Les Anses d’Arlet - Docking

There are two bays here. Both are anchorages and both have a pier where it is possible to land with a dinghy. New moorings were installed in February 2020.

Grande Anse D’Arlet

Grande Anse is the northern bay and the more popular one with cruisers. It is however more commercial and Petit Anse has a much nicer beach and snorkeling.

Moorings must be used by any boat under 25 tons. No anchoring permitted.

There are now 52 moorings here for visiting yachts on the north side of the bay - the two inner and northern ones are for yachts up to 8m, the outer five for yachts up to 20m and the remainder for yachts up to 15m.

Larger yachts over 25 tons are permitted to anchor at the end of the northern anchorage field in 10m, well away from any sea grass.

The south side of the bay has a further 45 moorings all for boats up to 15m except the inner three rows which are for boats up to 8m.

Anchoring is strictly forbidden and the Coast Guard do patrol to check.

Yachts can anchor for free in Anse Chaudiere right next door and dinghy around.

Getting Ashore:

In Grande Anse, on the left side of the bay, there is a hotel which tends to have noisy music until the early hours. It is not permitted to leave your dinghy on the beach by the hotel.

The pier for dinghies here is quite high, so you may have to lift your dinghy up to stop it rubbing underneath the jetty.

Cruisers report that the southern edge of the beach, past the dinghy pier, is slightly less noisy.

Petit Anse (Les Anses D’Arlet)

There are now 34 moorings here for visiting yachts on the east side of the bay. Fourteen are for boats up to 8m and twenty for boats up to 15m.

Anchoring is still possible further down towards Anse Chaudiere but larger vessels will have to anchor a distance off. This is a less crowded anchorage, but holding can be patchy with a lot of sea grass present on the sea bed, fish traps and buoys. There is reported to be good snorkeling on the reef just off the beach.

Notes: 

• No anchoring is permitted less than 300m from the beach or in line with the moorings in both bays.
• A website for booking and payment is planned.
• Moorings currently have no pick-up lines.

Last updated:  March 2022