Best anchorages and harbours in France

Honfleur

Lock-gated harbour at the mouth of the Seine estuary in Calvados, with the Vieux Bassin and Bassin de l'Est hosting around 50 visitor berths.

Punta Spano

Anchorage off Punta Spano, on the rocky coast between Lumio and Algajola, about 3 nautical miles north-east of Calvi in Balagne, Corsica.

• Sheltered NE, E

Saint Malo - Port Vauban

Marina of 196 berths in the Bassin Vauban, inside the walled city of Saint-Malo, accessible by lock from the commercial harbour.

Toulvern

Anchorage in the Golfe du Morbihan at the head of the Anse de Toulvern, west of the Île aux Moines, mud bottom, sheltered from winds from NE to SE.

• Sheltered NE, E, SE

Anse de Chiuni

Wide sandy bay on the west coast of Corsica, about 2.2 nm north of Cargèse.

• Sheltered NW, N, NE, E, SE

Auray - Bono

Anchorage of about 379 buoys on the rivers of Auray and Le Bono, in the northern Gulf of Morbihan.

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

Calanque de Port Pin

Narrow calanque between Port-Miou and En-Vau, inside the Parc national des Calanques, east of Marseille.

• Sheltered NW, N, NE, W, E

Cherbourg - Petite Rade

Prohibited anchorage zone inside the Petite Rade of Cherbourg, in Normandy. Yachts must use Port Chantereyne, 0.2 nm to the south.

• Sheltered NW, W, E, SW, S, SE

La Courtade

North-facing sandy bay on Île de Porquerolles, just east of the village harbour, the longest beach on the island at roughly 2 km, inside the Parc national de Port-Cros.

• Sheltered E, SW, S, SE

La Pie

Buoyed anchorage off the Île de la Pie, north of the Glénan archipelago in southern Brittany, 32 berths on sand.

• Paid
• Sheltered W, SW, S, SE

Morlaix

Lock-gated marina of 200 berths in the town of Morlaix, at the head of the Riviere de Morlaix, northern Finistere.

Pointe Saint-Samson

Anchorage in the approaches to the baie de Morlaix, northern Finistère, between Port Diben and Roscoff.

• Sheltered NE, E, SW, S, SE

Port de Méjean

Small rocky calanque on the Côte Bleue between Marseille and Carry-le-Rouet, west of l'Estaque.

• Sheltered NW, N, NE

Port Eden

Small private marina on the Etang de Thau at Marseillan, on the Canal du Midi side of the lagoon in Herault.

Villefranche - Santé

Small harbour tucked in the south-west corner of the Rade de Villefranche, between the old town and the Cap-Ferrat peninsula, on the Côte d'Azur.

Baie de Poulafret

Anchorage in the bay of Paimpol, 1.1 NM south-east of Paimpol marina on the north coast of Brittany.

• Sheltered W, NW

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

Cala di Palu

Rocky cove on the west coast of Corsica, between the Golfe de Porto and the Golfe de Sagone, south of the Scandola reserve.

• Sheltered NW, N, NE, E, SE

Île du Large (Est)

Rock-bottom anchorage on the east side of Île du Large, one of the Îles Saint-Marcouf, off the east coast of the Cotentin.

• Sheltered NW, N, W

Île Longue

Anchorage off Île Longue in the Golfe du Morbihan, on sand, sheltered from SW, W and NW.

• Sheltered SW, W, NW

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

Men er Beleg

Anchorage in the south-west of the Golfe du Morbihan off Locmariaquer, mud bottom, sheltered from winds from N through NE and E to NW.

• Sheltered N, NE, E, NW

Oissel Halt Fluvial

River halt on the Seine at Oissel, about 12 km upstream of Rouen, on the left bank in Normandy.

Plage du canot

Small cove on the south-west side of Île de Hoëdic, just west of Port de l'Argol.

• Sheltered W, SW, S, SE

Port Charles Ornano

Main marina of Ajaccio with 1007 berths, located north of the old town in the Golfe d'Ajaccio.

Port de Dahouët

Tidal harbour of 329 berths in a narrow rock inlet at Pléneuf-Val-André, on the Bay of Saint-Brieuc in Brittany.

Saint Jean De Losne

Inland boating hub on the Saône at the junction with the Canal de Bourgogne, Côte-d'Or.

Tabarka

Small marina on the south bank of the étang de Thau at Marseillan, next to the historic harbour of the village, in western Hérault.

Île de la Jument

Islet in the Golfe du Morbihan near Larmor-Baden. Anchoring is prohibited in the immediate vicinity.

• Sheltered NW, W, SW

Mont Saint-Michel

Tidal anchorage in the bay of Mont Saint-Michel, Normandy, off the UNESCO World Heritage abbey island. Sand and mud bottom, shelter from NW through SE.

• Sheltered NW, W, SW, S, SE