France » Biskaya / Golfe de Gascogne

Additional informations: Piers, ports & harbours with informations on waters. House boat & yacht charter.

Information to the French coasts: Gulf of Biscayne



























A paradise for sailors,
but because of the heavy to stormy winds, one for experienced sailors only. The inland of this favoured holiday destination also offers a lot. From the Gulf of Morbihan on the south coast of Brittany with its mild Gulf Stream climate to the dunes of Aquitaine, before the Spanish border, there are dozens of ports and marinas. Mostly big to huge complexes for tourism (the biggest offers 2600 berths!). The charming fishing villages of Brittany can be found at best on the islands off the coast. But normally they don’t offer any berths.



















Brittany – Brest to St. Nazaire
Everything reminds one of England, the surroundings, the houses, people…, the vegetation is, thanks to the Gulf Stream, almost Mediterranean. The most important islands off shore are: Belle-Ile and Ile de Groix, two rather wild treasures.

Poitou Charente - Nantes to Royan
From Pornic to the mouth of the Gironde, lie, with a few interruptions, the favoured beaches of the less glamourous Parisians. The islands of Noirmoutier, Ile de Ré and Ile d’Oléron are all connected to the mainland by bridges. Noirmoutier profits from the Gulf Stream in a way that it was able to deliver early grown potatoes to half of Europe far into the last century. Today, people live of their oyster and mussel beds, from tourism as well as some agriculture.
The island has two small fishing villages but no berths for visiting yachts.
Ile de Ré is very touristy and has a small marina; unfortunately it hardly has any berths for visitors.
Also Oléron has, with the bridge, become something like a peninsula. The Oléronians wouldn’t agree to this!
All three islands have 2400 hours of sunshine a year, an almost Mediterranean climate, the surroundings with beautiful sandy beaches and stone pines in common.

Information to L’Aquitaine: From the Gironde to the Spanish border
Lovers of wine would like to stay for ever.. . The estuary starts at the north bank of the Gironde with the town port of Pauillac and the newly constructed Marina “Médoc”, followed by the enormous Marina of Arcachon, offering berths for 2600 yachts. If one feels like a swim on one of the beaches, flanked by huge dunes, one is better off choosing one of the smaller harbours like Fontainville, in the basin of Arcachon or the one of Capbreton. The basin of Arcachon, with the biggest dune of France, the stone pines and preserve areas also has charming fishing ports and oyster banks.