Lighthouses of France: Côte d'Azur (French Riviera)

This page includes lighthouses of France's southeastern coast, the Côte d'Azur, often called the French Riviera in English. The Riviera includes two départements of the French Republic, Alpes-Maritimes and Var. The region is famous for its resorts; it includes many well-known vacation destinations such as Nice, Cannes, and St.-Tropez. It also includes Toulon, France's major naval base on the Mediterranean. The lighthouses of Monaco, an independent nation, are on a separate page.

The part of this coast in Alpes-Maritimes was formerly included in the County of Nice, which was part of the Kingdom of Sardinia until 1860. However, no lighthouses survive from the period of Sardinian rule.

The French word for a lighthouse, phare, is often reserved for the larger coastal lighthouses; a smaller light or harbor light is called a feu (literally "fire," but here meaning "light"). The front light of a range (alignement) is the feu antérieur and the rear light is the feu postérieur.

Aids to navigation in France are regulated by the venerable Bureau des Phares et Balises, an agency of the maritime directorate (Direction des Affaires Maritimes et des Gens de Mer), but many of them are actually operated by the transport ministries or port authorities of the departmental governments.

ARLHS numbers are from the ARLHS World List of Lights. FR numbers, where available, are the French light list numbers. Admiralty numbers are from volume E of the Admiralty List of Lights & Fog Signals. U.S. NGA List numbers are from Publication 113.

General Sources
Phares d'Europe: A large, well known site maintained by Alain Guyomard and Robert Carceller.
Phares de France: Another large and well known site, this one by Jean-Christophe Fichou, rich in historical information.
Ministère de la Culture - Phares: Historical data on more than 180 French lighthouses, with photos of most of them.
Phareland, le Site des Phares de France: This comprehensive site has good photos and information about the major lighthouses.
Online List of Lights - Vol. E - France: Photos by various photographers posted by Alexander Trabas. For this area, many of the photos are by Arno Siering.
Lighthouses in France: Photos available from Wikimedia.
Lighthouses in France: Aerial photos posted by Marinas.com.
Société Nationale pour le Patrimoine des Phares et Balises (S.N.P.B.): The French national lighthouse preservation organization.
Französische Leuchttürme: Historic photos and postcard images posted by Klaus Huelse.

Phare du Cap Ferrat
Cap Ferrat Light, Villefranche-sur-Mer, March 2009
Wikimedia public domain photo by Tangopaso

Départment des Alpes-Maritimes Inland Lighthouses

Lac Léman (Lake Geneva) Lighthouses (see also Switzerland)
* Amphion-les-Bains: Date unknown (1890s?). Inactive. Approx. 7 m (23 ft) round cylindrical skeletal tower with lantern and gallery, painted white. A 2008 photo and a closeup photo are available, and Bing has a satellite view. Amphion-les-Bains is on the central south shore of Lac Léman (Lake Geneva), opposite Morges, Switzerland. Located at a breakwater elbow at Amphion-les-Bains; accessible by walking the mole. Site open, tower closed.
* Port Pré-Curieux: Date unknown (around 1900?). Active? Approx. 10 m (33 ft) hexagonal hourglass-shaped skeletal tower with lantern and gallery. The lighthouse is gray metallic; lantern roof is dark red. No current photo available, but Huelse has a historic postcard view, and Google has a satellite view. The Jardins de l'Eau du Pré-Curieux is an environmental education center specializing in wetlands protection. Visitors reach the center by a solar-powered boat that departs from a quay on the west side of downtown Évian-les-Bains. The lighthouse is apparently at or near this quay. Site open, tower closed.
* [Évian-les-Bains]: Date unknown (1890s?). Probably active; continuous (?) red light. Approx. 6 m (20 ft) cast iron post light mounted on a round masonry base. A closeup and another photo are available, and Google has a satellite view. Located at the end of a pier at Évian-les-Bains, a popular resort town about 4 km (2.5 mi) east of Amphion-les-Bains. Located on the Quai du Baron de Blonay, marking the entrance to a small boat harbor. Site open, tower closed.
Lac du Bourget Lighthouse * Aix-les-Bains: Date unknown. Inactive? 4 m (13 ft) cylindrical cast iron tower on a 1-story octagonal cast iron equipment shelter. Lighthouse painted white. Google has a satellite view. Information is needed on the history of this interesting little lighthouse. The Lac du Bourget, France's largest lake, is located in the Alps about halfway between Grenoble and Genève, Switzerland. The lake is 18 km (11 mi) long and has an altitude of 231.5 m (760 ft). The resort town of Aix-les-Bains is on the east side of the lake. Located at the end of the main pier at the Grand Port d'Aix-les-Bains. Accessible by walking the pier. Site open, tower closed.

Départment des Alpes-Maritimes Coastal Lighthouses

Menton Lighthouses
* Cap Ferrat (2): 1952 (station established 1838). Active; focal plane 69 m (226 ft); white flash every 3 s. 32 m (105 ft) octagonal stone tower with lantern and gallery, attached to a 2-story masonry keeper's house. The tower is unpainted white stone; the lantern is green with a white roof. A photo is at the top of this page, Trabas has a closeup photo by Siering, Eric Farber has a good photo, Wikimedia has several photos, and Bing has an aerial view. This is one of the oldest light stations of the Côte d'Azur, along with Cap Camarat and Antibes. It was established by the Kingdom of Sardinia, which controlled Nice until 1860. Huelse has a historic postcard view of the original lighthouse, which was blown up by German troops in 1944. Cap Ferrat is a very prominent cape projecting into the Mediterranean between Nice and Monaco. Located above the point of the cape, on the Avenue du Phare in Villefranche-sur-Mer. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS FRA-099; FR-1508; Admiralty E0828; NGA 7216.
* Villefranche-sur-Mer Môle de la Santé (2): Date unknown. Active; focal plane 10 m (33 ft); four red flashes every 15 s. 6 m (20 ft) steel post centered on a large square stone base. Post painted red with a white horizontal band. Louise Diodato has a photo, and Bing has an aerial view. Located on the breakwater pier of a small boat harbor at Villefranche-sur-Mer. Admiralty E0832; NGA 7212.
Antibes Lighthouses
Marina Baie des Anges Jetée Est: Date unknown. Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); two green flashes every 6 s. 10 m (33 ft) round tower, painted white. No closeup photo available; the light can be seen on the breakwater at the right in an aerial photo, and Bing has a good aerial view. Located at the end of the east breakwater at the Marina Baie des Anges, north of Antibes. This breakwater does not appear to be walkable. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS FRA-543; Admiralty E0818.7; NGA 7164.
* Antibes Môle du Fort Carré: Date unknown. Active; focal plane 10 m (33 ft); green light, 2 s on, 2 s off. 7 m (23 ft) round masonry tower. Tower unpainted, but the light structure at the top is green. The light tower is in the left center of Nick Bennett's photo of the harbor, and Bing has an aerial view. This light is located at the end of a breakwater mole on the west side of harbor, below the the 16th century Fort Carré. Accessible by walking the mole. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS FRA-556; Admiralty E0819.6; NGA 7144.
Vallauris Lighthouses
* Golfe-Juan Jetée du Large: Date unknown. Active; focal plane 10 m (33 ft); two green flashes every 6 s. 6 m (20 ft) round tower with gallery. Tower painted white with a green horizontal band at the top. Romeo Reidl has a 2007 photo, and Bing has an aerial view. Located at the end of the breakwater mole of Golfe-Juan. Accessible by walking the mole. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS FRA-561; Admiralty E0810.4; NGA 7122.
* Port Canto: Date unknown. Active; focal plane 11 m (36 ft); green flash every 4 s. 10 m (33 ft) unpainted round stone tower topped by a green lantern structure. A good photo is available, Trabas has a view from the sea by Günther Hess, Carceller and Guyomard have a small photo, and Google has a satellite view. Located at the end of the breakwater at Port Canto, a newer harbor on the east side of Cannes. Accessible by walking the breakwater. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS FRA-616; Admiralty E0803; NGA 7100.
Le Sécant: Date unknown. Active; focal plane 10 m (33 ft); two green flashes every 6 s. 14 m (46 ft) round stone tower, painted white; gallery rail and lighting apparatus painted green. Trabas has a good photo by Arno Siering, and Google has a satellite view. Located at the end of a submerged reef on the east side of the entrance to Cannes harbor. Accessible only by boat, but easy to see from shore. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS FRA-271; Admiralty E0801; NGA 7092.
* Théoule-sur-Mer Jetée de l'Est: Date unknown. Active; focal plane 8 m (26 ft); white or red light depending on direction, 2 s on, 2 s off. 6 m (20 ft) round unpainted stone tower with a small red lantern. Trabas has Siering's photo, and Google has a satellite view. Located at the end of the east (main) breakwater in Théoule-sur-Mer. Accessible by walking the pier. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS FRA-626; Admiralty E0798; NGA 7076.
* La Galère: 1961. Active; focal plane 9 m (30 ft); quick flashing red light. 7 m (23 ft) round conical concrete tower, painted white with a red band at the top. Silverlands Ltd. has a photo, and there's a Google satellite view. Located on the end of the breakwater at La Galère; presumably accessible by walking the breakwater. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS FRA-598; Admiralty E0797; NGA 7072.
* La Figueirette: Date unknown. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); three flashes every 12 s, white or green depending on direction. 10 m (33 ft) platform supported by four piles rising from the corners of a square 1-story equipment shelter. Lighthouse painted white with a green band at the top. Trabas has Siering's photo, Nino Amoretti has a photo, and Google has a satellite view. Located on the breakwater of the Marina la Figueirette in Miramar, on the south side of Théoule-sur-Mer. Accessible by walking the pier. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty E0796; NGA 7068.

Département du Var Lighthouses

Saint-Raphaël and Fréjus Lighthouses
La Chrétienne: Date unknown. Active; focal plane 10 m (33 ft); six quick white flashes and one long white flash every 15 s. 13 m (43 ft) round stone tower. Upper half of the lighthouse painted yellow, lower half black. A photo is available, and Google has a satellite view. Located on a reef about 1 km (0.6 mi) offshore southwest of Agay. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty E0795.5; NGA 7064.
* Agay (La Baumette): 1884. Active; focal plane 28 m (92 ft); white or red light, depending on direction, 3 s on, 1 s off. 16 m (52 ft) square masonry tower with lantern and gallery, attached to the front of a 1-story masonry keeper's house. Lighthouse painted white, lantern and gallery red. Daniel Stoica has a photo, Trabas has Siering's photo, Huelse has a historic postcard view, and Google has a satellite view. There is a monument at the lighthouse in memory of the author and aviator Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, who flew over this spot on his last and fatal flight on 31 July 1944. Located on the Pointe des Baumettes, on the east side of the entrance to the beautiful Rade d'Agay, about 10 km (6 mi) east of Saint-Raphaël. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS FRA-137; FR-1490; Admiralty E0795; NGA 7060.
Hyères Lighthouses
Note: The Îles d'Hyères are islands lying off the southernmost point of the Côte d'Azur, east of Toulon. Between the islands and the mainland is a deepwater sound called the Rade d'Hyères. The town of Hyères is on a peninsula of the mainland opposite the islands.
Les Salins (Port Pothuau) Jetée de l'Est: Date unknown. Active; focal plane 9 m (30 ft); white or green light, depending on direction, occulting three times every 12 s. 8 m (26 ft) post light mounted on the roof of a 1-story pierhead building. The upper half of the post is painted green and the rest of the structure is white. Trabas has Siering's photo, and Google has a satellite view. Located on the east breakwater of Les Salins, an old fishing harbor on the mainland coast of the Rade d'Hyères. Admiralty E0756; NGA 6944.
* Hyères Jetée de l'Est: Date unknown. Active; focal plane 9 m (30 ft); green flash every 4 s. 7 m (23 ft) octagonal pyramidal concrete tower, painted white with a narrow green band at the top. This light is at the bottom of G. Bernardin's aerial photo of the harbor, and Google has a satellite view. Located on the west breakwater of Port St.-Pierre. Accessible by walking the pier. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty E0754; NGA 6920.
* Hyères Jetée de l'Ouest: Date unknown. Active; focal plane 9 m (30 ft); red light, 3 s on, 1 s off. 7 m (23 ft) octagonal pyramidal concrete tower, painted white with a narrow red band at the top. Jos Van de Velde has a photo, the light appears in G. Bernardin's aerial photo of the harbor, and Google has a satellite view. Located on the east (main) breakwater of Port St.-Pierre, on the east side of Hyères. Accessible by walking the pier. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty E0754.2; NGA 6924.
Le Titan (1 and 2): 1893 (station established 1837). Active; focal plane 70 m (230 ft); white flash every 5 s. 10 m (33 ft) round stone tower with lantern and gallery, attached to a 1-story stone keeper's house. Centered on the roof of the house is a square tower that originally carried the lantern. Lighthouse painted white with unpainted stone trim; lantern painted black. An aerial photo is available, Huelse has a historic postcard view (note the formidable stairway leading up from the landing below the lighthouse), and Google has a fuzzy satellite view. The present light tower was added in 1893 because the original tower was not large enough to carry a 1st order lantern. This historic lighthouse marks the eastern end of the Îles d'Hyères, making it a very important light for westbound shipping. Built at the eastern tip of the Île du Levant, it is located in a restricted military zone not accessible to the public. As in the case of Cap Cépet, closeup photos are rare. Site and tower closed. ARLHS FRA-504; FR-1479; Admiralty E0770; NGA 6976.
Grand-Ribaud (2): 1953 (station established 1851). Active; focal plane 35 m (115 ft); four white flashes every 15 s. 16 m (52 ft) round masonry tower with lantern and gallery, rising from the elbow of an L-shaped 1-story masonry keeper's house. Lighthouse painted white, lantern black. Jean-Luc Fitoussi has a photo, a view from the sea is available, and Google has a good satellite view. The Îlot du Grand-Ribaud is a small, privately owned island in the western entrance to the Rade d'Hyères, between the Giens peninsula and the Île du Porquerolles. Huelse has a historic postcard view of the original lighthouse, which was destroyed during World War II. Located on the south point of the island, about 2.5 km (1.5 mi) southeast of Giens. Accessible only by boat; there should be a distant view from the ferry between Giens and the Île de Porquerolles. Site status unknown. ARLHS FRA-304; FR-1459; Admiralty E0748; NGA 6896.
Toulon Area Lighthouses
Note: Located east of Marseilles, Toulon has been the traditional home port of the French Mediterranean Fleet since it was founded by Charles VIII in 1494. The inner harbor of Toulon, called the Petite Rade (little roads), is protected by a 1400 m (0.86 mi) long breakwater completed in 1882. Most shipping proceeds around the south end of the breakwater, but at the north end there is a gap, the Petite Passe, where smaller vessels can pass close to shore.
* Le Mourillon: 1937(?). Active; focal plane 10 m (33 ft); green light occulting twice every 6 s. 4.5 m (15 ft) square post rising from a 1-story triangular equipment shelter. Post painted light blue, equipment shelter white. A 2009 closeup is available, Trabas has Siering's photo, Christophe Jeannette has a photo, and Google has a satellite view. There is evidence that a light was displayed here earlier than 1937. Located at the end of the breakwater mole at the Port du Mourillon, a small boat harbor at the foot of the Rue Pierre Suffren in eastern Toulon, about 1 km (0.6 mi) northeast of the Petite Passe. Accessible by walking the pier. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty E0742; NGA 6840.
Grand-Rouveau: 1863 (Léonce Reynaud). Active; focal plane 45 m (148 ft); white light occulting twice every 6 s. 17 m (56 ft) square cylindrical stone tower with lantern and gallery, attached to the front of a 1-story stone keeper's house. The lighthouse is unpainted stone; the lantern dome appears to be black. Trabas has a photo by Christophe Boxus, a good closeup is available, Marinas.com has aerial photos, Huelse has a historic postcard view, and Google has a satellite view. The Île du Grand Rouveau is the westernmost of the Îles des Embiez, a group of five islands with associated reefs and shoals. The island has been acquired by a land conservancy, the Conservatoire du Littoral. Located on the highest point of the island, about 5 km (3 mi) southwest of Sanary-sur-Mer. Accessible only by boat; there should be a distant view from the much larger Île d'Embiez, which is accessible by ferry from Six-Fours les Plages. Site open, tower closed. Site manager: Conservatoire du Littoral. ARLHS FRA-019; FR-1431; Admiralty E0710; NGA 6760.
* Sanary-sur-Mer (2): Date unknown (station established 1894). Active; focal plane 9 m (30 ft); red flash every 4 s. 9 m (30 ft) round stone tower with lantern and gallery, rising from a 1-story stone equipment room. The lighthouse is unpainted white stone; lantern and gallery rail painted red. Andrei Singer has a photo, Trabas has a photo by Christophe Boxus, and Google has a satellite view. The original light was on a 6 m (20 ft) wood mast. Located at the end of the breakwater on the west side of the harbor at Sanary-sur-Mer; there's a good view from ferries leaving for the Île d'Embiez. Accessible by walking the breakwater. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS FRA-467; Admiralty E0704; NGA 6764.

Information available on lost lighthouses:

Notable faux lighthouses:

Adjoining pages: North: Switzerland | East: Liguria | South: Corsica | West: Marseille Area | Enclave: Monaco

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