This is the easternmost port covered by the Digimap marina pages and one of the prettiest towns to visit.
Vieux Bassin, Honfleur, photo by Caroline Charnock June 2024
Beautiful Honfleur, but packed with people ashore on a Wednesday evening in August – photos by Colin Le Conte 2016
A beautiful old inner marina looks amazing and at the end of August 2016 was not too busy.
Visitors pontoon is on the left of the picture
The swing bridge which provides the entrance to the Inner Harbour
The bridge is called the Lieutenant’s bridge
Opening times FROM MAY TO AUGUST – Every day – 8:30/9:30/10:30/11:30 AM, 3:30/4:30/5:30/6:30 PM
It would appear the inner harbour can get very busy based on this marinas.com photo
The inner marina is a magnet for visitors and was crowded with people on the busy market Wednesday evening.
Secure gates for the outer and quieter visitors pontoon
Some rafting up at the end of August
The view as you approach the visitors’ pontoon
Walkway to the visitors’ pontoon
If you want a quieter area, then you can moor on the outer pontoon which is closer to the lock gate. It is less overlooked but can suffer from the passing trawlers and other boats that create a wash. This is particularly disturbing at night. Most boats were fine and courteous but there is always the odd boat that goes too fast.
At the end of the outer pontoon, there is room for a large visiting boat which would have its stern against the end of the pontoon. This should work well and accommodate 80ft or perhaps longer boats. Do call them first if you have a boat of this size.
News 2019 – The inner basin (through the bridge) has had more fingers fitted to it along the NW side (by all the restaurants). Many of them were empty and it seemed to me that there were no visitors in there. The visitor pontoon was busy and boats were rafted up but none were inside the basin. Might be worth checking in advance, if boats want to go through the bridge into the basin. Thanks Chad
Honfleur is lovely but the mooring and facilities for visiting yachtsmen are limited. The marina office is very helpful but not a very convenient location. There is room for around 8 boats in the outer pontoons and they can only accommodate a few boats in the old marina without rafting up.
The facilities reflect the same, 1 block with 2 toilets and 2 showers for the inner and outer marinas cannot accommodate many people.
We would have liked to have tried the old inner marina but the 2 boats were poorly moored and so took up all the room. There is potential for a central pontoon in the old marinas but no plans.
Navigation
The approaches to Honfleur is not covered in this page other than please do your research as you should go the wrong side of the red buoys going up the channel in order to keep clear of the larger vessels (apart from red buoy 6). You need to pass through outer lock gates to enter the port. These may be open for free flow or closed for lock access.
The outer pontoon is then accessed easily, whereas the inner old harbour has a swing bridge which only opens occasionally.
Approaching the lock from the Seine – opened for free flow
Approaching Honfleur having passed through the lock
Approaching the lock from Honfleur
Ferry leaving the lock going into the Seine
Tie points float up and down in the lock – good idea
The marina office is near the old harbour and the facilities are near the outer pontoon.
The harbour office down a small alley on the left of the old harbour as you enter it
The public facilities next door were good so the marina facilities should be of a similar standard. There are only 2 toilets and 2 showers for the men and the same for the ladies. You have to open the door really quickly once you have entered the code (written on the gate to the pontoon) otherwise it will lock again.
There is no WiFi in the outer visitor mooring area.
Fuelling – Fuel is available at a pontoon on the NE side of the Avant Port just before the bridge into the Bassin de L’Est. The Reeds Almanac has the fuel symbol on the wrong side. The pontoon is about 25m long. There is an automatic shutter and therefore you need to get the PIN from the control room at the bridge. The pump has an automatic card system which allows a maximum of 1,200 euros. (report from Chad, 2019)
Contact Information
e-mail address cnh14@wanadoo.fr
Address Secrétariat du Cercle Nautique de Honfleur, 8 rue Saint Antoine
Tel no 02 31 98 87 13
Official website
Lots of useful information including navigation and lock times
Useful websites
www.noonsite.com/Countries/France/Honfle…
www.french-waterways.com/waterways/lehav…
www.calvados-tourisme.co.uk/diffusio/en/…
www.calvados-nautisme.com/ports-de-plais…
Restaurants – www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurants-g187189-…