FULL GUIDE
Lighthouses of Brittany: guide to the most beautiful lighthouses to visit
Brittany is home to over a third of France's lighthouses, covering some 2,700 km of coastline. This guide lists the most remarkable lighthouses in Finistère, Côtes-d'Armor, Morbihan and Ille-et-Vilaine - their history and the anecdotes that accompany them.
I've been photographing these coasts for years. Let me take you on a voyage of discovery of these giants of the seas.
Things to remember
Lighthouses in Brittany
1/3 of France's 148 leading lights
A density that is unique in Europe, concentrated along some 2,700 km of coastline.
Departments
29 - 22 - 56 - 35
Finistère, Côtes-d'Armor, Morbihan and Ille-et-Vilaine.
Records
Île Vierge & La Jument
Europe's tallest ashlar lighthouse, and one of the most famous lighthouse photos in the world.
Heritage
From the Stiff to La Jument
From Brittany's oldest working lighthouse to the giants of the Iroise Sea.
Map of lighthouses in Brittany
The map below shows the main lighthouses in Brittany. Click on the image to display the interactive map without leaving this page and prepare your own lighthouse tour. lighthouse route.
First click on the image to load the Google Maps map, then zoom in and explore the lighthouses directly from this page.
This interactive map shows the main lighthouses in Brittany, from Finistère to Côtes-d'Armor, via Morbihan and Ille-et-Vilaine. You can see the location of each lighthouse at a glance, making it easier to plan your itinerary along the lighthouse route along the Brittany coastline.
Lighthouses in Finistère
With 56 lighthouses, including 14 listed as historic monuments, Finistère is the French department with the most. Ouessant alone is home to five. Most were built between 1830 and the beginning of the 20th century.e century, following the invention of the Fresnel lens, which transformed navigation in the Iroise Sea.
Créac'h lighthouse - Ushant
Its two white flashes every 10 seconds remain visible for 60 km - the most powerful lighthouse in France, and for a long time the most powerful in the world. The old power station at its foot houses the Musée des Phares et Balises, One of the largest collections of Fresnel lenses in Europe.
Île Vierge lighthouse
At 82.5 metres, it is the highest ashlar lighthouse in Europe. The islet is thought to have been a Druid sanctuary before becoming the site of a Franciscan convent in the 15th century. Its 397 spiral steps lead up to a circular space entirely clad in stone.’opaline Saint-Gobain.
La Jument lighthouse - Ushant
Built between 1904 and 1911 thanks to a bequest from a Parisian grateful to the lighthouses for saving him from shipwreck, it has become one of the most famous images in maritime photography. On 21 December 1989, Jean Guichard's photo of the lighthouse keeper facing a giant wave went around the world.
The lighthouses of Côtes-d'Armor
The Pink Granite Coast and the Bréhat archipelago give the lighthouses of the Côtes-d'Armor an instantly recognisable visual identity. The local stone, warm-toned granite, is an integral part of the lighthouse architecture.
Mean Ruz lighthouse - Perros-Guirec
Built of pink granite from La Clarté and lit in 1948, it replaces the original 1860 fire, blown up by German troops. Its interior mosaics are the work of Rennes mosaicist Isidore Odorico.
Cap Fréhel lighthouse
Three lighthouses have stood on this promontory since 1702. The current lighthouse, lit in 1950 after the destruction of the previous one, is a listed historic monument. It was the last guarded lighthouse in France until 2019.
Les Héaux de Bréhat lighthouse
Designed by Léonce Reynaud and lit in 1840 on the Épées de Tréguier reefs, it is the second oldest French lighthouse on the high seas. Partially blown up in 1944, it was rebuilt and raised one storey.
Lighthouses of Morbihan
Belle-Île-en-Mer is home to the Morbihan's best-known lighthouses, starting with Goulphar and Les Poulains. But the department also boasts Port-Navalo at the entrance to the Gulf, the Grands Cardinaux off Hoëdic, and Pen Lan at the mouth of the Vilaine.
Poulains lighthouse - Belle-Île-en-Mer
Inaugurated in 1868 at the north-western tip of Belle-Île, on an islet inaccessible at high tide, it owes some of its fame to Sarah Bernhardt. At around 18 m high, it is now open to the public and runs on solar energy.
Goulphar lighthouse - Belle-Île-en-Mer
This 52.25 m lighthouse has dominated the south coast of the island since 1836. It can be visited in summer and is used as a remote control centre for navigational aids in Morbihan. Despite its listed status, the lighthouse is falling into disrepair, prompting the creation of the association Grand Phare watchmen.
Port-Navalo lighthouse - Arzon
This 19 m cylindrical lighthouse, built in 1895, was almost blown up in 1944. The engineer Le Net saved it with a famous phrase: «Lighthouses belong to no one, for they serve to spare the lives of sailors of all nations».»
The lighthouses of Ille-et-Vilaine
From the Bay of Mont-Saint-Michel to Saint-Malo, Ille-et-Vilaine has few lighthouses, but they all play a key role on one of Europe's busiest shipping routes.
Grand Jardin lighthouse - Saint-Malo
Standing on a rock off the Rance estuary, this 32.71 m lighthouse, commissioned in 1868 and rebuilt after 1944, marks the approach to Saint-Malo amid the shallows. Its double red light can be seen for almost 17 miles.
Pierre-de-Herpin lighthouse - Pointe du Grouin
Commissioned in 1882 on a rock off the Pointe du Grouin, this 24 m lighthouse marks the entrance to the Bay of Mont-Saint-Michel and the passageway to the Channel Islands. Its base can be seen at low tide.
Rochebonne lighthouse - Saint-Malo
Lit in 1868, this 19.90 m square tower forms, with the Grand Jardin, the alignment of the channel of the Grande Porte. Partially destroyed in 1944, it was rebuilt and relit in 1951.
The route of Brittany's lighthouses
In just a few days, you can follow a veritable lighthouse route, from the tip of Finistère to the ramparts of Saint-Malo. The idea is not to see everything, but to choose a few emblematic stops, both on the mainland and on the islands.
Finistère & Mer d'Iroise
- Pointe Saint-Mathieu - Lighthouse in the ruins of a medieval abbey, facing the Iroise Sea.
- Ushant - Two days minimum by bike: Créac'h, Stiff, Nividic, La Jument and Kéréon.
- Virgin Island - The highest lighthouse in Europe, accessible by shuttle from Lilia or Aber Wrac'h.
North coast & islands
- Mean Ruz & Cap Fréhel - Two days on the GR 34, between pink granite chaos and cliffs.
- Belle-Île-en-Mer - A day's cycling from Poulains to Goulphar along the wild coast.
- Saint-Malo & Pointe du Grouin - Grand Jardin can be seen from the ramparts, and Pierre-de-Herpin from the headland.
Before each stage, check the tide times and coefficients: some paths, landing stages and car parks depend directly on the water level.
Limited editions - Brittany lighthouses
These four lighthouses are part of my collection of limited edition art prints - 30 signed and numbered copies on Hahnemühle paper with certificate of authenticity.
Cap Fréhel lighthouse - limited edition fine art print, photography © Loïc Delplanque.
Tourelle des Perdrix lighthouse - limited edition fine art print, photography © Loïc Delplanque.
Tempête sur le phare du Four - limited edition black and white fine art print, photography © Loïc Delplanque.
Tempête Justine au Conquet - limited edition fine art print, photography © Loïc Delplanque.
If you're fascinated by lighthouses in the middle of a storm, I invite you to discover my complete dossier on lighthouses in the middle of a storm. storms in Brittany The latest information: wave records, places to photograph and shooting tips.
Emblematic lighthouses by department
An overview of the lighthouses not to be missed if you're planning a photographic trip to Brittany.
| Headlight | Department | Access | Visitable | What makes it unique |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Créac'h | Finistère (29) | Ushant Ferry | Adjacent museum | One of the most powerful lighthouses in Europe (range ~60 km). |
| Virgin Island | Finistère (29) | Boat, Aber Wrac'h | Yes, in season | Europe's tallest ashlar lighthouse. |
| Cap Fréhel | Côtes-d'Armor (22) | Car, GR 34 | Yes (July-August) | France's last remaining lighthouse until 2019. |
| Mean Ruz | Côtes-d'Armor (22) | GR 34, Ploumanac'h | Outdoor free | Pink granite and Odorico mosaics. |
| Foals | Morbihan (56) | Pied, Belle-Île | Yes | Sarah Bernhardt - lighthouse now powered by solar energy. |
| Pierre-de-Herpin | Ille-et-Vilaine (35) | View from the Pointe du Grouin | No | Guards the entrance to the bay of Mont-Saint-Michel. |
To find out more, you can also discover how I design a limited edition fine art photo print, from the choice of paper to framing.
FAQ
What is the highest lighthouse in Brittany?
The Île Vierge lighthouse at Plouguerneau in Finistère stands 82.5 metres high. It is the highest lighthouse in Europe and the highest ashlar lighthouse in the world. You have to climb 397 steps to reach the lantern.
Can you visit the Ushant lighthouses?
The Stiff lighthouse (1695, designed by Vauban) is open to the public during the season. Le Créac'h is accessible via its Lighthouses and Beacons Museum. La Jument, Kéréon and Nividic are lighthouses at sea that are not accessible - they can be seen from coastal paths or by boat.
Which Breton department has the most lighthouses?
Finistère, with 56 lighthouses - the highest concentration of maritime sentinels in the world. The Iroise Sea is one of the most dangerous and busiest shipping areas on the planet, which historically justifies this exceptional density.
Can you sleep in a Breton lighthouse?
Yes, the Kerbel lighthouse in Riantec (Morbihan) has been converted into a studio apartment perched 25 metres high. The lighthouse keeper's house on Île Vierge (Finistère) offers an eco-cottage facing the ocean.
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