Best anchorages and harbours in France

Pointe de l'Isulattu

Anchorage off the headland of Isulattu between Porto Pollo and the Gulf of Valinco, South Corsica, sand and weed bottom.

• Sheltered S, SW, W

Port de Montargis - Saint-Roch

Inland marina of 50 berths on the Canal de Briare at Montargis, Loiret, known locally as the Venice of the Gâtinais for its network of small urban canals.

Port du Bétey

Tidal harbour of 151 berths on the north-east shore of Arcachon Bay, at Andernos-les-Bains.

Anse de Sainte-Croix

Small cove on the Côte Bleue between Carro and Sausset-les-Pins, where anchoring is prohibited to protect the Posidonia seagrass meadow.

• Sheltered NW, N, NE

Île du Frioul

Marina of 800 berths on the Frioul archipelago, built in the strait between Pomègues and Ratonneau, 2.5 nautical miles off Marseille.

La Trinité-sur-Mer

Marina of 1250 berths on the estuary of the Crac'h river, between Carnac and the Gulf of Morbihan in southern Brittany.

Morville

Anchorage off Landrellec on the Côte de Granit Rose, Côtes-d'Armor, northern Brittany.

• Sheltered N, NE, E, SW, S, SE

Pointe Notre-Dame

Anchorage off the Pointe Notre-Dame on the Esterel coast at Théoule-sur-Mer, at the western end of the Gulf of La Napoule.

• Sheltered NW, W, SW

Port Guen

Cove on the north coast of Belle-Île-en-Mer, just east of Le Palais, with room for about 10 boats on sand.

• Sheltered NW, W, SW, S, SE

Port privé du Cap Bénat

Private marina on the west side of Cap Bénat, between Bormes-les-Mimosas and Le Lavandou, on the Var coast.

Port-Haliguen - Quiberon

Marina of 1300 berths on the east side of the Quiberon peninsula in southern Brittany, inside the Baie de Quiberon.

Baie d'Èze

Open roadstead on the Côte d'Azur between Cap d'Ail and Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, below the perched village of Èze.

• Sheltered NW, N, NE, W

Île de Maestro Maria

Anchorage on the west side of the Gulf of Porto-Vecchio, southern Corsica, 4.1 NM SE of the town harbour.

• Sheltered NE, E, SE

Île de Pinarellu

Anchorage in the lee of the small island of Pinarellu, off the beach of the same name, on the east coast of Corsica about 10 NM north of Porto-Vecchio.

• Sheltered NW, N, W, SW

Ile Ti Saoson

Anchorage in the lee of Ile Ti Saoson in the bay of Morlaix, between Carantec and Roscoff, Finistere.

• Sheltered NW, W, SW, S, SE

Kerrec levran

Sand-bottomed anchorage on the north Finistère coast of Brittany, sheltered from NE through SE winds.

• Sheltered NE, E, SW, S, SE

La Turballe

Fishing and leisure harbour of 329 berths on the Guérande peninsula, between Le Croisic and Piriac-sur-Mer, first sardine port of France.

Plage de Barbicaghja

Anchorage off Barbicaja beach on the north shore of the Gulf of Ajaccio, 2.5 nm west of Port Tino Rossi, on sand.

• Sheltered NW, N, NE, W, E

Plage de Saint Joseph

Anchorage off the sand beach of Saint-Joseph on the west coast of Corsica, sand bottom, sheltered from the north through east sectors, open to the westerly swell.

• Sheltered N, NE, E

Plage des Sables Blancs

Sand anchorage in the bay of La Forêt-Fouesnant, off the Sables Blancs beach at the western tip of Concarneau.

• Sheltered N, NE, E, SE

Ponto Canal de la Marne au Rhin

Small pontoon with 3 berths on the Canal de la Marne au Rhin Ouest at Demange-aux-Eaux, in the Meuse department.

Port de plaisance de Roscoff-Bloscon

Marina of 625 berths at Bloscon, east of the old town of Roscoff, on the north coast of Finistere.

Saint-Martin-de-Ré

Tidal port on the north coast of the Île de Ré in Charente-Maritime, inside the star-shaped Vauban fortifications.

Trébeurden

Tidal marina of 700 berths on the Côte de Granit Rose in northern Brittany, between Lannion and Perros-Guirec.

Pianottoli-Caldarello

Small harbour on the south coast of Corsica, about 12 km west of Bonifacio, sheltered behind the Bruzzi islets.

Treac'h er Gorlé

White sand anchorage on the north-east coast of Île d'Houat, Morbihan, sheltered from winds from SE through S to SW.

• Sheltered SE, S, SW

Baie de Roquebrune

Anchorage in the baie de Roquebrune between Monaco and Menton on the Côte d'Azur, off Roquebrune-Cap-Martin in the Alpes-Maritimes.

• Sheltered N, NE, E, NW

Cap Roux

Anchorage on the red porphyry coast of the Esterel massif, between Théoule-sur-Mer and Agay, Var.

• Sheltered N, S, SW, W, NW

Côte de la Hougue

Sand anchorage off the Cotentin east coast, 0.8 NM south of Saint-Vaast-la-Hougue in Normandy.

• Sheltered SW, W, NW

Frontignan

Commune port on the Canal du Rhône à Sète at Frontignan-la-Peyrade, between the Thau lagoon and the Mediterranean, Hérault.