A guide to planning a trip between Sainte‑Maxime, Cogolin, Grimaud, Saint‑Tropez, Les Salins and Pampelonne. The gulf concentrates traffic, buoyed zones, speed limits and regulated anchorages.
The marine view shows the EMODnet seabed profile, depth contours and OpenSeaMap buoyage. The aerial view keeps the ports, buoyage and PING zones. Drag the map, use the zoom or double-click to zoom in; click a zone to read its title and open PING.
Ideas for enjoying the water from the boat or the shore, without turning a regulated zone into a place to practise them. The day’s conditions, the official chart and the buoyage always have the final say.
A swimming, snorkelling or paddleboard break from the boat is only decided after reading the buoyage, away from harbour entrances, channels and organised swimming zones. Have one person stay on watch aboard the boat.
From the shore, choose zones and providers that organise paddleboarding, kayaking or swimming. Never cross an area reserved for swimmers with the tender or under engine.
The gulf concentrates shuttles, rental boats, sailing boats and events: give up as soon as the density of traffic removes any margin for recovery.
The short distance between the two shores reduces neither the traffic nor the need for preparation. In season, shuttles, rental boats, towed inflatables, sailing boats, fishermen and boats entering or leaving the ports all cross paths. A lookout, a suitable speed and a plan B take precedence over a timed programme.
The entrances to Sainte‑Maxime, Port Grimaud, Marines de Cogolin and Saint‑Tropez call for constant attention. Give harbour manoeuvres priority and the room they need, do not stop in an entrance route and follow the harbour office’s instructions. A free slot on screen is never permission to enter or moor.
These landmarks are very scenic from the sea. They also combine beaches, swimmers, seasonal buoyage, shallow waters and local rules. The map shows the selected PING information, including coastal strip rules, targeted prohibitions and the Pampelonne ZMEL (organised mooring buoys). Open the PING details and the official chart before any approach or anchoring decision.
The local rule applicable to the gulf appears on the map. It cannot be reduced to a single value: buoyage, channels, the proximity of swimmers and any municipal instructions determine how to behave. Keep towed activities away from approach routes, swimming zones and other water users.
Getting in the water is prepared from a boat kept clear of traffic paths. One person remains responsible for keeping watch on board, everyone is counted back before the boat moves, and no one swims in a buoyed or regulated zone without knowing its rule. Cap Camarat and the rocky areas are to be discovered from offshore, not places to land.
The zones shown in blue come from selected PING objects. They show that anchoring may be prohibited, restricted, organised or subject to conditions. They do not cover all the regulations or temporary notices. Check the text and the day’s limits in PING, then choose a spot suited to the seabed, the weather, the swinging room and the crew’s safety.
Saint-Tropez is the confirmed refuelling point most directly linked to this guide: the station is on the green lighthouse jetty. In a busy gulf, plan your fuel before approaching harbour entrances or beaches; arriving at the station is a harbour manoeuvre in its own right.
The fuel stations page brings together the contact, the type of service published and the checks to make before your approach. Opening hours, available products and any VHF clearance should be confirmed on the day itself.
During Les Voiles, every day from 10 am to 7 pm, two regulated zones are set up off the port and the speed limit is lowered to 10 knots throughout the gulf (prefectoral order). If your trip falls on those days, allow for a longer journey and a very busy gulf.
Order 182/2026 organises the Pampelonne ZMEL into 184 white buoys spread over five sectors, A to E. Sector E has 74 visitor moorings for boats of 15 m maximum; sector D, “La Capilla”, 50 residents’ moorings. Operation is authorised from 1st April to 31 October (order); the operator announces opening from 8 May to 5 October, mooring from 8 am to 10 pm, mandatory AIS and non-cancellable online booking (Pampelonne Mooring).
In the ZMEL, anchoring on the Posidonia seagrass meadow is prohibited for all boats and in the buoy sectors; it remains possible on sand for boats under 24 m. Offshore, three submerged munitions zones are closed to anchoring.
The Baie des Canoubiers has three anchoring zones for boats under 24 m (nos. 19, 22 and 25), which can only be reached through channels 20 and 23, at 5 knots. From La Rabiou to the Pointe de Capon, the 5 knots also apply beyond 300 m (order). The port of Saint-Tropez describes a seabed of weed and sand, exposed to the mistral (around the port). At Les Salins, a 15 m by 150 m channel leads to the beach.
The port also mentions two anchorages: La Pinède in 12 to 15 m, and Le Pilon in 15 m, without hugging the coast near the heliport.
| Rule | What it says |
|---|---|
| Speed in the gulf | 20 knots maximum (order 11/95); 10 knots during Les Voiles. |
| 300 m coastal strip | 5 knots all year round, whether buoyed or not. |
| Canoubiers, from La Rabiou to Capon | 5 knots, including beyond 300 m. |
| Anchoring time | 72 hours in the same place (order 77/2025). |
| Boats of 24 m and over | No anchoring within 300 m; at Pampelonne, mandatory zones for vessels of 45 m and over. |
| Jet skis | Prohibited within 300 m, except in the channels reserved for them. |
| Port | What the port publishes |
|---|---|
| Saint-Tropez | 729 berths; VHF 9, 04 94 56 68 70, harbour office open 24 hours a day in summer; booking via Navily for boats under 18 m (contacts, arrival). Fuel on the green lighthouse jetty from 8 am to 8 pm in June, July and August, 07 85 21 48 71; free slipway at the Port du Pilon, with little water (services). |
| Sainte-Maxime | Over 800 berths; VHF 9, 04 94 96 74 25; fuel 24 hours a day (Ville de Sainte-Maxime). |
| Marines de Cogolin | 1,400 boats, up to 50 m; VHF 9, 04 94 56 07 31; automated fuel pump 24 hours a day (€500 per card maximum), attendant from 8 am to 9 pm in July and August (fuels). |
| Port Grimaud | VHF 9, 04 94 56 29 88 (port website). |
Sources consulted on 26 September 2026. The Ramatuelle and Port Grimaud websites were not responding that day: visitor berths and fuel at Port Grimaud not verified. The ZMEL VHF channel differs between the operator’s website (77) and its regulations (9).
Saint‑Tropez, Port Grimaud and Cogolin surround the gulf. For fuel, availability and access conditions, open the directory before leaving your sailing area.