Best anchorages and harbours in France

Port du Pavé Charron

Small drying oyster and mussel harbour on the Baie de l'Aiguillon, at Charron in Charente-Maritime, at the edge of the Marais Poitevin.

Port du Pavillon

Freshwater harbour of 70 berths on the Étang de Sanguinet, north Landes, about 10 km south of the Arcachon basin by land.

Port du Porsmoric

Small anchorage on the Laita estuary between Guidel and Le Pouldu in south Brittany, sand bottom, well sheltered on most bearings.

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

Port du Riou

Small marina on the Riou estuary at Mandelieu-la-Napoule, between Cannes and the Estérel massif.

Port Du Yaudet

Drying anchorage at the mouth of the Léguer river on the commune of Ploulec'h, Côtes-d'Armor, Brittany.

Port Fouquet

Anchorage on the north coast of Belle-Île-en-Mer, between Le Palais and Sauzon, sheltered from southerly winds.

• Sheltered SW, S, SE

Port Grégau

Secondary basin of La Grande-Motte marina on the Gulf of Lion coast of Occitanie, used mainly as an annex to the main harbour.

Port jean gau

Small municipal port on the right bank of the Orb river at Valras-Plage, Occitanie, named after the French solo circumnavigator Jean Gau.

Port Laurent

Anchorage on the Rance estuary near La Richardais, between Saint-Malo and Dinard.

• Sheltered NE, E, SE

Port lazo

Drying harbour in the anse de Lazo on the commune of Plouézec, 3,5 NM east of Paimpol in the Côtes-d'Armor.

Port Mahon

Shallow pontoon on the étang de Bages-Sigean, commune of Sigean, Aude.

Port Maravenne

Marina on the coast of La Londe-les-Maures, between Hyères and Bormes-les-Mimosas, facing the Îles d'Hyères.

Port Margaridon

Small marina on the Étang de Berre in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, on the southern shore of the lagoon near Martigues.

Port Maria Quiberon

Fishing and ferry port on the south shore of the Quiberon peninsula, Morbihan, 1.2 NM southwest of Port-Haliguen marina.

Port Minic

Small tidal harbour on the west bank of the Rance estuary at Le Minihic-sur-Rance, between Dinan and Saint-Malo in Brittany.

Port Mulon

River port on the Erdre at Nort-sur-Erdre, Loire-Atlantique. The Erdre is a tributary of the Loire and is navigable from Nantes to Nort.

Port Nautica

Marina on the Leucate lagoon at Le Barcarès, on the Occitan coast north of Perpignan.

Port Niscop

Small harbour on the west bank of the Étel ria, in Morbihan, just north of the Étel bar.

Port of Bully

Leisure harbour on the Villerest reservoir on the Loire, on the largest meander of the river, in the Loire department.

Port Olga

Marina on the Étang de Berre at Martigues, linked to the Mediterranean via the Canal de Caronte.

Port Paladru

Freshwater port on the Lac de Paladru in Isère, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes. The lake is 5.9 km long and 1 km wide, the fifth largest natural lake in France, set at 492 m of altitude.

Port pors poulhan

Small harbour on the south coast of the Cap Sizun, on the boundary between Plouhinec and Plozévet in Finistère.

Port Racine

Small tidal harbour at Saint-Germain-des-Vaux on the Cap de la Hague peninsula, often cited as the smallest port in France.

Port Saint-Michel

Open anchorage off the south coast of the Le Croisic peninsula, Loire-Atlantique.

• Sheltered NE, E, SE

Port Saint-Sauveur

Small harbour on the Trégor coast of northern Brittany, with 6 berths and limited draught.

Port Siblu - Gastes

Small freshwater harbour on Lake Cazaux-Sanguinet, attached to the Siblu Les Viviers holiday village, on the western shore of the lake in the Landes.

Port Sisley

Seine river marina on the right bank at Villeneuve-la-Garenne, north-west of Paris, between the Gennevilliers industrial port and the Île Saint-Denis.

Port st gildas

Marina of 288 berths at Préfailles, on the south side of the Pointe Saint-Gildas at the entrance of the Loire estuary.

Port Sud

Pleasure port on the Canal du Midi at Ramonville-Saint-Agne, on the south-east outskirts of Toulouse.

Port Terra

Marina of around 250 berths in Martigues, on the south bank of the Canal de Caronte linking the Étang de Berre to the Golfe de Fos.