Lighthouses of France: Aquitaine

Lighthouses of Pyrénées-Atlantiques

Hendaye Lighthouses

* Socoa (feu antérieur) (2)

1845 (station established 1823). Active; focal plane 36 m (118 ft); quick-flashing light, white or red depending on direction. 12 m (39 ft) square cylindrical masonry tower with lantern and gallery, attached to the front of a 1- and 2-story keeper's house. Lighthouse painted white with black vertical stripes on the front (north) and west faces; lantern and gallery painted black. Fog siren located 300 m (0.3 mi) east. Phareland has many photos, José Arocena has a nice photo, Trabas has a view from the bay by Thomas Philipp, Huelse has a historic postcard view, and Google has a satellite view. The first light, on a "temporary" wood tower, survived for 22 years. The range guides ships into the western entrance to the Baie de Saint-Jean-de-Luz. The rear light is on a skeletal tower. Located at the end of the Route du Phare, atop a steep bluff near the point of land at the east end of the bay, about 3 km (2 mi) northwest of Ciboure. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS FRA-470; Admiralty D1424; NGA 1700.

St.-Jean-de-Luz Lighthouses

* Saint-Jean-de-Luz Feu Antérieur (3) 1938 (station established 1870). Active; focal plane 18 m (59 ft); quick-flashing green light. 14 m (46 ft) square cylindrical masonry tower; the light is displayed from a window on the top floor. Tower painted white with a red vertical stripe on the range line. A view from inside the entrance is at right, a closeup and another photo are available, and Google has a satellite view. The range guides ships across the Baie de Saint-Jean-de-Luz to the inner harbor entrance. Located on the east side of the entrance, in Saint-Jean-de-Luz. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS FRA-482; Admiralty D1418; NGA 1688. * Saint-Jean-de-Luz Feu Postérieur (Tour de Ciboure) 1872. Active; focal plane 27 m (89 ft); quick-flashing green light. 27 m (89 ft) square cylindrical masonry tower; the light is displayed from a window on the top floor. Tower painted white with a green vertical stripe on the range line. José Arocena has a good photo, another photo is available, Guyomard and Carceller have a distant photo taken from across the harbor near the front light, and Google has a fine satellite view. Michel Forand has a postcard view of the original Tour de Ciboure lighthouse; the tower was expanded in 1938 to assume its present form. Located at the intersection of the Quai Maurice Ravel and the Rue Ramiro Arrue in Ciboure. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS FRA-483; Admiralty D1420; NGA 1692. * Pointe Sainte-Barbe Feu Antérieur 1876. Active; focal plane 30 m (98 ft); red light, occulting four times every 12 s, intensified on the range line. 7 m (23 ft) square masonry 1-story keeper's house with a tall peaked roof; the triangular shape of the building serves a daymark. Lighthouse painted white. Pierre Mirosa has a closeup photo, and Google has a good satellite view. The Pointe Sainte-Barbe is the eastern entrance to the Baie de Saint-Jean-de-Luz, a picturesque elliptical harbor popular as a yacht anchorage. Located on the heights of the point, beyond the end of the Boulevard Thiers in Saint-Jean-de-Luz. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS FRA-473; Admiralty D1414; NGA 1680.

St.-Jean-de-Luz Feu Antérieur, July 2010 Wikimedia Creative Commons photo by Havang

* Pointe Sainte-Barbe Feu Postérieur 1876. Active; focal plane 47 m (154 ft); red light, occulting four times every 12 s, intensified on the range line. 15 m (49 ft) square masonry 3-story keeper's house with a tall peaked roof; the triangular shape of the building serves a daymark. Lighthouse painted white. Guyomard and Carceller have photos, Huelse has a historic postcard view, and Google has an excellent satellite view. Located on the heights of the point, 340 m (0.21 mi) east southeast of the front light. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty D1416; NGA 1684. * Guéthary Feu Postérieur Date unknown. Active; focal plane 33 m (108 ft); quick-flashing red light. 7 m (23 ft) semicircular stone tower attached to the front of a 1-story stone equipment shelter. Wikimedia has a photo, another closeup is available, and Guyomard and Carceller have a distant view. This tower is an atalaye, a watchtower used to spot whales. It's not known when a navigational light was added. The range guides ships into an open roads; there is no protected harbor. The front light is on a 7 m (23 ft) post. Located atop a bluff at Guéthary, about 8 km (5 mi) southwest of Biarritz. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty D1413.1; NGA 1668. Biarritz Lighthouse **** Pointe Saint-Martin (Biarritz) 1834. Active; focal plane 73 m (240 ft); two white flashes every 10 s. 47 m (154 ft) masonry tower with lantern and gallery, rising from the center of a 2-story octagonal keeper's house; clamshell Fresnel lens (1904). Tower and keeper's house painted white, lantern and gallery black. Matthieu Luna's photo is at right, Phareland has good photos, Pierre Marc has a good photo, TrekEarth has a great aerial photo, Huelse has a historic postcard view, and Google has a great satellite view. This is one of the lighthouses designed by Augustin Fresnel himself; it commands a magnificent view of the Atlantic on one side and the Pyrénées mountains on the other. The keeper's house is staffed by a resident keeper. Located at the end of the Avenue de l'Impératrice, on the promontory of Cap Hainsart; this is on the north side of the resort city of Biarritz, at the northern end of the popular Plage Miramar beach. Site open; tower open daily except Mondays in July and August and on weekends and school holidays in the spring and fall. ARLHS FRA-072; Admiralty D1410; NGA 1660.

Phare de St.-Martin, Biarritz, April 2008 Creative Commons photo by Matthieu Luna

Bayonne Lighthouses

* L'Adour Jetée Sud 1964 (?). Active; focal plane 9 m (30 ft); green light, 2 s on, 2 s off. 8 m (26 ft) square concrete block tower with gallery but no lantern, painted white with a green band at the top. José Arocena has a photo, a closeup is available, and Google has a satellite view. Located at the end of the jetty on the south side of the entrance to the Rivière de l'Adour, which is the boundary between Landes and Pyrénées-Atlantiques, about 7 km (4 mi) northwest of Bayonne. Site open (?), tower closed. Admiralty D1387.4; NGA 1612. * L'Adour (Bayonne) Sémaphore (2) 1868 (station established 1860). Inactive as a lighthouse. 14 m (46 ft) masonry tower, with cylindrical tower supporting a hexagonal watch room centered on a 2-story hexagonal base. Building painted white with a black vertical stripe on the seaward side. A photo is at right, José Arocena has a photo, a view from across the channel is available, and Google has a fine satellite view. According to Findlay's 1879 light list, the tower showed a continuous light, white when it was safe to enter and red otherwise. The historic building is apparently still in use as a signal tower and control room for the port of Bayonne. Located a few feet off the south side of the Rivière de l'Adour just inside the entrance. Site open, tower closed. Boucau Feu Antérieur (1) (?) Date unknown (1950s?). Active; focal plane 6 m (20 ft); continuous green light, intensified on the range line. 4 m (13 ft) cylindrical tower with a conical roof, mounted on rails atop steel pilings. The light is displayed through a square window. Tower painted white with a green vertical stripe on the range line. Guyomard and Carceller have a photo identified as "Feu de l'Adour," and Google has a satellite view. This unusual light was designed so that it could be moved laterally to adjust the exact bearing of the range, which guides ships through the entrance to the estuary of l'Adour and the harbor of Boucau. However, a 2011 photo shows that the light has been replaced by an ordinary post light. Located in the estuary, off the south bank; probably visible from the Avenue de l'Adour, which runs close to the bank. Site status unknown. Admiralty D1388; NGA 1620. * Boucau Feu Postérieur Date unknown (1950s?). Active; focal plane 10 m (33 ft); continuous green light, intensified on the range line. 9 m (30 ft) light mounted on the outside of the square cupola of the port captain's office. Lighthouse painted white with an orange tile roof. Google has a satellite view of the building. Located on the south bank of L'Adour, 150 m (165 yd) east southeast of the front light; visible from the Avenue de l'Adour, which runs close to the bank. Site appears to be open, tower closed. Admiralty D1388.1; NGA 1624.

Sémaphore de l'Adour, September 2009 anonymous Panoramio Creative Commons photo

Lighthouses of Landes

Tarnos Lighthouse

L'Adour Jetée Nord

1964 (?). Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); red light, 2 s on, 2 s off. 10 m (33 ft) square concrete block tower with gallery but no lantern, painted white with a red band at the top. José Arocena has a photo, David Ollagnon has a closeup, and Google has a satellite view. Located at the end of the jetty on the north side of the entrance to the Rivière de l'Adour, which is the boundary between Landes and Pyrénées-Atlantiques, about 3 km (2 mi) west of Boucau. Site and tower closed. Admiralty D1387.3; NGA 1608.

Capbreton Lighthouses

* Capbreton Estacade Sud 1948. Active; focal plane 9 m (30 ft); two green flashes every 6 s. 8 m (26 ft) solid stone tower with lantern and gallery. Tower is unpainted stone; lantern painted green, gallery white. Guyomard and Carceller have several photos, a closeup is available, José Arocena has a good photo showing both lights, Trabas has a photo, Huelse has a historic postcard view, and Google has a satellite view. Located adjacent to the wooden pier (estacade) on the south side of the entrance to Capbreton. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty D1386; NGA 1588. * Capbreton Jetée Nord 1975. Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); two red flashes every 6 s. 6 m (20 ft) cylindrical concrete tower with a small lantern. Tower is unpainted white concrete; lantern painted red. Guyomard and Carceller have several photos, another photo and a more dramatic closeup photo are available, and Google has a satellite view. As seen in a TrekEarth aerial photo, the harbor at Capbreton is entered through a narrow cut called the Passe du Boucart; this lighthouse marks the north side of the channel. Located at the end of the breakwater mole of Capbreton. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty D1384; NGA 1584. St.-Julien-en-Born Lighthouse ** Contis 1863. Active; focal plane 50 m (164 ft); four white flashes, separated by 4.1 s, every 25 s. 42 m (138 ft) masonry tower with lantern and gallery. Tower painted in a black and white spiral pattern; lantern painted black, gallery white. 1-story keeper's house and other light station buildings. Loran Tatooine's photo is at right, Trabas has a closeup, Phareland has photos, Marinas.com has aerial photos, and Google has a satellite view. The spiral daymark, unusual for French lighthouses, was suggested in 1937 by the painter Bellocq; Huelse has a postcard view made before the spiral was applied. The lighthouse marks the center of an otherwise dark section of the coast between the Bassin d'Arcachon and Biarritz. The keeper's house is occupied by a resident keeper, who has developed a small museum and offers guided tours to visitors. Located at Contis-Plage, at or near the end of the D41 highway. Site open, tower open by arrangement with the keeper. ARLHS FRA-088; Admiralty D1382; NGA 1580.

Phare de Contis, July 2005 Creative Commons photo by Loran Tatooine

Lighthouses of Gironde

Cap Ferret Lighthouse

*** Cap Ferret (Bassin d'Arcachon) (2) 1949 (station established 1840). Active; focal plane 53 m (174 ft); red flash every 5 s; also at 46 m (151 ft) a white light occulting three times every 12 s. 52 m (171 ft) cylindrical concrete tower with lantern and gallery, rising from the center of a 1-story circular keeper's house; the top section of the tower is 12-sided. Lantern, gallery, and the 12-sided section painted red, the rest of the tower white. Matthieu Cochonou's photo appears at the top of this page, Phareland has many photos, another closeup photo is available, and Google has a satellite view. This famous lighthouse should not be confused with the equally famous lighthouse of Cap Ferrat near Nice on the Mediterranean coast. This handsome lighthouse is a copy in concrete of the original masonry lighthouse, which was dynamited by German troops on 22 August 1944. Huelse has a postcard view of the historic tower. However, the newer tower is equipped with an elevator in addition to the traditional spiral stairway. The lighthouse stands at the end of a peninsula sheltering the Bassin d'Arcachon, the only large harbor between the Gironde and the Spanish border. Located at the end of the D106 highway in Cap-Ferret. Site open, tower open for climbing but no details on the schedule are available. ARLHS FRA-226; Admiralty D1378; NGA 1560. Hourtin Lighthouses Hourtin (Tour Sud) 1863. Inactive since 1894. 23 m (75 ft) square brick tower with gallery, topped by two parabolic antennas and other communications gear. Tower is unpainted red brick with stone trim. Stephen Hix has a photo (second thumbnail), Alexandre Ruiz has a 2003 photo of the north tower that shows this tower in the background, and Google has a satellite view. A twin of the north tower, this lighthouse stood abandoned from 1894 until 1964, when the defense ministry reactivated the tower as a satellite tracking station. Located 200 m (220 yd) south of the north tower. Site and tower closed, but Vaur's photo indicates the tower can be viewed from the north tower. Site manager: Ministère de la Défense Nationale. * Hourtin (Tour Nord) 1863. Active; focal plane 55 m (180 ft); white flash every 5 s. 27 m (89 ft) square brick tower with lantern and gallery. Tower is unpainted red brick with stone trim; lantern painted black. 2-story brick keeper's house and other light station buildings. Georges Schultz's photo is at right, Guyomard and Carceller have good photos, a good closeup is available, Trabas has Thomas Philipp's photo, Hix has a photo (first thumbnail), Huelse has a historic postcard view, and Google has a satellite view. Twin towers were built at this station, a configuration unusual for France, but the south tower was deactivated in 1894. The purpose of the light was to mark the center of an otherwise dark section of unbroken coast between the mouth of the Gironde and the Bassin d'Arcachon. Located on a dune behind the ocean beach about 6 km (4 mi) south of Hourtin-Plage. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS FRA-105; Admiralty D1372; NGA 1556.

Phare de Hourtin (Tour Nord), November 2006 Wikimedia Creative Commons photo by Georges Schultz

St.-Vivien-de-Médoc (Gironde Entrance) Lighthouses

**** Cordouan (2) 1611. Active; focal plane 60 m (197 ft); white, red, or green light, depending on direction, occulting three times every 12 s. 68 m (223 ft) stone tower with lantern and three galleries, incorporating keeper's quarters; 1st order Fresnel lens. The tower is unpainted light gray stone; lantern and gallery are a darker gray. The lighthouse includes a cylindrical 3-story base with two galleries, built in 1611, surmounted by a tall conical tower completed in 1788. A fine photo by Thibault Grouas is at right, Guyomard and Carceller have many photos, Jaufré Rudel has a good photo, a 2009 photo is available, Trabas has a photo by Klaus Kern, French Wikipedia has a good article with many photos, Huelse has a historic postcard view, and Google has a distant satellite view. This is the oldest and perhaps greatest of French lighthouses and one of the most famous lighthouses in the world. In the west of France it is called le roi des phares, le phare des rois (the king of lighthouses and the lighthouse of kings). It marks the entrance to the Gironde, standing on a sandbar in the mouth of the estuary. According to legend, Charlemagne commanded that a light be shone here in the early ninth century. It's more certain that the English Prince Edward (the Black Prince), ruling southwestern France as Duc d'Aquitaine, built a 16 m (52 ft) stone tower in 1360 and engaged monks to keep a fire burning. The lower portion of the present lighthouse remains from the great work of Louis de Foix, who spent 27 years building the lighthouse from 1584 to 1611. The original lighthouse was an elaborate structure that included a chapel and a royal apartment (although no king ever visited). Huelse has a drawing of this famous building. In 1645 the wood-fired lantern was blown off by a storm and replaced by a new lantern designed to burn whale oil. This was replaced in 1727 by a third lantern designed for charcoal. Parabolic reflectors of the Argand design were installed in 1782, but shortly thereafter the original superstructure was entirely removed and replaced with the soaring conical tower that survives to the present. In 1823 Augustin-Jean Fresnel brought the first of his lenses to the tower, and here he perfected the lens designs that were soon in use around the world. The present lens was installed in 1854, during a thorough restoration of the tower ordered by Napoleon III. The lighthouse was not electrified until 1948. In 1981, the Bureau des Phares et Balises announced plans to replace the historic tower with an offshore lightfloat. This led to a great uproar and the formation of the Association pour la Sauvegarde du Phare de Cordouan. Instead of abandoning the lighthouse, steps were taken to restore it. In 1987, a modern halogen lamp was installed; since the lamp's light could be flashed, the rotating mechanism was then retired. In 2005 a new restoration was completed. Located 7 km (4 mi) west northwest of the Pointe de Grave, the southern entrance to the Gironde. Accessible only by boat, but tours are available from Pointe de Grave, where the Association maintains a museum devoted to the history of the lighthouse. Site open, tower open to guided tours. Site manager: Association pour la Sauvegarde du Phare de Cordouan. ARLHS FRA-007; Admiralty D1300; NGA 1480.

Le Phare de Cordouan, November 2006 Wikimedia Commons photo by Thibault Grouas

* Saint-Nicolas (feu antérieur)

1873. Active; focal plane 22 m (72 ft); quick-flashing green light, intensified on the range line. 13 m (43 ft) square 3-story tower with a domed roof; the light is displayed through a square opening on the third floor. Solar panels atop the dome provide power. Lighthouse painted white. Hix has closeup photos, and Trabas has a closeup by Hix, but the small tower is not seen in Google's fuzzy satellite view. This light and the Pointe de Grave light provide a range for ships approaching the Gironde entrance. Located just behind the ocean beach, 1550 m (1 mi) southwest of the Pointe de Grave lighthouse in Verdon-sur-Mer. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS FRA-625; Admiralty D1310; NGA 1500.

**** Pointe de Grave (feu postérieur) (6)

1860 (station established 1823). Active; focal plane 26 m (85 ft); white, red, or green light, depending on direction, occulting once every 4 s. 25 m (82 ft) square cylindrical masonry tower with lantern and gallery, rising from a 1-story keeper's house. Tower painted white with dark gray trim; lantern painted black. Hix has good photos, Trabas has an excellent photo by Thomas Philipp, a closeup photo and another good photo are available, and Huelse has a historic postcard view, but the lighthouse is barely visible in Google's fuzzy satellite view. Fichou recounts the early history of this station, when a series of temporary and "permanent" lights fell victim to the sea on the highly mobile point. Finally the lighthouse was set back from the sea, where it has survived nearly 150 years. In recent years, management of the lighthouse has been assumed by the Association pour la Sauvegarde du Phare de Cordouan, which operates a museum in the keeper's house with exhibits on Cordouan, this light, and other lights of the Médoc region. Located in Verdon-sur-Mer, near the terminal for ferries crossing the Gironde from Royan. Site open, museum open daily, tower open. ARLHS FRA-155; Admiralty D1310.1; NGA 1504.

Canton de Pauillac (Gironde Estuary) Lighthouses

**** Pointe de Richard (1) 1845. Inactive since 1870. 16 m (52 ft) cylindrical stone tower with lantern and gallery, rising from the center of a 1-story keeper's house. Frédéric Bourset's photo is at right, Hix has excellent photos, another good photo is available, Guyomard and Carceller have good photos, and Google has a distant satellite view of the station. This lighthouse marked a prominent point on the Gironde, a point marked for many years by a giant poplar tree, known as L'Arbre de Richard. After the tree was overthrown by a storm in 1830, a buoy was placed in the river. When that proved inadequate, the lighthouse was built. In 1870, the light was moved to a 30 m (98 ft) cast iron tripod tower which formed the rear light of a range, the front light being on the lightship Talais. Fichou has the history of that tower, and Huelse has a historic postcard view showing both lighthouses. The keeper's house remained in service until the station was deactivated in 1953; the tripod tower was demolished in 1956. Sold into private ownership, the station stood abandoned until a group of teenagers launched the first restoration effort in 1982. In 1988 the station was purchased by the township of Jau-Dignac et Loirac. A preservation group, L'Association Communale du Phare de Richard, was organized in 1993 and the keeper's house was renovated as a fishery and lighthouse museum. Located on the point, about 2 km (1.2 mi) north of Port de Richard on the south side of the Gironde estuary. Site open, museum and tower open daily except Tuesdays March through October and on weekends November through February. Owner: Commune du Jau-Dignac et Loirac. Site manager: L'Association Communale du Phare de Richard. ARLHS FRA-448. Trompeloup (feu antérieur) 1901. Inactive since 1992 (?). 13 m (43 ft) stone tower with gallery, incorporating keeper's quarters. Lantern removed. Upper half of tower painted red, lower half white; the colors have faded considerably since deactivation. Hix has a photo, and Google has a satellite view. This was the front light of an upstream (westbound) range, the Île de Patiras lighthouse being the rear light. The range was deactivated after a change in the channel made it useless. Located in the middle of the Gironde about 3 km (2mi) southeast of Saint-Estèphe and 2650 m (1.65 mi) north of the Île de Patiras lighthouse. Accessible only by boat; there should be good views from the riverside D2 highway south of Saint-Estèphe. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS FRA-745.

Phare de Richard, August 2006 Creative Commons photo by Frédéric Bourset

** Île de Patiras (feu postérieur) (2)

1879 (station established 1860). Inactive since 1992. 22 m (72 ft) square masonry tower with gallery, topped by a 9 m (30 ft) tall cylindrical lantern structure added in 1971 to bring the total height to 31 m (102 ft). Tower painted white; lantern painted red. Médoc-Tourisme has an April 2008 photo showing the lighthouse under restoration, Hix has a 2009 photo, and Google has a satellite view. The original light here was on a 13 m (43 ft) wood skeletal tower. This was the rear light of an upstream (westbound) range, the Trompeloup lighthouse being the front light. The range was deactivated after a change in the channel made it useless. The Île de Patiras is an island in the middle of the Gironde opposite Pauillac. About 3 km (2 mi) long and 1.5 km (1 mi) wide, the island has been a various times a pirate base, leper colony, and place of exile for Jews from Bordeaux. Today it is the site of a large vineyard producing Bordeaux wine. In 1999 a great storm inundated the island and damaged the lighthouse. This led to negotiations between Philippe Lacourt, the island's owner, and the Conservatoire du Littoral. The lighthouse was restored in 2008 with the help of €650,000 grant, and in October 2008 it was opened to the public for the first time, with guided tours organized by the Gens d'Estuaire. Accommodations on the island are also available. The lighthouse is on the west side of the island near the northern tip. The island is accessible only by boat; transportation from Pauillac can be arranged. Site open, tower closed. Site manager: Gens d'Estuaire.

Information available on lost lighthouses:

Notable faux lighthouses:

• Bordeaux Rostral Columns (1829). These historic monuments are claimed to have served in the 19th century as lighthouses. We haven't been able to confirm that they ever carried lights sufficient to serve as navigational aids.

Adjoining pages: North: Charente Coast | South: Basque Country

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Posted October 30, 2005. Checked and revised March 25, 2011. Lighthouses: 24. Site copyright 2011 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.