OpenSeaMap is a nautical chart for orientation. It does not replace an up-to-date official chart or notices to mariners.
Ideas for enjoying the water from the boat or the shore, without turning a regulated zone into a place for activities. The day’s conditions, the official chart and the buoyage always have the final say.
Agay, Le Dramont, Anthéor and the calanques are good spots for snorkelling and swimming when the sea is calm and the buoyage allows it. The Pyramides remain a seabed feature to avoid when navigating: supervised diving and pleasure boating are two different things.
From the shore, the area’s beaches and clubs are the suitable starting points for paddleboarding or kayaking. Choose a designated launch point, without crossing a swimming zone under power.
Rocks just below the surface, swell and crosswinds cut the activity short: get back on board before the return to the boat or the shore becomes difficult.
Between Agay, Cap du Dramont and Le Trayas, the red rocks of the Estérel form a spectacular coastline. The programme must be chosen according to the port of departure, the weather and the boat: this page does not offer a route to follow close to the coast.
On this rocky coast, a place that looks wonderful from the sea does not automatically become a place to stop. Depths, rocks, buoyage, swimmers and the day’s restrictions must be checked on an official nautical chart before each approach.
Agay bay lies between Cap du Dramont and Pointe de la Baumette. It brings together three beaches and a port at the foot of the massif. For boaters, it is above all an area that concentrates ports, swimming, water sports and seasonal traffic.
The tourist office presents the port of Agay as a 200-berth port for boats from 0 to 8 m, open from April to October. This information helps you locate the infrastructure; SunSea Hub does not recommend going ashore and guarantees no berth. Official information on Agay.
Cap du Dramont is a major viewpoint over the red rocks and the Île d’Or. The island’s tower is the most recognisable landmark in this area. On the water, the island and the cape’s rocks are obstacles to locate on an official nautical chart and to round with a margin suited to the boat, the swell and the visibility.
The island is private property: it is mentioned here as a landmark and a place to photograph from offshore, never as a landing point. Cap du Dramont — Estérel Côte d’Azur · History of the Île d’Or.
South of the Île d’Or, the Pyramides du Dramont are a well-known dive site. The local source describes a series of rocky pinnacles over more than 160 m and specifies that the top of the pinnacle closest to the shore is at a depth of 1 m. It is therefore a real underwater hazard to keep on the hazard map, even when you are not diving.
The site is presented for supervised or independent divers according to their level; it is not a recommendation for snorkelling from a rental boat. It is reported as unusable in an easterly wind. Pyramides du Dramont listing · Dramont diving centre.
After Le Dramont, the route runs past Camp Long, Le Pourrousset, Le Poussaï and La Baumette before reaching Anthéor. These areas are very busy in season. Before any manoeuvre, look out for swimmers, beach craft, any channels and the buoyage actually in place.
The first group of coves to identify is the Calanque des Anglais, at the entrance to Anthéor: three small red-pebble coves at the foot of cliffs. Its interest for navigation is first to flag a rocky edge and a potential swimming area, not to provide an approach route. Calanque des Anglais — local source.
Continuing west, the terrain becomes steeper. The guide now lists the calanques one by one: Anthéor beach, the Île des Vieilles cove, Petit Caneiret, Saint-Barthélemy, Pointe de l’Observatoire and, at Le Trayas, Maupas. These landmarks are the scenic stages of the Corniche d’Or; they must not be mistaken for recommended areas for anchoring or landing.
The Île des Vieilles cove and the Saint-Barthélemy rock are physical hazards to identify on the chart before approaching the coast. Petit Caneiret, Saint-Barthélemy and Pointe de l’Observatoire lie at the foot of a steep, rocky shore: swell, rocks just below the surface, swimmers and visibility change the margin required. Corniche d’Or landmarks · Petit Caneiret · Anthéor.
### Agay bay and La Baumette — paddleboarding in a more sheltered area
Agay bay is one of the areas identified by the tourist office for stand-up paddleboarding; La Baumette is presented as a beach in the heart of the bay. It is an activity to consider when wind, sea and traffic allow a short out-and-back, with a buoyancy aid and someone keeping watch over the boat. Official paddleboarding spots · Agay Paddle House.
### Le Dramont and Île d’Or — wildlife and diving, not an area to improvise
Le Dramont and the waters around the Île d’Or are known for diving, guided snorkel trails and rocky seabeds. For visitors, the interest lies in viewing the rocks and the tower and, with a professional, underwater discovery. The presence of the Pyramides and features close to the surface means you must never drift or navigate by eye in this area. Diving activities at Le Dramont.
### Anthéor and Calanque des Anglais — coastal paddleboarding and red scenery
The tourist office presents Anthéor as a paddleboarding area along the red cliffs. For a paddleboard carried on board, plan to launch and recover it well away from the boat’s path, stay within a range suited to the energy available and give up as soon as the wind or swell picks up. The Calanque des Anglais is a beautiful visual landmark, but its small cliff-lined coves require constant attention to swimmers and rocks. Paddleboarding at Anthéor · Calanque des Anglais.
### Île des Vieilles — observation and diving
The Île des Vieilles cove is listed as a dive site and the local guide recommends mask and snorkel for watching fish near the rocks. This underwater interest comes with a risk: the boat must keep its distance from the islet and its features, especially if divers or dive flags are present. Île des Vieilles cove.
### Petit Caneiret, Saint-Barthélemy and Cap Roux — snorkelling and biodiversity
Petit Caneiret is a calm calanque landmark to include in your sightseeing route. At Saint-Barthélemy, the tourist office explicitly mentions clear water and snorkelling, with remarkable seabeds near the Cap Roux fishing reserve. The operational rule is simple: swim only away from marked hazards, watch those in the water and check the applicable fishing, anchoring and navigation restrictions before approaching. Calanque Saint-Barthélemy · Natura 2000 Estérel.
### Pointe de l’Observatoire and Le Trayas — viewing from offshore
Pointe de l’Observatoire and Le Trayas complete the sequence of calanques. They are particularly interesting for photographing the red rocks and viewing the coast; they are less suited to a long paddleboarding programme as soon as the sea becomes choppy. Keep the energy reserve needed for the return and do not extend the trip just because the first area was calm.
In Agay, the tourist office lists the Auberge de la Rade among its recommended addresses. This helps you choose a destination; it is neither a recommendation to go ashore nor an indication of port availability. Addresses and activities in Agay.
Lunch on board remains the option least dependent on arrangements ashore. Any solution offered by a port, a restaurant or an operator must be checked directly with them on the day of the trip.
The guide will show each hazard zone with a source and a status. At this stage, the risks to address are:
For temporary hazards, the reference source will be PING, the national platform that displays AVURNAV (urgent navigation warnings), notices to mariners and the mapped regulations in force on a nautical chart. Check it on the day of departure; the guide cannot reproduce information that may change from one hour to the next. Open PING · Official presentation of PING.
Avoid choosing an area because other boats are occupying it. Check the seabed, environmental protections, cables, swimming zones and your swinging room. Within the coastal strip, the physical buoyage and the rules that go with it take precedence over the appearance of a free area.
Port de la Figueirette in Théoule and the Vieux-Port de Saint-Raphaël bracket the area. Check opening before setting off: the calanques are not refuelling areas.