{"id":1654480,"date":"2026-10-26T15:26:41","date_gmt":"2026-10-26T14:26:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.toernfinder.de\/?p=1654480"},"modified":"2026-10-26T15:26:41","modified_gmt":"2026-10-26T14:26:41","slug":"vieux-port-marseille-segler","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.toernfinder.de\/en\/segelmagazin\/vieux-port-marseille-segler\/","title":{"rendered":"Vieux-Port Marseille: Arrival, Approach and Sailing Destinations for Sailors"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The Vieux-Port is the old harbour in the centre of Marseille: a long basin stretching from the entrance between Fort Saint-Jean and Fort Saint-Nicolas to the Quai des Belges. Here you'll learn how the Vieux-Port is laid out, where to berth as a visitor, when the Port de la Pointe Rouge in the south of the city is suitable, how to get there and which destinations lie close by, from the Frioul Islands to the Calanques.<\/p>\n<h2>The essentials at a glance<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>The Vieux-Port has around 3,200 berths on floating pontoons, accommodates yachts up to 70 metres and is 5 to 7 metres deep throughout the basin.<\/li>\n<li>Visiting yachts should report to the Capitainerie of the Vieux-Port on Quai Marcel Pagnol, located immediately after the entrance on the starboard side. It can be reached on VHF channel 9 and by telephone.<\/li>\n<li>Pointe Rouge lies around 4 nautical miles further south, has 1,480 berths for boats up to 15 metres and a fuel station at the harbour exit.<\/li>\n<li>From Marseille Provence Airport, the A1 shuttle bus runs to Saint-Charles station in 30 to 50 minutes; from there the M1 metro takes you to the Vieux-Port station.<\/li>\n<li>The best-known strong wind in the sailing area is the Mistral from the northwest. The coastal weather forecast for Marseille is issued by M\u00e9t\u00e9o-France and broadcast on VHF by the coastguard station CROSS La Garde.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Where is the Vieux-Port in Marseille?<\/h2>\n<p>The Vieux-Port is a rectangular harbour basin extending from west to east into the city. You enter from the west; on the south side are Quai Marcel Pagnol and Quai de Rive Neuve, on the north side the Quai du Port, and at the eastern end the Quai des Belges.<\/p>\n<p>Greek seafarers from Phocaea founded the city here around 2,600 years ago; the bay was then called Lacydon. Today it's home to leisure craft, excursion boats and fishing vessels. Ferries to Corsica and North Africa depart further north at the commercial port at La Joliette.<\/p>\n<p>The city's harbours are operated by the M\u00e9tropole Aix-Marseille-Provence. Part of the pontoons in the Vieux-Port are managed by two sailing clubs on behalf of the M\u00e9tropole: the Cercle Nautique et Touristique du Lacydon (CNTL) on Quai Marcel Pagnol and the Soci\u00e9t\u00e9 Nautique de Marseille on Quai de Rive Neuve. The club pontoons are mainly for permanent berth holders, with only a few visitor berths available.<\/p>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<th>Feature<\/th>\n<th>Vieux-Port<\/th>\n<th>Pointe Rouge<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Location<\/td>\n<td>City centre, entrance in the west, basin extends to Quai des Belges<\/td>\n<td>South of the city (8th arrondissement), around 6 km as the crow flies from the Vieux-Port<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Berths<\/td>\n<td>around 3,200<\/td>\n<td>1.480<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Boat length<\/td>\n<td>up to 70 m<\/td>\n<td>up to 15 m<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Water depth<\/td>\n<td>5\u20137 m in outer harbour and basin<\/td>\n<td>3\u20137 m in basin<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Mooring<\/td>\n<td>on floating pontoons<\/td>\n<td>on mooring lines<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Harbour telephone<\/td>\n<td>+33 4 91 99 75 60<\/td>\n<td>+33 4 91 99 75 67<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Harbour office VHF channel<\/td>\n<td>9<\/td>\n<td>enquire in advance<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Fuel station<\/td>\n<td>enquire in advance<\/td>\n<td>at harbour exit, card-operated pump<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>hoist and crane<\/td>\n<td>20 t, cranes 6 t<\/td>\n<td>30 t, cranes 1.5 t<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Sewage pump-out<\/td>\n<td>yes<\/td>\n<td>enquire in advance<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>Electricity, water, sanitary facilities and ice are available in both harbours.<\/p>\n<h2>Where do you berth as a visitor in the Vieux-Port?<\/h2>\n<p>Visitor berths are allocated by the Capitainerie des Vieux-Port on Quai Marcel Pagnol. It is located directly behind the entrance on the starboard side, just after the Palais du Pharo, where the reception for visiting yachts is also situated.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-1654437\" src=\"https:\/\/www.toernfinder.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/marseille-vieux-port-yachten-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"Yachts in the Vieux-Port of Marseille\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.toernfinder.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/marseille-vieux-port-yachten-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.toernfinder.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/marseille-vieux-port-yachten-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.toernfinder.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/marseille-vieux-port-yachten-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.toernfinder.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/marseille-vieux-port-yachten-16x12.jpg 16w, https:\/\/www.toernfinder.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/marseille-vieux-port-yachten-600x450.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.toernfinder.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/marseille-vieux-port-yachten.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Visitor berths are limited in relation to the size of the harbour. Therefore, call ahead by telephone or on VHF channel 9 and ask whether anything is available for your boat length. Anyone looking for a berth at one of the clubs should enquire there directly.<\/p>\n<h3>Entering the Vieux-Port<\/h3>\n<p>The entrance, the Grande Passe, is passable in all weathers; you enter on an easterly course. On the north shore stands the Fort Saint-Jean, on the south shore the Fort Saint-Nicolas, and further west the Palais du Pharo on its headland.<\/p>\n<p>The harbour is busy. Excursion boats and the Navettes, the scheduled ferries to Frioul, Pointe Rouge and L'Estaque, run in and out all day during the season. In addition, the Ferry Boat crosses the harbour between Quai du Port and Quai de Rive Neuve every ten minutes. Go slowly and keep your distance from these vessels.<\/p>\n<p>Harbour regulations prohibit swimming and diving in the harbour basins. On public holidays, such as the national holiday on 14 July or during fireworks displays, the M\u00e9tropole closes the Vieux-Port completely to shipping, usually from midday until after the fireworks. The dates are announced in advance, and the Capitainerie will tell you what currently applies.<\/p>\n<h2>How do you make fast in the Vieux-Port and in Pointe Rouge?<\/h2>\n<p>In the Vieux-Port you lie at floating pontoons, in Pointe Rouge on mooring lines. You do not need a bow anchor in Pointe Rouge.<\/p>\n<h3>In the Vieux-Port<\/h3>\n<p>Which berth you are allocated and whether you lie alongside or on lines is confirmed when you register at the Capitainerie des Vieux-Port. Therefore, lay out mooring lines and fenders on both sides before entering.<\/p>\n<h3>In Pointe Rouge<\/h3>\n<p>Mooring lines are lines made fast to a chain or block on the seabed. You pick them up at the pontoon with the boathook and make them fast at the bow; the stern lies on your own lines to the pontoon. Your berth is allocated by the Pointe Rouge harbour office.<\/p>\n<h2>When is Pointe Rouge the better choice?<\/h2>\n<p>Pointe Rouge suits you if you have a boat up to 15 metres and want to lie away from the city bustle, refuel or get to the Calanques more quickly. The harbour is in the south of the city by a beach, around 4 nautical miles from the Vieux-Port by water.<\/p>\n<p>With 1,480 berths, Pointe Rouge is one of the city's large harbours after the Vieux-Port. The basin is 3 to 7 metres deep. At the harbour exit there is a fuel station with a card-operated pump, and for work ashore a lifting installation for 30 tonnes and two slipways. You are not permitted to enter the breakwaters at the area for dinghies and small sailing boats.<\/p>\n<p>You can reach the city from late April to late September with the Navette, which takes around 35 minutes to the Vieux-Port.<\/p>\n<h2>Good to know for your first day in Marseille<\/h2>\n<p>You can do basic shopping on foot in the city centre; for the big weekly shop you drive to one of the hypermarkets on the city outskirts. You will find a doctor, pharmacy and emergency services in the city.<\/p>\n<h3>Shopping<\/h3>\n<p>A large supermarket within walking distance is the Monoprix at 36 Canebi\u00e8re, a good 400 metres from the east end of the Vieux-Port. From Quai Marcel Pagnol you walk along Quai de Rive Neuve for about a quarter of an hour. It is open daily, shorter hours on Sundays.<\/p>\n<p>For a big shop, a car is worthwhile. The hypermarket in the Grand Littoral shopping centre in the 15th arrondissement is around 9 kilometres as the crow flies to the north and is open Monday to Saturday from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., not on Sundays (as of October 2026). Anyone berthed in Pointe Rouge has the Carrefour on Avenue de Hambourg in Bonneveine, a supermarket around 2 kilometres away. Whether a delivery service will bring provisions to the pontoon is best asked at the harbour office where you are berthed.<\/p>\n<h3>Parking<\/h3>\n<p>Whether there are parking spaces for visitors at the harbour and what they cost should be clarified in advance with the harbour office. For crew without a car, the Vieux-Port is easily accessible by metro and bus.<\/p>\n<h3>Doctor and pharmacy<\/h3>\n<p>The adult A&amp;E in the city centre is at H\u00f4pital de la Timone, 264 Rue Saint-Pierre, about 2.5 kilometres east of the Vieux-Port. For a pharmacy on night, Sunday or public holiday duty, call the national number 3237.<\/p>\n<h3>Emergency numbers in France<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>112: European emergency number<\/li>\n<li>15: ambulance service (SAMU), 17: police, 18: fire brigade<\/li>\n<li>196: Sea rescue by telephone from the coast; at sea use VHF channel 16 first<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>How do you get to the Vieux-Port?<\/h2>\n<p>From the airport and the railway station you can reach the Vieux-Port easily by public transport; the hub is Saint-Charles station.<\/p>\n<h3>By air<\/h3>\n<p>The airport is northwest of the city in Marignane. Shuttle bus A1 runs daily from the airport, stop between halls 1 and 3\u20134, to the bus station at Saint-Charles station. The journey takes 30 to 50 minutes depending on traffic; during the day buses run several times an hour. A taxi will take you and your luggage directly to the quay.<\/p>\n<h3>By train and metro<\/h3>\n<p>The main station, Saint-Charles, is about one kilometre as the crow flies from the Vieux-Port. Metro line M1 runs from there to Vieux-Port station; trains run roughly from 5 a.m. to midnight, every 5 to 15 minutes. You can pay for a single ticket contactlessly with your bank card at the stations.<\/p>\n<h3>By car<\/h3>\n<p>By car you can drive right to the quay to drop off crew and luggage.<\/p>\n<h2>What weather can you expect off Marseille?<\/h2>\n<p>The best-known strong wind off Marseille is the mistral. In the Marseille area it blows from the northwest.<\/p>\n<p>For the Vieux-Port this means: in the basin you lie sheltered, but outside in the bay and on the way to the Calanques it can get uncomfortable in a mistral. Strong winds in the Mediterranean often give little advance warning. A look at the forecast is therefore essential before every passage, even if the morning is calm. Read more about the mistral and the other wind systems in the article about <a href=\"\/en\/sailing-magazine\/mediterranean-winds\/\">Good months for a trip through the region are April, May, September and October. The weather is mild, it's less crowded ashore and the midsummer heat is absent. You can read how the winds in Greece work in our article about<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>Which marine weather forecast applies in Marseille?<\/h2>\n<p>For Marseille the coastal weather forecast from M\u00e9t\u00e9o-France applies for the area \"Provence, from Port-Camargue to Saint-Rapha\u00ebl\". The maritime rescue coordination centre CROSS La Garde broadcasts it on VHF, and each broadcast is announced beforehand on channel 16.<\/p>\n<p>For the Bay of Marseille the relay station Planier broadcasts on VHF channel 80 at 7.33, 13.33 and 19.33 French time. If wind reaches force 7 Beaufort or more, M\u00e9t\u00e9o-France issues a gale warning which CROSS La Garde repeats every hour. Via Navtex the forecast comes in English from station La Garde, identifier W, on 518 kHz (as at October 2026). All broadcast methods are explained in the <a href=\"https:\/\/meteofrance.fr\/sites\/meteofrance.fr\/files\/files\/editorial\/Guide_marine_octobre2022.pdf\">Marine weather guide from M\u00e9t\u00e9o-France<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>Where can you go from Marseille?<\/h2>\n<p>On the doorstep are the Frioul Islands, to the south the Calanques with their steep rocky inlets, and to the west the C\u00f4te Bleue. The distances are rounded sea routes on the usual course from the Vieux-Port; for precise planning use the chart.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-large wp-image-1654438\" src=\"https:\/\/www.toernfinder.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/marseille-calanque-cassis-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"Calanque near Cassis\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.toernfinder.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/marseille-calanque-cassis-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.toernfinder.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/marseille-calanque-cassis-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.toernfinder.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/marseille-calanque-cassis-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.toernfinder.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/marseille-calanque-cassis-16x12.jpg 16w, https:\/\/www.toernfinder.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/marseille-calanque-cassis-600x450.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.toernfinder.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/marseille-calanque-cassis.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>Frioul and Ch\u00e2teau d'If<\/h3>\n<p>The Frioul Islands lie about 3 nautical miles off the Vieux-Port; their island harbour between Ratonneau and Pom\u00e8gues has berths for visitors and a fuel station. The small island with the Ch\u00e2teau d'If lies about 2 nautical miles away on the way there.<\/p>\n<h3>Calanques<\/h3>\n<p>South of the city begins the Calanques National Park, which also includes the Frioul Islands. The island of Riou is about 8 nautical miles away, the Calanque de Sormiou about 10 and the Calanque de Morgiou about 11 nautical miles. To Cassis it is about 16 nautical miles.<\/p>\n<p>Fixed rules apply in the national park. Within 300 metres of the coast you travel at no more than 5 knots; you must not make fast to yellow buoys that mark boundaries. In some zones anchoring or passage is completely prohibited; the boundaries are shown on the park's chart, which you should look at before your trip. White buoys are ecological moorings where divers have priority.<\/p>\n<h3>C\u00f4te Bleue and L'Estaque<\/h3>\n<p>L'Estaque in the north of the city you can reach in about 5 nautical miles, round the outside of the long breakwater of the commercial port. The harbour basin there is only a good 2 metres deep and so suits boats with shallow draught up to 20 metres in length. Further west follows the C\u00f4te Bleue; to Carry-le-Rouet it is about 10 nautical miles. Those on a longer passage can also cross from Marseille to Corsica.<\/p>\n<h2>What can you do ashore in Marseille?<\/h2>\n<p>From the Vieux-Port you can reach the city's best-known attractions on foot or with a short journey. The distances are as the crow flies from the eastern end of the harbour.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Fort Saint-Jean and Mucem: The Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilisations has stood since 2013 on the J4 jetty at the harbour entrance, about one kilometre away. A high footbridge connects it with Fort Saint-Jean. You can walk through the fort and its garden free of charge; only the exhibitions require an entrance ticket. Closed on Tuesdays.<\/li>\n<li>Le Panier: The old town quarter sits on a hill directly behind the Quai du Port. Through narrow lanes you come to Place de Lenche, Mont\u00e9e des Accoules and Vieille Charit\u00e9. A second bridge leads across from Fort Saint-Jean.<\/li>\n<li>Notre-Dame de la Garde: The basilica stands about 1.2 kilometres to the south on a hill nearly 150 metres high. The present church was built from 1853 onwards; the large statue of the Virgin Mary on the tower was completed in 1869. Bus 60 runs up there from the Vieux-Port.<\/li>\n<li>Ferry Boat: The ferry has crossed the harbour since 1880, covering 283 metres between Quai du Port and Quai de Rive Neuve. It runs daily from 7:30 to 20:30, roughly every ten minutes, and takes three to four minutes.<\/li>\n<li>Ch\u00e2teau d'If: The fortress on the island goes back to King Francis I; later it was a prison and features in the novel \"The Count of Monte Cristo\". Without your own boat, you can take the scheduled ferry from the Vieux-Port; the Ch\u00e2teau is closed on Mondays.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Timetables for the Navettes to Pointe Rouge and L'Estaque can be found at the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.marseille-tourisme.com\/organisez-votre-sejour\/acces-et-infos-pratiques\/les-navettes-maritimes-a-marseille\/\">Marseille Tourist Office<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>Sailing trips from Marseille on T\u00f6rnfinder<\/h2>\n<p>Sailing trips from Marseille take you to the Frioul Islands, into the Calanques, along the Proven\u00e7al coast or across to Corsica. Trips to these destinations can be found under <a href=\"\/en\/cabin-charter-corsica\/\">Cabin Charter in Corsica<\/a>. Offers throughout the country can be found on T\u00f6rnfinder under <a href=\"\/en\/cabin-charter-france\/\">Sailing in France<\/a>Many sailing trips depart from Trogir: seven charter companies alone have their base at SCT Marina, and there are also charter agencies at ACI Marina. An overview of offers throughout the country can be found on T\u00f6rnfinder under <a href=\"\/en\/cabin-charter-mediterranean\/\">Sailing in the Mediterranean<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n<h3>Where do visiting yachts register in the Vieux-Port?<\/h3>\n<p>At the Capitainerie du Vieux-Port on Quai Marcel Pagnol, just inside the entrance on the starboard side. Announce your arrival beforehand on VHF channel 9 or by calling +33 4 91 99 75 60, as guest berths are scarce.<\/p>\n<h3>How large a yacht can the Vieux-Port accommodate?<\/h3>\n<p>The Vieux-Port takes yachts up to 70 metres; the basin is 5 to 7 metres deep. In Pointe Rouge, boats up to 15 metres can berth.<\/p>\n<h3>Can you refuel in Marseille?<\/h3>\n<p>In Pointe Rouge there is a fuel station with a card-operated pump at the harbour exit. Whether you can refuel in the Vieux-Port should be checked with the Capitainerie du Vieux-Port.<\/p>\n<h3>How do you get from the airport to the Vieux-Port?<\/h3>\n<p>Take shuttle bus A1 to Saint-Charles station (30 to 50 minutes), then metro M1 two stops to Vieux-Port. By taxi you drive directly to the quay.<\/p>\n<h3>How far is it from the Vieux-Port to the Calanques?<\/h3>\n<p>The Calanque de Sormiou lies about 10 nautical miles away by water, Cassis about 16. In the national park, a speed limit of 5 knots applies near the coast.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How the Vieux-Port in Marseille is laid out, where visiting yachts berth, when Port Pointe Rouge is suitable, how to get there and which destinations from Frioul to the Calanques are nearby.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":67,"featured_media":1654431,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[536],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1654480","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-reviere-haefen","category-536","description-off"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.toernfinder.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1654480","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.toernfinder.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.toernfinder.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.toernfinder.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/67"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.toernfinder.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1654480"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.toernfinder.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1654480\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1654604,"href":"https:\/\/www.toernfinder.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1654480\/revisions\/1654604"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.toernfinder.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1654431"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.toernfinder.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1654480"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.toernfinder.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1654480"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.toernfinder.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1654480"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}