Île Sainte-Marguerite (Lérins)
Lérins Islands · Îles de Lérins
43°30.7'N 007°02.6'E
Depth
4–10m
Bottom
sand
Alarm Radius
80m
Holding
Good Holding
Recommended Anchor Alarm Radius
80m
80m on the north coast. Check DONIA for Posidonia patches before dropping. Use mooring buoys in season where available.
About This Anchorage
Île Sainte-Marguerite is the largest of the Lérins Islands, a wooded island 2nm from Cannes with no permanent population except the fort (where the Man in the Iron Mask was imprisoned). The north coast offers good Mistral shelter with mooring buoys and sandy patches between Posidonia. The south calanques are spectacularly clear in summer. Cannes marina is 2nm — easy provisioning by water taxi or dinghy. The island is a classified nature reserve: no camping, no fires, no picking vegetation.
Protected From
N · NW · NE · W
Exposed To
S · SE
Anchoring Rules
- Anchoring fee
- Free
- Mooring buoy fee
- €10–20/night (seasonal mooring buoys)
- Maximum stay
- 3 days
- Permit required
- No
Restrictions: Nature reserve — no camping, no fires, no vegetation picking. 3-knot speed limit within 300m of shore. Posidonia strictly enforced — DONIA app mandatory.
Hazards
- !Posidonia throughout — DONIA app required; €150,000 fine for anchoring on Posidonia
- !Mistral: NW coast anchorage untenable above 25kt — leave at once if Mistral forecast
- !Very crowded Jul–Aug: arrive before 08:00 for a mooring or anchor spot
- !Ferries from Cannes create large wash throughout the day
Skipper's Tips
- →May–June is ideal: Posidonia clear, crowds minimal, sea temperature warm enough for swimming.
- →Use the DONIA app the night before to identify sandy patches — avoid arriving and searching in a crowded anchorage.
- →The Île Saint-Honorat (100m W) is even quieter — smaller island, monastery, good N coast anchorage.
Facilities
One seasonal restaurant open May–Sep near the fort.
Nearest provisions: Cannes (2nm)
Best Months & Season
May, June, September, October
May–October. Avoid Mistral forecasts (NW). July–August: mooring buoys fill by 09:00 — book in advance via DONIA app.
Recommended Anchor Types
Nearby Anchorages
Set Your Anchor Alarm to 80m
Safety Anchor Alarm watches your GPS position continuously and sounds an instant alert if your boat drifts outside your set radius — critical on the Côte d'Azur where the Mistral can arrive overnight.
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