Plage de l'Aiguille
cove · Mandelieu-la-Napoule · French Riviera
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Plage de l'Aiguille is a cove on the coast of French Riviera.
The nearest town is Mandelieu-la-Napoule.
Also known as Plage de la Grotte de Gardanne and Grotte de Gardanne.
The bay opens towards the east-north-east (60°).
Shelter by wind direction
Good shelter in south, south-west and west wind.
Partial shelter in north, south-east and north-west (mistral) wind.
No shelter in north-east and east (levante) wind.
In the most open sector, up to 3.8 NM of open water towards the east.
Swell can come in from east-north-east to east-north-east (68°–76°).
Swell can come in from east to east (84°–88°).
- sheltered
- partly
- exposed
Shelter is estimated from open water and swell, not from wind strength: a strong wind can still gust over the land.
Here, shelter depends on tonight's wind. Seadromy reads the forecast and tells you before you leave.
Seabed, depth and room
Good holding.
Depth near the anchoring spot: about 13.8 m (EMODnet bathymetry, indicative).
Approach
Direct approach from open water; the routing point lies 0.1 NM from the anchoring spot.
Protected area and seagrass
Plage de l'Aiguille lies in the protected area Parc maritime départemental - Estérel Théoule: check its rules (anchoring, speed, buoys) before you arrive.
Ashore and services
Sandy beach.
Road within 400 m: busy in the afternoon.
A few houses ashore (43 buildings within 600 m).
A remarkable site can be reached from here.
Within reach:
- Gardanne's cave beach: 6 min on foot
- La Pointe de l'Aiguille: 7 min on foot
- parc maritime départemental Estérel-Théoule: 16 min by dinghy
- Théoule-sur-Mer: 16 restaurants, bars or cafés, 20 min by dinghy
Where to go when the wind turns
When the wind makes this place exposed, the nearest places rated as well sheltered are:
- In north wind: Plage du Suveret, 0.4 NM by sea.
- In north-east wind: Port de la Rague, 0.7 NM by sea.
- In east wind: Port de la Rague, 0.7 NM by sea.
- In south-east wind: Port de la Rague, 0.7 NM by sea.
- In north-west wind: Port de Théoule, 0.3 NM by sea.
Nearby anchorages and ports
- Plage de la Petite-Fontaine cove · 0.2 NM by sea
- Port de Théoule marina · 0.3 NM by sea
- Plage du Suveret cove · 0.4 NM by sea
- Port de la Rague marina · 0.7 NM by sea
- Port de Mandelieu marina · 0.7 NM by sea
- Calanque des 2 Frères cove · 1.6 NM by sea
Sheltered anchorages of French Riviera by wind
More places – Mandelieu-la-Napoule
Questions
Is Plage de l'Aiguille sheltered from the mistral?
Partly. Shelter is rated fair in north-west wind. The nearest well-sheltered place is Port de Théoule, 0.3 NM by sea.
Is Plage de l'Aiguille sheltered from the levante?
No. It is exposed in east wind. The nearest well-sheltered place is Port de la Rague, 0.7 NM by sea.
How deep is the water at Plage de l'Aiguille?
Depth near the anchoring spot: about 13.8 m (EMODnet bathymetry, indicative).
What is the seabed at Plage de l'Aiguille?
Good holding.
Can you spend the night at Plage de l'Aiguille?
It depends on the wind of the night: Seadromy picks the evening anchorage with the forecast of the day.