Best anchorages and harbours in France

Île du Large (Ouest)

Rocky anchorage west of the Île du Large, one of the two Saint-Marcouf islands off the east coast of the Cotentin peninsula in Normandy.

• Sheltered NE, E

Îlot de l'Îlon

Anchorage off the small islet of l'Îlon on the south side of Île Sainte-Marguerite, the largest of the Lérins Islands off Cannes.

• Sheltered N, NE, NW

Isola Piana

Anchorage in the channel between Isola Piana and the Corsican shore, in the Bouches de Bonifacio, south of Bonifacio.

• Sheltered NW, N, W, SW

Plage de Pen Guen

Sand anchorage off the Cote d'Emeraude, 1.2 nm south of Saint-Cast-Port d'Armor.

• Sheltered SW, W, NW

Punta Mortella

Anchorage on the western side of the Golfe de Saint-Florent in Haute-Corse, at the foot of the Tour de la Mortella, on sand and weed.

• Sheltered NW, N, W

Anse de Portzen

Anchorage on the north shore of the Crozon peninsula, immediately west of Camaret-sur-Mer, in the Iroise marine park.

• Sheltered NW, N, NE

Baie des Fourmis

Small bay on the Beaulieu-sur-Mer waterfront on the French Riviera, between Nice and Cap Ferrat.

• Sheltered NW, N, W, SW

Cala di Stentinu

Sheltered cove on sand at the head of the Golfe de Santa Manza, eastern Corsica, south of Porto-Vecchio.

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

Halte Fluvial Ampuis

River halt on the Rhône at Ampuis, on the right bank of the Côte-Rôtie vineyards, about 10 km south of Vienne.

Île Saint-Riom (Sud)

Anchorage on the south side of Île Saint-Riom, in the Bay of Paimpol, northern Brittany.

• Sheltered NW, N, W

La Chambre

Sand-bottom anchorage on the south coast of Île-de-Groix, Brittany, sheltered from northerly winds.

• Paid
• Sheltered NW, N, NE

Plage d'argent

Sand beach anchorage on the west coast of Corsica, south of Tizzano in the Sartenais.

• Sheltered N, NE, E, S, SE

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 Chantereyne - Cherbourg-en-Cotentin

Marina of 1600 berths inside the Cherbourg roadstead, Normandy, sheltered by the largest artificial harbour in the world.

Poses

River port on the Seine upstream of Rouen, at the last tidal lock on the river.

Punta Guale

Anchorage on the western shore of the Gulf of Calvi in northern Corsica, sand and weed bottom, sheltered from NE to SE.

• Sheltered NE, E, SE

Saint-Louis du Mourillon

Marina of 265 berths in the Mourillon neighbourhood of Toulon, east of the naval base and the Vieille Darse, Var.

Ile Fourmi en Saône

River mooring on the Saône near Seurre, Côte-d'Or, in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté.

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

Le Petit Rhône

Anchorage on the Petit Rhône branch of the Rhône delta in Camargue, mud bottom, sheltered from northerly winds.

• Sheltered NW, N, NE

Plage Carrée

Sand cove between Locquémeau and Beg hent on the Trédrez-Locquémeau coast, Côtes-d'Armor.

• Sheltered W, E, SW, S, SE

Plage de la Croix

Anchorage in the bay of Concarneau in southern Brittany, sand bottom, just outside the Ville Close.

Saint-Brieuc - Le Légué

Lock-gated commercial and leisure harbour at the mouth of the Gouët, serving the city of Saint-Brieuc, with 250 berths.

Solenzara

Harbour of 450 berths on the east coast of Corsica, at the mouth of the Solenzara river, roughly midway between Bastia and Porto-Vecchio.

Cézembre Sud

Sand anchorage on the south side of Île de Cézembre, 2.5 NM WNW of Saint-Malo in the Rance estuary approaches.

• Sheltered NW, N

El Forat

Coastal anchorage on the Côte Vermeille between Port-Vendres and Banyuls-sur-Mer, mixed sand and rock bottom.

• Sheltered W

Petite île du Bindy

Anchorage in the rade de Brest near the entrance of the anse de Poulmic, sand and mud bottom, sheltered from the northerly sector.

• Sheltered NW, N, NE, W

Plage de Menasina Ouest

Anchorage off Menasina beach on the west coast of Corsica, between Cargèse and the Gulf of Sagone.

• Sheltered NW, N, NE, W, E

Plage de Port Navalo

Sand anchorage off the beach of Port-Navalo on the western tip of the Rhuys peninsula, at the mouth of the Golfe du Morbihan.

• Sheltered N, NE, E, SE

Port de plaisance de Metz

River marina of 40 berths on the Moselle in central Metz, Grand Est.

Baie du chapus

Shallow mud anchorage in the channel between the mainland at Bourcefranc-le-Chapus and the south-east coast of Île d'Oléron, crossed by the viaduct to Oléron.

• Sheltered W, E, SW, S, SE