Best anchorages and harbours in France

Pointe d'Agon

Sand anchorage in the Havre de Regnéville on the west coast of the Cotentin, 60 mooring buoys, sheltered from NW through SE.

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

Pointe de Mindin

Anchorage in the Loire estuary, on the south bank at Saint-Brevin-les-Pins, opposite Saint-Nazaire.

• Free
• Sheltered SW, S, SE

Port de Bouzigues

Oyster and yachting harbour of 172 berths on the north shore of the étang de Thau, Hérault.

Port de Nernier

Harbour of 225 berths on the French south shore of Lake Geneva, in the village of Nernier, Haute-Savoie.

Trevoux

Small river port on the Saône at Trévoux, Ain, with 5 berths, about 25 km north of Lyon.

Anse de Pinzuta

Cove on the Désert des Agriates coast of northern Corsica, between Île-Rousse and Saint-Florent.

• Sheltered NE, E, SE, S, SW

Anse du Rouet

Small calanque on the Côte Bleue, just east of Carry-le-Rouet inside the Parc marin de la Côte Bleue.

• Sheltered N, NE, NW

Baie de la Vierge

Anchorage on the north-east side of La Ciotat bay, sand bottom, shelter from W through N to NE, exposed to southerly swell.

• Sheltered NW, N, NE, W

Cala di Giunco

Sand-bottomed cove at the south-east tip of Corsica, between the Golfe de Sant'Amanza and the Cerbicale islands.

• Sheltered N, NE, E, SE

Grand-Cale - Porquerolles

Anchorage on the south coast of Porquerolles, within the Parc national de Port-Cros, between Calanque de l'Oustaou de Diou and the south-eastern headland of the island.

• Sheltered NW, N, NE, W

Honfleur Visitors "quais"

Visitor berths along the quays of the Vieux Bassin of Honfleur, at the south bank of the Seine estuary in Normandy. Six pontoon spaces for yachts under 14 m.

Les Sables d'Olonne - Port Olona

Non-tidal marina in Les Sables-d'Olonne, 1400 berths, maximum draught 5 m, starting harbour of the Vendée Globe solo round-the-world race.

Port du Crouesty

Large purpose-built marina at the southern tip of the Rhuys peninsula in Morbihan, just outside the entrance to the Gulf of Morbihan. 1432 berths over five basins.

Port Ferréol

Private residential marina at La Gaillarde, on the coast of the Var between Sainte-Maxime and Saint-Raphael.

Port Homard

Drying anchorage on the west coast of the Cotentin, north of Granville, sand bottom among granite rocks.

• Sheltered NW, N, NE, W, E

Portu Ricciaiu

Cove on the Revellata peninsula west of Calvi in Balagne, sand bottom, sheltered from NE through S.

• Sheltered NE, E, S, SE

Beaulieu-sur-mer

Marina of 719 berths between Cap Ferrat and Cap d'Ail on the French Riviera, tidal-free with a maximum draught of 4 m.

Calanque de Pouars

Narrow calanque on the southern coast of the Marseilleveyre massif, inside the Parc national des Calanques between Les Goudes and Morgiou.

• Sheltered S, SW, W, NW

Calanque du Port d'Alon

Rocky creek on the Saint-Cyr-sur-Mer coast, inside the Natura 2000 marine site between La Madrague and Bandol.

• Sheltered NW, N, NE

IGY Sète Marina

Large-yacht marina in the port of Sète, Hérault, with 17 berths designed for vessels up to 9 metres draught.

La Grande Grève

Sand anchorage on the east side of the Cotentin peninsula, 0.3 nm north of Barfleur harbour and 5.3 nm from Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue.

• Sheltered S, SW, W, NW

Lac d'Hourtin

Anchorage on Lac d'Hourtin-Carcans in the Médoc, France's largest natural freshwater lake at around 62 km2, west of the Gironde vineyards.

• Sheltered NW, N, W, SW

Les issambres - San perre

Sand-bottom anchorage off the shore of San Peïre-sur-Mer, in the Issambres district of Roquebrune-sur-Argens, on the Esterel coast of the Var.

• Sheltered NW, W, SW

Mouillage du Portet

Anchorage on the north-east side of Île Sainte-Marguerite in the Lérins islands, off Cannes.

• Sheltered SW, S, SE

Plage de Barcaggio

Anchorage off the northern tip of Cap Corse, facing the Giraglia lighthouse island, with sand, weed and rock patches on the bottom.

• Sheltered SE, S, 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.

Port de l’Isle Adam

River port of 140 berths on the Oise, 35 km north of Paris, in the Val-d'Oise.

Anse d'Arana

Rocky-bottom cove on the south-west coast of Corsica, between Tizzano and Porto Pollo, with shelter from N to E winds.

• Sheltered N, NE, E

Cala di Palma

Cove on the southern side of the Golfe de Sant'Amanza in southern Corsica, facing the Îles Lavezzi.

• Sheltered NW, N, NE, W

Calanque de Saint-Barthelmy

Red rock inlet of the Esterel massif on the Corniche d'Or, between Agay and Théoule-sur-Mer, mixed sand and weed bottom, sheltered from N, NE, W and NW winds.

• Sheltered N, NE, W, NW