Visiting Villefranche-sur-Mer by yacht

Anchoring rules for the roadstead, the two ports and what the port lists each year.

Picture made with AI. It shows the place but is not a photograph.

Anchoring

Rules for the Villefranche roadstead

Orders of the Préfet maritime de la Méditerranée. They change often.

Main orderOrder 252/2022 of 8 August 2022 governs the roadstead. It replaced order 53/2020.

Closed zonesThree zones are closed to anchoring all year: zone 1 around the two Navy buoys, zone 2 east of pointe Pilone, and zone 3 near pointe de la Rascasse.

Navy buoysShips under compulsory pilotage that are piloted may stop on the two Navy buoys.

20 m and overA vessel of 20 m or more may anchor only beyond a limit line. The line is in annex I of order 204/2020, as replaced by order 122/2025.

Beaulieu bayOrder 117/2025 closes a Posidonia replanting zone in the bay of Beaulieu to all anchoring. The zone borders Beaulieu-sur-Mer, Villefranche-sur-Mer and Èze.

SpeedLimit of 5 knots north of the line from pointe Madame to pointe Pilone, beyond the 300 m coastal band.

The Préfet maritime also publishes short-term notices that close parts of the roadstead for works. Read the current orders on premar-mediterranee.gouv.fr before you anchor. Checked 7 November 2026.

The ports

Small ports with a long history

Darse

Listed since 1991

The Darse was built in the middle of the 16th century with the citadel. It has been a listed historic monument since 1991.

Santé

Cruise ship tenders

222,671

Cruise passengers at Port de la Santé in 2019. Pilots from Nice place cruise ships on the two Navy buoys of 10,000 and 35,000 tonnes.

Events

Yearly events the port lists

The port gives months only. It says the list is a guide and to ask the port for the season's dates.

Combat naval fleuri

February.

Défilé des barques fleuries

July.

Triathlon des mers

September.

Trophée Pasqui