New Orleans, Louisiana
About new orleans
New Orleans is located in southeast Louisiana on the Mississippi River near the Gulf of Mexico and is known as the birthplace of Jazz. Nicknamed the “Big Easy,” it’s known for its round-the-clock nightlife, live-music scene and spicy cuisine reflecting its history as a melting pot of French, African and American cultures. Most people associate New Orleans with Mardi Gras, the late-winter carnival famed for raucous costumed parades and street parties.
The famous Southern Yacht Club hosts many annual and class championships on the waters of Lake Pontchartrain. Just a few of their recent flagship regattas are Viper 640 Worlds, ISSA Cressy Singlehanded National Championships and the Rhodes 19 National Championships.
Getting There
Louis Armstrong New Orleans Airport (MSY) is the closest airport.
Approximate Travel Times
Local Tips
Sailing Tips
The chop here is rarely lined up with the breeze. It is almost certain that your settings and sailing techniques will differ slightly from one tack to the other.
If the breeze is SE and the windward mark is within 200 yards of the shoreline, there will almost certainly be a convergence zone on approach with a stronger more easterly breeze offshore but a winding more southerly bend to the breeze closer to shore. This is due to the breeze being at an angle to the shoreline.
Local Advice
Everything operates just a little bit differently here. Have patience, and know that enjoyment is found in immersion!
Make sure to do some due diligence when making your hotel choice.
Sailing Tips
New Orleans gets everything, depending on the direction of the breeze and what weather systems are coming across the country. If the breeze is coming from over the land it’s flat and shifty. If coming it is from across the lake, it can be very choppy but generally the breeze is pretty steady. Summer past June is generally light and the Fall and Spring tend to fill in with a bit more wind.
If your draft is deep, staying just right of center leaving the harbor is best, particularly just in front of the yacht club.
weather links & TIDES
SAILING CLUBS
Marinas/boat ramps
marine stores
sails/rigging
Boat Services
fuel
Boat storage
Boat charters
LAUNDRY SERVICES
HARDWARE STORES
Grocery stores
Grocery stores
RESTAURANTS
Breakfast/bakeries/Lunch
This market-style grocery store offers a great selection of pre-packed meals, hot and cold food bars (breakfast too!), and a salad bar. They offer a small indoor eating area, as well as tables outside, and all of your basic grocery store needs. This location is close to the Southern Yacht Club and is a great place to grab a quick lunch or breakfast.
Address: 135 Allen Toussaint Blvd, New Orleans, LA 70124
Phone: (504)282-3428
Prices: $
Martin's Wine Cellar
Martin’s is a fully stocked wine and spirits store, as well as a fabulous deli! Known for their exceptional gourmet sandwiches, salads, red beans and rice, and gumbo, Martin’s is recommended as the perfect place to order group catered lunches or to order at the counter and dine in for a quick bite.
Address: 3827 Baronne St., New Orleans, LA 70115
Phone: (504)899-7411
Prices: $
Celtica French Bakery is a hidden gem offering an authentic taste of France. The croissants are perfectly flaky, and the baguettes have a wonderful crust and soft interior, making them ideal for a fresh sandwich or a simple buttered slice. The cozy atmosphere and friendly staff enhance the experience, creating a warm, inviting spot for breakfast or a light lunch. A must-visit for anyone craving traditional French baked goods in the heart of the city!
-Recommended by New Orleans native Andy Lovell.
Address: 218 Allen Toussaint Blvd, New Orleans, LA 70124
Phone: (504)354-8548
Prices: $
Dinner
Set in a classic Creole cottage built in 1832, Seaworthy is a local favorite Oyster bar located downtown in the Warehouse District. Deemed “Seafood Restaurant of the Year” by New Orleans magazine, this local hot spot showcases wild-caught and sustainably harvested oysters from American waters of the Gulf Coast, East Coast, and West Coast, as well as offering exceptional locally sourced fish and game. Seaworthy offers a wide selection of artisanal cocktails, proprietary “session” cocktails, and expertly built traditionals, as well as craft beers, wine, and Champagne. Loved for their excellent food and sensational Happy Hours, (they have many!) Seaworthy is a spot not to miss for a lively and celebratory night downtown.
Address: 630 Carondelet St, New Orleans, LA 70130
Phone: (504)930-3071
Prices: $$$
A landmark New Orleans restaurant since 1946, Brennan’s menus are based deeply in Creole traditions, while leaving room for substantial New Orleans influences. Housed in a historic home constructed by the great grandfather of French Impressionist painter Edgar Degas, Brennan’s is famous for its exceptional service and exquisite ambiance. Marrying classic and modern techniques, the menus at Brennnan’s offer an innovative approach to local and seasonal offerings. This fine-dining landmark is famous for, and claims the invention of bananas foster prepared tableside for the perfect ending to the perfect meal. With classic Brennan’s traditions such as Breakfast at Brennan’s, table side dining, their famous bananas foster, brunch, and Happy Hour at the Roost Bar, Brennan’s is an institution of the NOLA restaurant scene.
***Reservations open up 30 days in advance. They book up almost immediately.
Parking is available at the Omni Royal Orleans Hotel, $8 for up to 6 hours
Dress code: Gentlemen: No tank tops, cut-offs, or athletic shorts.
Address: 417 Royal St, New Orleans, LA 70130
Phone: (504)525-9711
Prices: $$$
Opened in 1942 as a way to feed the dock workers and merchants who made a living on the river, Franky and Johnny’s is a longtime local neighborhood favorite, with a simple seafood-based menu and a casual, sports bar feel. Franky and Johnny’s focus on seafood platters, fried seafood, and Cajun-Creole fare. They offer many different types of po-boy’s, and gumbos, and are known locally for their exceptional crawfish.
Address: 321 Arabella St New, New Orleans, LA 70115
Phone: (504)243-1234
Prices: $$
Enjoy a beautiful view of Jackson Square from the balcony of Tableau, located in the heart of the French Quarter. Tableau features a cuisine rooted in local Creole traditions and flavors that blend seamlessly with flavors from around the world. Taste a bit of the Caribbean, France, Spain, Portugal, and the Ivory Coast in Tableau’s modern take on traditional favorites. For a beautiful view and a festive atmosphere, we recommend making a balcony reservation to enjoy the outdoor music that is almost always playing in the area.
Parking: Safe & Secure Valet Parking ~ $15 for 6 hours at Premium Parking Location #P145, 716 Iberville St.**Must show Valet Cashier Tableau receipt to receive discounted rate.**
Address: 616 St Peter, New Orleans, LA 70116
Phone: (504)934-3463
Prices: $$
Some swear that Parkway Bakery & Tavern serves the best traditional po’boys in all of New Orleans. Opened since 1911, this neighborhood spot offers classic over-stuffed po’boys, along with sandwiches, jambalaya, and plenty of your New Orleans faves. Parkway is a super casual spot- you wait in line and order at the counter, then eat inside in the casual dining area, or outside on the cute patio. To avoid long wait times, locals recommend ordering ahead, but either way, it is worth the wait. Menu favorites like the James Brown, the Fried Shrimp and Catfish Po’boy, and the Gravy Fries, are menu standouts and locals favorites. Note that Parkway is an excellent spot for large group orders for the team. Call ahead and they will happily set something up for you.
Address: 538 Hagan Ave, New Orleans, LA 70119
Phone: (504)482-3047
Prices: $$
Voted one of Bon Appetit’s Best New Restaurants of 2023, MaMou is a popular modern French brasserie located in the Lower French Quarter. This much-loved neighborhood gem features European continental cuisine with distinct creole influences, as well as an incredibly creative and fabulous craft cocktail list. Local favorites such as the Escargot Tartlet and the Sausage Risotto are menu highlights, but truly, you can’t go wrong here. A top-notch chef and a top-notch sommelier ensure that everything is perfect. The dining room is gorgeous, the service perfection, and the food is simply out of this world. The NY Times listed this restaurant as one of the best in the country for a reason- trust us- just go.
Address: 942 N Rampart St, New Orleans, LA 70116
Phone: (504)381-4557
Prices: $$
Drinks and Dessert
This quaint Irish bar, affectionately known as the ultimate dive bar, is the perfect place to watch the wildness of New Orleans pass on by. Famous for their frozen Irish Coffee, an alcohol-laden coffee milkshake that puts regular Irish coffee to shame, Molly’s offers a fun, less touristy dive bar atmosphere, as well as an excellent jukebox and incredibly reasonably priced drinks.
Address: 1107 Decatur St, New Orleans, LA 70116
Phone: (504)525-5169
Prices: $
Since 1862, Café du Monde has been a NOLA landmark and tourist destination. Famous for their exceptional beignets and Cafe au lait, this coffee shop is open 24 hours a day, every day, except Christmas Day, and when the city is threatened by particularly severe hurricanes. We recommend arriving early and sitting outside to take in the French Quarter’s high energy and enjoy the live jazz band that is usually in the area.
**Please note that they are a cash-only establishment.
Address: 800 Decatur St, New Orleans, LA 70116
Phone: (504)587-0833
Prices: $
Known hands down as the best snowball in the area, Hansen’s has been making small-batch syrups and snowballs every day since 1939. Their ice is as smooth as cream to accommodate their syrups which are fresh and made daily. Please note that there is a good chance that there will be a line for this local favorite and there is no AC inside, but you can be sure that the Satsuma flavor is most definitely worth the wait!
Address: 4801 Tchoupitoulas St, New Orleans, LA 70115
Phone: (504)891-9788
Prices: $
SIGHTS
The French Quarter is New Orleans’ oldest neighborhood. Founded by the French in 1718, the French Quarter is known as the heart of historic New Orleans. Today the area is the most famous in NOLA, and is known for its vibrant nightlife and the colorful historic buildings with cast iron balconies that surround its streets. The area is a fabulous mix of the old and new: there is a reimagined French Market, modern boutiques, excellent art galleries, and fancy artisan cocktails, mixed in with local beloved antique stores, fortune tellers, and classic NOLA restaurants and dive bars.
Bourbon Street is the most well-known street in the French Quarter. It features a plethora of Jazz clubs, Creole eateries, and loud local dive bars. Known to embody the party spirit of NOLA, Bourbon Street never sleeps. Some of the more serene streets in the Quarter will lead you to the French Market, a local staple for over 200 years, filled with gourmet food and local crafts, and then on to Jackson Square, where one is sure to see street performers entertaining in front of the beautiful St. Louis Cathedral.
The entire area is extremely walkable and there are innumerable restaurants, bars, shops, galleries, and all the like. An excellent and extremely convenient way to explore the area is via street car.
**Please note that you need exact change to ride the street cars, and if you plan on riding multiple times, we recommend purchasing a Jazzy Pass. You can download Le Pass, the official New Orleans RTA app, to see exact routes and time schedules.
Known as a “must-visit” historical museum, The National World War II museum is the nation’s only official World War II museum. The museum aims to tell the story of the American WWII experience- why the war was fought, how it was won, and what this all means today. The museum features personal narratives of war experiences, oral histories, immersive exhibits, multimedia experiences, as well as an impressive collection of artifacts. Guests also have the opportunity to tour and ride on an authentically restored PT-boat, or tour behind the scenes at the museum with artifact handling with the museum curators. As the top rated tourist destination in New Orleans, this is a first class museum that can easily take an entire day or two to take in.
Parking: The Museum’s parking garage is located at 1024 Magazine Street.
Consistently ranked one of the top zoos in the country, a day at the Audubon Zoo is an exciting and educational experience not to be missed when visiting the NOLA area. Located in historic Uptown New Orleans, the zoo cares for animals from all around the globe. They offer educational programs and hands-on animal encounters- as well as award-winning unique natural habitats such as the Louisiana Swamp and the Jaguar Jungle. They offer daily animal presentations, chats, and feeds, and of course, all the animals- the highly endangered whooping cranes, Amur leopards, orangutans, and mysterious white alligators are some of the favorites. The grounds are beautiful- lots of tree-shaded areas with waterfalls and gardens.
Located on the Mississippi River adjacent to the French Quarter, Audubon Aquarium is rated one of the top five aquariums in the country. With over 250 different species from the waters of the Caribbean, to the Amazon, to the Gulf of Mexico, and all over the world, this aquarium is an educational and visual delight. While not too large to feel overwhelming, the aquarium features a wide variety of fish and sea creatures, as well as a large shark viewing tank, an underwater tunnel, a penguin enclosure, and a stingray touch tank.
Located in the same building as the aquarium is the newly opened Insectarium. This insect museum encourages you to use all five senses as you explore a museum devoted to some of the world’s most fascinating and important insects. You can discover and taste edible insect cuisine at Bug Appétit, explore a beautiful garden overlooking the Mississippi River with hundreds of free-flying butterflies, and explore over 50 displays with live arthropods.