Europe's highest lighthouse
A stopover on an island - what a brilliant idea! North Finistère is home to the highest concentration of lighthouses in Europe! Ile Vierge is a popular stopover on the Brest Terres Océanes Lighthouse Route, and is even home to the world's tallest ashlar lighthouse!
Located in Plouguerneau, at the gateway to the Celtic Sea, these lighthouses are invaluable landmarks for sailors and a majestic place to get away from it all.
3 reasons to discover Virgin Island and its lighthouses :
- Meet Europe's highest lighthouse
- Enjoy a view like nowhere else, 82.5 m high
- Discover the beauty of an unspoilt island
Europe's highest lighthouse:
Gravir cette imposante sentinelle mérite le voyage ! Le grand phare de l’île Vierge n’est pas là par hasard ! Il sécurise la navigation des navires venant du large. Cette imposante tour de granit culmine à 82.5 m de hauteur : ce qui en fait le plus haut phare du monde en pierres de taille !
Sa coupole vitrée, qui semble tutoyer les étoiles la nuit venue, projette un faisceau lumineux à 42 kilomètres par temps clair !
Did you know?
Commissioned in 1902, it was guarded until it was automated in 2010. But rest assured, it continues its mission every night, remotely monitored by the Phares et Balises! A night-time spectacle well worth seeing!
A visit not to be missed
La visite guidée est l’occasion pour vous d’apprécier la finesse du granit de Kersanton qui habille l’édifice, mais aussi les milliers de plaques d’opaline bleu azur qui tapissent l’intérieur du fût ou encore son vertigineux escalier en voûte sarrasine… et rendez-vous avec les 383 marches pour atteindre le chemin de ronde !
(Please noteingénieurs et architectes de l'époque'n'ont malheureusement pas pensé à l'elevator!)
A remarkable view
Make your way up the 383 steps to the Chemin de Ronde, for the most westerly view of the Abers! All the way up, the archipelago is revealed from a new angle, with the island of Ouessant looming on the horizon, the glazed colors of the water and the sweep of the birds and waves are all wonderful surprises to contemplate, with your hair blowing in the wind!
"The first time I set foot on Ile Vierge, I remember it like it was yesterday! Faced with this giant of the seas, I really felt very small! Completely under the spell of the bluish reflections of the interior opaline, I immediately felt the urge to follow in the footsteps of the former guardians and discover the history of this exceptional place. The icing on the cake is the panoramic view that awaits us at the summit, or the impression of discovering a new setting at every stop. "
The old lighthouse:
Mise en lumière en 1845, cette tour carrée de 33 mètres de hauteur, construite avec des matériaux 100% plouguernéens, sécurisait la navigation côtière jusqu’en 1902. Cette robuste tour de feu (tour tan en breton) éclairait l’horizon de son faisceau pour signaler aux navigateurs l’approche de l’archipel et de sa côte rocheuse.
Now transformed into an exceptional eco-lodge, the former guardians' dwelling opens its doors to you for one or two nights. A stopover at the end of the world, facing the elements!
Come in!
Let's go for a stroll to Ile Vierge.
Port de l'Aber Wrac'h: Free parking in the marina.
Pointe du Castel Ac' h: Free parking near the pointe du Castel Ac'h, or 300 m away.