF 12.

Anse des Broches

North-facing cove on the Île d'Yeu, Vendée, west of Port-Joinville.

• Sheltered NE, E, S, SE