Cruises to Port St. Louis-du-Rhone

Port St. Louis-du-Rhone (Photo: Pascale Gueret/Shutterstock)

About Cruising to Port St. Louis-du-Rhone

Port Saint Louis was built on the command of Napoleon and is a deep-water port (8 meters) that sits between the Rhone River and the Mediterranean Sea. It was once a thriving commercial port but, in the 1980s, the larger port (Fos-sur-Mer) was built, which made Port Saint Louis redundant. Soon after, the private marinas of Port Plaisance and Port Napoleon were constructed and this revived the area as a frequent stop for France cruise itineraries.

Both of these marinas are popular with boating and yachting enthusiasts. If you happen to be here on a Wednesday, wander to nearby Port Plaisance where there is a fisherman's market in the morning. Otherwise, the town doesn't have much to see of interest (only a handful of river cruise lines, mostly European-owned ones, stop here; if a U.S. river line comes here, it's usually for embarkation).

For those who may want to travel further afield, information is available at the tourist office which is on the ground floor of the 18th-century watchtower next to the river cruise ship berths. There is a mini-golf course with balls and clubs available from the same tourist office; however, it doesn't look as if it has been used recently. There are also rental bikes for hire.

--By Lynn Houghton, Cruise Critic contributor