Marina/Anchorage: Cardiff Marina
Massive tides, strong currents, commercial shipping, and a love of rugby… But what’s it really like to visit Cardiff Marina by boat? Pippa Shaw shares her experience.
April 29, 2025
Date(s) of visit: 08/09/2021 - 13/09/2021
Boat length: 28ft
Boat type: Sailing yacht
Boat name: Sudana
Crew: Two persons and one cat
Cardiff Marina is one of the most popular and well-stocked marinas in Wales and makes a welcome respite to mariners tackling the infamous Bristol Channel. Image: PS Copywriting
Price
Cardiff Marina has clearly visible fees on their website, with a variety of stay durations to suit all. From a short 4-hour run round for the essentials to long-term annual options and everything in between.
To give you an idea of what sort of prices you can expect, I selected an 8.5m vessel on a visitor berth and received the following calculations*:
- £17 short stay (4 hours)
- £42.50 per night
Summer berth:
- £2,422.50 for season 1st April - 31st Oct
- £433.50 monthly fully flexible (7 days notice required for departure)
- £212.50 weekly
They also have a fantastic array of winter options, annual prices, and hard storage. As with many marinas, it’s always best to get in touch with Cardiff Marina to obtain a quote for your stay.
*Figures correct as of February 24, 2025
Access
Access when heading into the lock at Cardiff is quite simple. Two huge, towering walls, South and North, with red and green beacons, are obvious from at least a mile offshore. Depending on whether you’re heading South to Cardiff or further North, please remember the tidal range in the Bristol Channel is the second largest in the world (second only to “The Bay of Fundy” in Nova Scotia - Canada). So, make sure you arrive with enough water at the entrance.
The entrance to the barrage is well-lit, with markers showing the deepest part of the channel. Please stick to this as the famous muddy banks rise up from nowhere - and you’ll regularly see a boat stranded on these banks when they’ve missed a tide... even the local fishing vessels get caught out on occasion!
Once you are through the barrage, you enter one of two lock gates, which are open 24 hours a day (tide permitting). Contact Radio Barrage Control on VHF channel 18 as you make your approach, and they will advise you on the next lock-in time.
Once through the lock, the river becomes clear to the naked eye, and the route to Cardiff Marina is easy to identify directly in front of you. Keep the apartment blocks with pedestrian walkways snaking parallel to the river edge to your port and follow this for 0.3 miles. Soon, moored vessels will begin to come into view, and labelled hammerhead piles will help you navigate to your birth number.
If birthing up-river, you may need to radio the Pont Y Werin footbridge (also on VHF channel 18) once you’ve left the lock. If your air draft is greater than 4.5m, the bridge will need to be raised. You may be able to request a more Southerly mooring with the marina, though, if you’re a larger craft and are only planning on a short stay.
In addition to Cardiff Marina, it’s worth highlighting the alternative Cardiff mooring option - Cardiff Bay. A square mile of open water directly to your starboard as you leave the lock provides an excellent practice area for new and improving mariners alike, and a selection of visiting pontoons at the far end of the bay offer a welcome respite for visiting vessels to sample the bars, Ferris wheel, restaurants, and of course a Wetherspoons!!
Don’t forget to read some of our other articles to ensure you’re able to stay safe when entering a new port. The Rules of the Water and how to avoid hazardous waters are good starting points.
Follow the buildings up-river once you’ve passed through the locks to find your way to the marina. Don’t forget to hail the Pont Y Werin bridge if you’re a sailboat or larger vessel. Image: PS Copywriting
Contact info
“Barrage Control” – VHF Channel 18
Tel: +44 (0) 2920 396 078
Email: [email protected]
Cardiff Marina
Western Marine Village,
Penarth Road
Cardiff
CF11 8TU
Comfort
The marina is situated down the River Ely, which has brackish water, with fresh water arriving from the hills upstream and meeting the salt from the sea. In general, it’s a super sheltered place to be, even in 40-knot winds… although if the wind angle is just right, it can funnel down the valley and accelerate under the bridge. Cardiff Marina pontoons, however, are nestled between high-rise buildings, apartments, and trees upstream, meaning that 90% of the time, this isn’t a concern.
The pontoons are pretty standard; good enough, well-maintained, with enough cleats and good space between each boat. The walk down the main walkway is very nice, as you have reeds greeting you and an abundance of wildlife to keep you company from butterflies and dragonflies to swans, ducks and more. When we were there, they even had a breeding pair of Kingfishers which were spotted regularly – delightful.
The usual “No wash” and speed restrictions do apply throughout Cardiff Marina, including the river passage towards the harbour. However, you may get the odd 5.30am fishing boat driving too fast and creating wake or the summer lads taking their speedboats down the river, past the marina, and towards Cardiff Bay for partying. While this was obviously uncomfortable, the marina staff were aware and on top of this issue, so perhaps it’s been nipped in the bud since our visit – we can only hope…
High-rise buildings surrounding Cardiff Marina provide plenty of shelter from wind in almost all directions, allowing a good night’s sleep and a peaceful stay. Image: PS Copywriting.
Facilities
Cardiff Marina has lovely showers, toilets, and washing facilities. A sleek and modern design with glass shower curtains and waterfall shower heads is a nice touch. I also like that they separated the toilet area from the shower area; thoughtful and well-designed.
At the time of our visit, the only facilities were ashore. However, when we departed the marina in 2020, they were in the process of building shower and toilet facilities on the pontoons – saving berth holders a long walk in the potentially wet and rainy Welsh weather!
Laundry
Laundry facilities are available in one of the side doors by the marina office and main showers. When we visited, the washing machines and tumble dryers were a decent size, and the machines took pound coins to operate, saving having to buy tokens from the office! That said, it has been some time since we last visited, and the marina is now under different ownership, so the payment methods for the laundry machines have likely changed!
Gas and fuel
Cardiff has an easy-to-access fuel dock on a hammerhead pontoon downriver. They only offer red diesel, which can be bought per litre at propulsion/heating rates; see the office for current prices.
If you have a cooker onboard that requires Calor Gas, such as butane/propane, you may need to walk to Morrisons in Grangetown or order them in. Again, the marina office should be able to advise you on the best place to get gas and fuel.
Shops
Within the marina site, you have an independent artisan coffee shop/bakery which serves lovely drinks and food during the day. In the evenings, live bands come down to cleanse your ears.
For food shopping, the local Tesco superstore is just a 10-minute walk away, over the footbridge, so it’s great for provisioning.
The Pont Y Werin bridge offers a beautiful view of Cardiff Marina, and the Tesco superstore on the other side is perfect for reprovisioning! Image: PS Copywriting
Things to do
Exercise
If you’d like a more active visit to Cardiff, try out a thrilling, wet, wild water rafting at Cardiff International White Water. Not a thrill seeker? White Water is still worth a visit for the people watching alone!
For a calmer yet still active activity, you may want to visit the Leisure Pool. Just a 10-minute walk from the marina, this huge leisure centre offers a decent-sized gym, saunas, a steam room, fitness classes, and two large pools to choose from. The leisure pool even features a spacebowl, three water flumes, and a lazy river!
History
If history is your thing, then exploring the city centre is a must. The old and New architecture is abundantly obvious and oozing with charm and character. Cardiff Castle is right in the heart of the city, so if you want a break from shopping malls, this would certainly be a lovely visit. The museums are also fantastic and take you back in time to showcase Cardiff’s heritage, dating back as far as 6,000 years ago when modern humans in the Neolithic age inhabited the surrounding area.
Nightlife
Mermaid Quay is a must-visit if you’re looking for some nightlife while staying at Cardiff. Visiting vessels will likely want to moor up to the Cardiff Bay quayside pontoons to get the full experience, save a taxi home, and make the most impressive appearance! With a fantastic variety of restaurants and cuisines to choose from and some great bars for cocktails and sundowners, you’re sure to have a good time here!
If you arrive early, you may also want to take a little boat tour around the Bay. If you’ve not had enough of being on the water, it’s a great way to learn a bit more about the history of the area and enjoy listening to some local stories!
Alternatively, you can jump on a train to the city centre. The local train station is Cogan, just a 15-minute walk from the marina, and then it’s only a 10-minute ride into the city.
Cardiff Bay is a huge, wide-open space of non-tidal waters, perfect for sailors and boaters of all preferences to practice their manouvers. Plus, it boats a great nightlife, local attractions, and plenty of restaurants to make it worth a visit! Image: PS Copywriting
Review:
In all honesty, Cardiff Marina and the surrounding area have loads to offer and can be a welcome respite for mariners tackling the Bristol Channel.
With something for all age groups and appetites: If you want hustle ‘n’ bustle city life but with lovely people, Cardiff has that vibrant culture, heritage, and more. Plus, you don’t need a car to go further afield as transport links are great and reliable.
I will say that since we visited, the price has become a little dear at £5 per metre per day. And while I’m sure Western Marinas have been working hard to improve the marina since they acquired it in October 2024, I’m not sure that these prices are quite appropriate for a West Country marina. Especially when you consider a stay at Brighton Marina – a huge, popular marina on the more expensive South Coast – only costs around £4.30pmpn for a vessel of our size, and it’s over half the price of St Katherine Docks in London!
Still, if you’ve never been to Cardiff and want a weekend away, it’s still much cheaper than a hotel in the same area…. And certainly offers an excuse to whiz along with the tide behind you and get on the water!
Would you stay again?
With its convenient location and nearby destinations such as Bristol and Ilfracombe, most boat owners will likely want to visit Cardiff along this route. It also makes an excellent stop-off behind the lock when you’re tired of sailing the Bristol Channel. With everything you’d expect in a modern marina, a vibing city, great history and, of course, hot showers, what’s more to love?!
That said, with the recent increase in price, I would perhaps consider stopping on the other side of the channel at Portishead Marina or staying overnight at Cardiff Bay. However, if you’ve been travelling and need a hot shower and “big shop”, there really isn’t anywhere better!
Opie’s Opinion
As usual, we can’t round off our review of Cardiff Marina without a word from Opie the boat cat…
“I liked Cardiff Marina. There were lots of fishing boats for me to explore and sniff and hide from the other cats that lived there, too. I sometimes got lucky in the sunshine when people had BBQs out, and I got a nice sausage treat. Also, getting off the pontoons and up the banks was fun, and it was easy for me to jump across and bathe on the grass. I did like to explore by the reeds and chase the ducks sleeping on the end of the pontoons, although I never caught one!”
Opie loved watching the ducks and other wildlife at Cardiff Marina. Image: PS Copywriting
Next steps…
Are you longing to get on the water at Cardiff Marina or Cardiff Bay? Check out all boats for sale in Cardiff right here at boats.com
If you’re planning a boat trip around the UK, why not take a look at some other marinas in our review series? There’s plenty to see and do!
- St Katherine Dock, London
- Brighton Marina
- Ipswich Beacon Marina
- Dover Marina
- The best sailing clubs in the UK
If you’re new to boating, be sure also to check out some of our top tips for beginners (or to refresh your memory):
