The harbor of Villefranche is one of the deepest natural anchorages in the western Mediterranean. Sheltered from easterly, westerly, and northerly winds by high cliffs, it is open to the sea to the south and protected from climatic hazards by its narrowness. Its deep waters, 55 ft (17 m) on average but 311 ft (95 m) at the entrance of the harbor, make it one of the major ports of the French Riviera and a stopover point for many cruise ships. The steep relief of its territory extends off the Baie des Anges through the Villefranche canyon, an abyss over 1,640 ft (500 m) deep.