Best anchorages and harbours in Atlantic coast

Port Bloc

Small harbour on the north tip of the Médoc peninsula at Le Verdon-sur-Mer, on the left bank of the Gironde estuary mouth.

Port Maubert

Tidal harbour on the right bank of the Gironde estuary, in the commune of Saint-Fort-sur-Gironde, Charente-Maritime.

Brouage

Canal harbour at the foot of the fortified town of Brouage, Charente-Maritime, in the marais of Saint-Just-Luzac.

Anse des Seulières

Anchorage on the north-west coast of the Île d'Oléron, Charente-Maritime, between Saint-Denis-d'Oléron and Le Douhet.

• Sheltered NE, E, SE

Pointe d'Arçay

Anchorage at the tip of the Pointe d'Arçay sand spit, at the mouth of the Lay estuary in Vendée.

• Sheltered NW, W, SW, S

Port De Richard

Small tidal port on the left bank of the Gironde estuary at the foot of the Phare de Richard, commune of Jau-Dignac-et-Loirac.

Port du Teich

Tidal harbour of 190 berths on the Leyre delta at the south-east end of the Bassin d'Arcachon, in Gironde.

Port de Fontainevieille

Tidal harbour on the east shore of Arcachon Bay, between Taussat and Cassy, with a fuel berth on site.

Chatelaillon

Shallow anchorage off the long sandy beach of Chatelaillon, in the Pertuis d'Antioche south of La Rochelle.

• Sheltered NW, N, NE, W, E

Gironde vitrezay

Tidal mooring on the right bank of the Gironde estuary, at Saint-Sorlin-de-Conac in Charente-Maritime.

• Free
• Sheltered NE, E

Roque De Thau

Small tidal port on the right bank of the Gironde estuary at Gauriac, 6 km downstream of Bourg, in the Côtes de Bourg wine area.

Pyla-sur-Mer

Anchorage in the bassin d'Arcachon off the Pyla-sur-Mer beach, at the foot of the Dune du Pilat. Sand bottom, shelter from NE to SE winds.

• Sheltered NE, E, SE

Les Monards

Tidal port on the right bank of the Gironde estuary, in the commune of Chenac-Saint-Seurin-d'Uzet, south of Mortagne-sur-Gironde.

Gracie Ferrande

Anchorage off Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie on the Vendée coast, close to the entrance of the Vie estuary.

• Sheltered N, NE, E, SE

Port Lily

Small lake port on the Biscarrosse et Parentis lake, in the Landes, between Port Latécoère to the south and Port de l'Écluse to the north.

Anse de la Fertalière

Mud-bottom anchorage on the Charente estuary approaches south of La Rochelle, sheltered from N to E winds.

• Sheltered N, NE, E

Mimbeau

Sheltered sand spit on the inner side of the Cap Ferret peninsula, Bassin d'Arcachon.

Lacanau

Lakeside harbour on the Étang de Lacanau in the Médoc, freshwater basin not connected to the sea.

Le Grand Fauchon

Anchorage in the Pertuis d'Antioche off Fouras, north of Île d'Aix, mud bottom, sheltered from N, NW and W winds.

• Sheltered N, W, NW

Plage du Grand Traict

Open anchorage off the sandy beach of Grand Traict on the Guérande peninsula, between Pornichet and Le Croisic, on the southern Loire-Atlantique coast.

• Sheltered NW, N, NE

St Seurin d'Uzet

Tidal drying harbour on the right bank of the Gironde estuary, 15 km downstream of Mortagne-sur-Gironde, in Charente-Maritime.

Bassin de St Nazaire

Locked commercial basin at the mouth of the Loire in Saint-Nazaire, used as a transit stop by yachts entering the river on their way upstream to Nantes.

Sauvage

Lake anchorage on the Étang de Biscarrosse et de Parentis, in the Landes forest, New Aquitaine.

• Sheltered N, SW, W, NW

Le Gois échouage

Drying anchorage on mud in the Baie de Bourgneuf along the Passage du Gois, the tidal causeway linking Noirmoutier to the mainland, in the Pays de la Loire.

• Sheltered NW, W, SW

Les Bernu

River pontoon on the right bank of the Gironde estuary, commune of Saint-Genès-de-Blaye, facing the Île Nouvelle.

Andernos

Anchorage off Andernos on the north-east shore of the Bassin d'Arcachon, Gironde. Sand and mud bottom, shelter from NE, E and SE winds.

• Sheltered NE, E, SE

Andernos les Bains

Single-berth anchorage off Andernos-les-Bains on the north shore of the Bassin d'Arcachon, at the foot of the 232 metre wooden pier.

• Sheltered N, NE, E, SE

Anglet Montbrun

Small basin on the right bank of the Adour at Anglet, between Bayonne and the sea, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, maximum draught 1 m.

Baie de Nauzan

Small sandy cove between Saint-Palais-sur-Mer and Vaux-sur-Mer on the Côte de Beauté, at the mouth of the Gironde.

• Sheltered NE, E

Banc Arc

Sand bank at the entrance of the bassin d'Arcachon, classified as a réserve naturelle nationale since 1972.