Marinas
There are 2 main marinas in this interesting boating area. The marinas are called the Marina du Chateau and the Moulin Blanc.
Blog of visit in May 2019 – www.digimap.gg/wp-content/uploads/2019/0…
Brexit
Brest is a Port of Entry (PPF)
This site provides the address and instructions for the Port of Entry requirements – www.marinasbrest.fr/en/all-the-news/cust…
The following is for the form that needs to be completed prior to your visit and sent to both email addresses. www.digimap.gg/wp-content/uploads/2022/0…
In May 2025, we sent in our form and received it back, stamped prior to our arrival. That was very helpful. As it happened, some of our crew were going to depart by ferry later in the trip and so we went to the Douane office and had our passports stamped. The office is about 10mins walk from the visitors pontoon and the official we met understood our requirement, spoke good English and was very helpful.
This page covers the Chateau marina. It is managed by the same director and staff as the Moulin Blanc who are very helpful.
The city of Brest is large and has very good transport links including a rail station. The Chateau marina is ideally placed for linking to the train with the railway station only 15mins walk away, although it is up a hill. It is in the City centre with the naval shipyard on one side and the commercial harbour on the other.
Access is fairly straightforward but not immediately clear. Come in through the outer breakwater and the marina entrance is hidden from view. Make sure you do not go past the marina entrance or the Navy authorities will not be amused.
We called the marina office to see if they had any events on and they informed us they had good space. They speak good English and are very helpful.
The fueling is good. There are 2 pumps which is helpful and both have diesel (gasoil) and petrol. The limit is Euro 120 per go and you need to put the nozzle back each time. If you have a large fuel tank, you can call them on VHF channel 9 and they can override it and you pay at the marina office at the end. You will probably have to visit the office first to ask them to agree this.
For us, the pump stopped at around 440 litres and we had to call them and they had to reset it and we continued from there.
The visitors moorings are on the pontoon which is inside of the breakwater and there is a new visitors area on the sea side of the next pontoon.
The marina office is the building with the flags and is a new and spacious office.
There are facilities on the pontoon or there is a fairly lengthy walk to the on shore facilities which looked good and modern. In 2025, the facilities are fairly basic. There are only 2 or 3 showers and toilets for man and the same for ladies.
There are a number of restaurants at the marina site.
Having said it is in the City Centre, this newer marina is a good 10 to 15mins walk to the main shopping area and the Chateau museum which is well worth a visit.
We visited in May 2019 and by boat in May 2025
Take the trouble to walk to above the waterfall at the De Gaulle war memorial next to the tourist office and take a few moments – it is a far more thought-provoking viewpoint than from below. A bit of a walk to find Rue de St Malo, a tiny street of house fronts that are apparently all that still stand in the entire city from the battle of Brest in ‘44 when the intense building by building fighting effectively reduced the city to rubble. Maybe the two locations best explain Brest, though the city seems to be pouring money into its infrastructure and at some point in the future I dare say the very centre of the city will be a statement of modern France. Meantime, you probably do not need to take your camera along with you.
The first marina on your way in is Port du Chateau which lies between the typical wasteland sprawl of any commercial port and the small naval base and certainly appears to lack the ambience of the other marina further in. You are of course 10 mins from the Tabac and boulangerie if you cannot survive without either, and a supermarket above the central memorial. There is a string of modest restaurants opposite the industrial port doubtless providing long lunches and so on for the locals and probably providing good fare that would be demanded. Looking back over our months of notes, unless it is really foul it is hard to suggest Brest is worth the detour unless weather demands.
Gavin May kindly provided the above report – 2021
Emails and phone numbers: Château (33 (0)2 98 33 12 50 chateau@marinasbrest.fr) and Moulin Blanc ((33 (0)2 98 02 20 02 port.du.moulinblanc@marinasbre…).
Official website
The marinas official website is www.marinasbrest.fr/en
Chateau web page in English – www.marinasbrest.fr/en/marina-du-chateau… – good video of the entrance and visitor area.
Marina du Chateau
This is the newer marina and is more to the west.
Located at the entrance of the Penfeld river, the Port du Château is a very nice and well-suited marina to accommodate all navigators profiles. Established near the commercial port and military port, this modern and dynamic harbour allows you to explore and enjoy all the charms of a maritime city par excellence.
www.marinasbrest.fr/en/chateau…
All of the tides in the area are based on the Brest tides.
Brest Tides
maree.info/82 – click on the date for future dates
www.tideschart.com/France/Brit…
Restaurants – www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant…