Port de Bordeaux (Garonne)

Bordeaux marina occupies tidal basin n°2, on the left bank of the Garonne, in the Bacalan district. The last seaport before the river network and the Canal latéral à la Garonne, it can only be reached at high tide, through a lock that opens once every day of the year. A 60 metre waiting pontoon on the Garonne allows boats to wait for up to 24 hours before passing through the lock.

The marina has 278 berths spread over 9 pontoons, for boats under 20 metres with a maximum draft of 2.50 metres, larger vessels requiring special authorisation. Boaters have access to water, electricity and a fuel point, and the marina is working towards Ports Propres (Clean Port) certification.

The marina sits close to the Bacalan district and its cultural venues, including Bassins des Lumières and the Cité du Vin, as well as the area's restaurants, shops and cinemas. It is only a few minutes from the historic centre of Bordeaux, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site under the name Port de la Lune (Port of the Moon), named after the crescent shape traced by the Garonne.

The tidal basins were built in the late 19th and early 20th centuries under the direction of marine engineer Joseph Teulère: the first basin opened in 1879, the second came into service in 1911. From 1941, the site was home to a submarine base built on the footprint of the second and third basins. That former base now houses the Bassins des Lumières digital art centre.