The Port de Le Havre is one of the great working ports of Europe, handling container ships, roll-on/roll-off ferries, cruise liners, and tankers across a vast complex of docks and quays stretching south from the city centre along the Seine estuary. The port has operated here since François I founded the city in 1517 and today handles almost all of France's containerised trade with Asia.
The best free spectacle is the walk along the southern jetty (the Digue Sud), which extends into the channel and puts you close to the shipping lanes. On a busy day you might stand within a few hundred metres of a 400-metre container ship entering or leaving harbour. The yachting harbour at the northern end of the main beach is more accessible and pleasant — 1,300 berths for private craft, freely walkable. The ferry terminal for Brittany Ferries and DFDS services to England is well-signposted from the city centre.