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:
Climbing this imposing sentinel is well worth the trip! The great lighthouse of Ile Vierge is not there by chance! It ensures safe navigation for ships coming in from the open sea. This imposing granite tower stands 82.5 m high, making it the highest ashlar lighthouse in the world!
Its glass dome, which seems to reach for the stars at night, projects a beam of light almost 50 kilometers away on a clear day!
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
The guided tour will give you a chance to appreciate the fine Kersanton granite that adorns the building, as well as the thousands of azure-blue opaline slabs that line the inside of the barrel, and its dizzying Saracen vaulted staircase... and the 383 steps up to the covered walkway for the most westerly view of the Abers!
(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:
First lit in 1845, this 33-metre-high square tower, built from 100% Plouguerné materials, provided safety for coastal navigation until 1902. This sturdy fire tower (tour tan in Breton) lit up the horizon with its beam to warn navigators of the approach to the archipelago and its rocky coastline.
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.