Best anchorages and harbours in France

La paillote

Freshwater port on the north shore of Lac de Biscarrosse et de Parentis, in the Landes.

La poupinniere

River port on the Erdre at Nort-sur-Erdre, head of navigation before the canal de Nantes a Brest.

Landrellec

Small tidal harbour on the Côte de Granit Rose at Pleumeur-Bodou, Côtes-d'Armor, facing the Île Grande channel.

Latecoère

Lake port on the north shore of the étang de Biscarrosse-Parentis, in the Landes, named after the aviation pioneer Pierre-Georges Latécoère.

Lavau-sur-Loire

Small tidal harbour on the north bank of the Loire estuary between Nantes and Saint-Nazaire, in the Brière regional park.

Le Becquet

Small tidal harbour on the east side of the Cherbourg peninsula, 5 km east of Cherbourg-en-Cotentin, Normandy.

Le Canon

Oyster-farming port on the east shore of the Cap Ferret peninsula, on the Bassin d'Arcachon. Rows of wooden cabins on stilts at the quayside, active shellfish trade and a handful of visitor moorings.

Le GUILDO

Drying harbour on the Arguenon estuary at Créhen, between Saint-Cast-le-Guildo and Saint-Jacut-de-la-Mer in the Côtes-d'Armor.

Le havre Les alluvions

Small harbour on the right bank of the Seine estuary at Tancarville, in the shadow of the Tancarville suspension bridge, Normandy.

Le Minihic-sur-Rance

Small harbour on the west bank of the Rance estuary between Dinard and Saint-Malo, in the tidal river upstream of the Rance tidal power station.

Le Pont Neuf

Tidal harbour on the Goulet de Fromentine channel, commune of La Barre-de-Monts in northern Vendée, opposite Noirmoutier.

Le Port des Pêcheurs

Small fishing harbour tucked under the cliffs of Biarritz, between the Grande Plage and the Rocher de la Vierge, on the Basque coast.

Le port du Loiron

Small drying harbour at Angoulins, on the Pertuis d'Antioche between Châtelaillon and La Rochelle.

Le rouet

Small harbour on the Côte Bleue at the east end of Carry-le-Rouet, between Marseille and Martigues.

Le Somail

Historic halt on the Canal du Midi at Le Somail, commune of Sallèles-d'Aude, Occitanie, about 15 km west of Narbonne.

Les Eaux Blanches

Shallow light-craft area on the étang de Thau at Sète, on the lagoon side of the Languedoc coast.

Les HÔPITAUX

Drying cove east of Cap d'Erquy in the Côtes-d'Armor, north Brittany, used by shallow-draught boats and local dinghies.

LesCanalous

Canal boat hire base on the Canal du Rhône à Sète at Carnon, commune of Mauguio, Hérault.

Locaboat

Canal boat rental base on the Canal du Nivernais near Corbigny, in the commune of Pazy in the Nièvre, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté.

Lock Mooring In Pound Danger Low Pier Cable In Front Of Mooring

Canal stop on the Canal des Vosges in Lorraine, Meurthe-et-Moselle, roughly halfway between Nancy and Épinal.

Locquemeau

Small drying harbour on the west side of the Baie de Lannion, in Trédrez-Locquémeau, northern Brittany.

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Locquirec

Tidal drying harbour of 433 moorings on the north coast of Finistère, at the mouth of the Douron estuary, between the bays of Lannion and Morlaix.

Lomener

Small harbour at Lomener in Ploemeur, on the Morbihan coast west of Lorient.

Lorient Port à sec

Dry stack marina of 280 spaces at Lorient La Base, on the west bank of the Ter, in the former submarine base of Keroman.

Lormont Bas

Small tidal harbour on the right bank of the Garonne in Lormont, across the river from Bordeaux.

Lumes

Small river halt on the Meuse in the Ardennes, 8 berths, south-east of Charleville-Mezieres.

Magouer

Small harbour on the west bank of the ria d'Étel at Plouhinec, facing the town of Étel across the channel in Morbihan.

Marennes

Oyster and pleasure port at the head of the Cayenne channel, on the right bank of the Seudre estuary in Charente-Maritime.

Marennes

Small tidal harbour at the head of the Seudre estuary, opposite the Île d'Oléron, in Charente-Maritime.

Marina Park Offendorf

Inland marina on a backwater of the Rhine at Offendorf, in the Bas-Rhin north of Strasbourg.