Carteret

Beautiful Carteret

Have been there many times. Lovely small town with excellent restaurants. Marina has limited mooring space for visitors and gets very busy in the summer with lots of rafting up.The only official Visitors mooring space is along side the pontoon at the far end of the marina. If only the marina was bigger and more room for visitors! Highly recommended.

There is often quite a swell from about 6 miles out as the sea bottom shallows out.

Also - watch out for crab pots and ropes. Most now have flags on, but they can be hard to spot and there are a lot of them! Went to the Town of Barneville last trip. Sunday afternoons in September is not a good time and the village appears to be closed.

Carteret was much nicer and a lot more places open.

Visitors moorings are on the last pontoon - on the East side (left of picture) - pictures by Colin S Le Conte

Good sheltered marina - if only there were some fingers / pontoons for visitors

The Marina is at the end of a tidal channel

Marine Hotel in the distance - keep to the left going up the channel

When entering the Fairway - please keep to the port side to get more water - max speed 5 knots

Drying out area on the left - Marina gates just appearing on the right of the photo

Always go between the poles - the wall is submerged. As you come out - turn sharp right as there is a sand bank outside the gates. Sand bank is about the hight of the sill - or sometimes higher

The Marina office where you pay your fees and get a code for the toilets, showers need jetons which you purchase from here

It is tidal and a big range - note where it dries out first

Always keep to the left when going towards the Marina

Beware of sand bank on the outside of the marina gates, it can be shallower than the water over the gate

 - http://marinas.com/view/overview/1178_Carteret_Barneville-Carteret 

http://www.barneville-carteret.fr/uk/tourisme/information/default.asp

There is a small market in the square near the station selling fruit, veg, fish and bread every Thursday morning through the year. Especially welcome as most shops seem to close on a Thursday out of season.

Pilot Guide - Edward, bureau du port

Tel - 02.33.04.70.84

Fax - 02.33.04.08.37

e-mail - contact@port-des-isles.fr

web site - www.mairie-barneville-carteret.fr Harbour Office (and Semaphore) - Channel 9 Marina is open about 2.5 hours either side of high tide. This varies depending on the state of tide. In spring tides it opens for longer and neap tides it can be as little as 2 hours either side of high tide. An hour before that, the water can be half way down the channel, but it always seem to come up in time!

http://www.yachtpilot.net/carteret.html http://www.ybw.com/ym/raydes/car.htm

Marina is very expensive. Euro 30 in Sept 2009 for Guernsey 11m boat. That is more expensive than Saint Quay - and you have to raft up!

Tides - Marina opening times http://www.barneville-carteret.fr/fr/port/ouverture_et_fermeture_de/defa... http://www.barneville-carteret.fr/fr/utilitaires/marees/default.asp

http://tide.frbateaux.net/38

I have been looking at tides, speaking to people with experience and looking at the various boat trips.

The last 7 or 8 miles into Carteret can be pretty lumpy. Normally this is worse leaving Carteret as you have West winds and strong tide on the shallow seas. The period 1 1/2 hours to 1hour before High Water appears to have the least tide.

Before that the tide is South East and after that the tide is North West. So if the wind is from the North or North West, it is likely to be rough from High Water onwards.

If anyone experiences these tides and wave conditions or has any local information, please do let me know.

Map Weather - http://france.meteofrance.com/france/meteo?PREVISIONS_PORTLET.path=previ...

http://www.windguru.cz/int/index.php?sc=48401

http://www.metcheck.com/V40/UK/FREE/europe_forecast_48hrs.asp?locationID...

Restaurants -  http://www.barneville-carteret.fr/fr/tourisme/se_restaurer/restaurants/d...

L'Hermitage

L'Hermitage - with blue and white awning.

Tel 00 33 2 33 04 96 29. Under new management in 2008. Very good restaurant type food. With current exchange rate, value for money is OK, Entrecôte is Euro 18 and 3 course menu is Euro 26. Management and staff are very efficient and helpful, but speak very little English. Menu has no English translation so make sure to take your dictionary if you do not know the names of all the food in French. 2009

La Kalakiki

La Kalakiki with green signs (Heineken)

Le Carteret Hotel 

Always had really good food there and not too expensive

La Cafe Marine-Carteret Tel 02.33.53.82.50, very popular and good, more "pub" type food. Open February to October. Near the railway station

Tel :2 33 04 95 63. Basic but good choice of menu at reasonable price - Edward 2010 - Hotel Les Carterets (the one in the square). Its changed hands and gone a bit up market and very good food.

Creperie

opposite the Information Office, good selection and good for a snack. Gets very busy and check opening times - Colin

Yacht Club

The Yacht Club has a new extension (2009) which provides an area outside in good weather to eat and drink.

Tel 02.33.52.60.73

http://www.ycbc.fr - has wifi

La Potiniere

Located on the edge of the beach, the setting of this restaurant/bar is hard to beat. The lunchtime menu includes dishes such as fresh fish and Salad Gourmand. An open charcoal fire turned sardines into something really special. It’s very popular with the locals so on a sunny summer’s day you may have difficulty getting a table without booking in advance.

It is probably the best part of a mile from the marina so if you don’t fancy the walk and have left your bikes at home, it might be best to order a taxi from the local yacht club. Damon Route de la Corniche, Tel 02 33 52 29 14‎ Web site - http://www.lapotiniere-carteret.com/

Le Cap

2010 - very popular - even on a Tuesday night so book ahead. Last report, very good meal but service a bit slow. Latest report - Excellent meal, but you do need to book - Aug 2010 2011 update – The service is now excellent, as is the food. This place, like many others in Carteret has really upped its game over recent years. Damon Logis Hotel and Restaurant, Tel 02.33.53.85.89,

website www.hotel-le-cap.fr, e-mail hotel-le-cap "at" wanadoo.fr

La Tivola pizza restaurant

La Tivoli is located in the main ‘high street’ with a picnic table located on the pavement outside. You can’t miss it. Look past the greasy spoon cafe appearance and plastic furniture and you will discover some of the best pizzas in northern France. Thin, crispy bases with just about every topping option imaginable – even Calvados!

A small section of Italian-style dishes are also available and with a one-litre carafe of wine for ten Euros, you really can’t go wrong! Damon

Le Rivage (Hotel des Ormes)

For something a bit special, I thoroughly recommend Le Rivage restaurant located within the Hotel des Ormes, a stone’s throw away from the marina. The quality of decoration and attention to detail is the first thing you will notice. This small restaurant is not cheap (around 45 Euros pp for 5 courses) but if you are a bit of a foodie, the extremely French cuisine will be right up your street. You are not in danger of over eating but you will leave having experienced some wonderful flavours and an enjoyable night out. The restaurant is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.  - Damon

Bar du Port

One of my favourites - not for food but for a drink or early morning coffee, tel 02.33.53.87.29 **

Hotel Des Isles: Tel : 2 33 04 90 76. 9 Blvd Maritime.

Logis de France with good menu, friendly and helpful service. Very popular with families as there is a spacious dining room attached to the hotel. Sometimes a little noisy. *

Rest Le Gohan: Tel 2 33 04 95 33. About 30 mins walk from the marina towards Barneville Plage. Worth a stroll.

*** are based on value for money, good service and cuisine - with thanks to ©Stan Cleal 2004

Ferry -

To Carteret - http://www.manche-iles-express.com/normandie_liv.php

From Carteret - http://www.manche-iles-express.com/normandie_eur.php

Market day - Thursday morning : Carteret Saturday morning : Barneville-bourg Sunday morning in July & August : Barneville-plage