Best anchorages and harbours in France

Calanque du Blé

Small rocky cove on the south side of the Giens peninsula, west of Port du Niel, in the Var.

• Sheltered NE, E

Calanque Longue

Narrow calanque on the west coast of Île du Levant, inside the Port-Cros national park.

• Sheltered W, SW, S

club Maine marine

River mooring on the Sarthe south of Le Mans, run by the Club Maine Marine at Arnage.

• Sheltered SE

Cupabia W

Anchorage on the west side of the baie de Cupabia, between Porto Pollo and Propriano on the west coast of Corsica.

• Sheltered NW, N, NE, E

Foleux

River marina of about 400 berths on the Vilaine, around 6 nautical miles upstream of Arzal lock, on the border of Morbihan and Loire-Atlantique.

Golfe de Santa Giulia sud

Buoy field of 30 moorings in the southern part of the Golfe de Santa Giulia, under Punta di Folaca, south of Porto-Vecchio.

• Paid
• Sheltered NW, N, W, SW, S

Halte Fluviale Lyon Confluence

River pontoon of 10 berths at the confluence of the Rhône and Saône in central Lyon, alongside the Confluence district.

Île des Hebihens

Anchorage off the Île des Hébihens in the bay of Lancieux, western approach to the Rance estuary, with sand and rock patches on the bottom.

• Sheltered NW, N, W, SW

Ile Rousse

Marina of 180 berths in Balagne, north-west Corsica, sharing the basin with a ferry terminal serving the mainland.

Île Tatihou

Anchorage off the small island of Tatihou at the entrance to Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue, Cotentin, sand bottom, sheltered from winds from NW through N and NE to W.

• Sheltered NW, N, NE, W

Le Trieux

Anchorage on the Trieux river in northern Brittany, mud bottom, sheltered from all directions by the wooded banks.

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

Les Sept îles - Baden

Anchorage with 36 mooring spots off Baden in the Gulf of Morbihan, sand bottom, fully exposed to wind from every direction.

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

Nice - Lympia

Historic harbour at the foot of Colline du Château in Nice, 450 berths, tidal-free Mediterranean basin with 4.1 m maximum draught.

Plage des Aresquiers

Open roadstead anchorage off the Plage des Aresquiers, between Frontignan and Vic-la-Gardiole on the Occitanie coast.

• Sheltered NW, N, W

Pointe de Locquirec

Anchorage off the Locquirec headland on the north Finistère coast, sand bottom, shelter from W to SE winds.

• Sheltered W, SW, S, SE

Pointe de Penkernéo

Anchorage at the mouth of the Aven and Bélon rivers in southern Finistère, off Port-Manec'h on the Cornouaille coast.

• Sheltered NW, N, NE, W, E

St Jacques

River port of 25 berths on the Seine at Le Mée-sur-Seine, south of Melun in Seine-et-Marne, left bank.

UNCD Marseille

Union Nautique et Cercle des Dériveurs club basin inside the Vieux-Port of Marseille, 100 berths, max draught 2.4 m.

Anse de Goërem

Small cove on the west side of the Gâvres peninsula, in the Lorient roadstead, southern Brittany.

• Sheltered NE, E, SE

Banyuls-sur-Mer

Marina of 363 berths in the Banyuls bay, on the Côte Vermeille between the Pyrenees and the Spanish border, Occitanie.

Beg an Fry

Bay on the north Finistère coast between Locquirec and Primel-Trégastel, at the western end of the Baie de Lannion.

• Paid
• Sheltered E, SE, S, SW, W

Collioure

Catalan harbour on the Cote Vermeille, 30 km south of Perpignan, tucked between Cap Bear and the Pyrenees foothills.

Fumay

Municipal marina of 20 berths on the Meuse in the Ardennes, on a tight loop of the river at the old slate capital of Fumay.

Golfe de Topidi

Sandy anchorage on the west coast of Corsica, 3.1 NM north of Cargese in the Golfe de Sagone area.

• Sheltered NE, E, SE

Grande Calanque

Anchorage on the east side of Pomègues in the Frioul archipelago off Marseille, sand bottom.

• Sheltered NW, N, W

Grotta dei Vecchi Marinai

Anchorage at the foot of the Revellata cliffs, west of Calvi, on the north-west coast of Corsica.

• Sheltered NE, E, SE

La Patache

Sand anchorage off Pointe de la Patache, on the north-west tip of Île de Ré, at the outer entrance of the Fier d'Ars.

• Sheltered NW, N, W, SW, S, SE

Le vasard de Beychevelle

Mud bank anchorage on the Gironde estuary off Beychevelle, in the Médoc vineyards of Nouvelle-Aquitaine.

• Sheltered NW, NE, W, E

Les pierres hautes

Anchorage on the south side of île Sainte-Marguerite, îles de Lérins off Cannes, sand bottom.

• Sheltered N, NE, NW

Plage de Nantois

Sand-bottom anchorage off Plage de Nantois on the north coast of Brittany, between Le Val-André and Dahouët in the Baie de Saint-Brieuc.

• Sheltered W, E, SW, S, SE