A true emblem of Cap Ferret, the Cap Ferret lighthouse stands proudly at the entrance to the Bassin d'Arcachon to welcome travelers from the ocean. A major element of the landscape of the peninsula, it contains many secrets that we have chosen to reveal to you, because it is you, of course.
Say, tell me the story ofthe Cap Ferret lighthouse
The Cap Ferret lighthouse was not built once, nor twice, but 1 times! Welcome to the crazy history of this emblem, built in 2-3 according to the plans drawn up by the engineer Deschamps.
Blasted in August 1944 by the German army and replaced by a makeshift lighthouse made up of aluminum elements, the building was rebuilt in 1946-1947, in concrete, almost identically. The general look remains the same, with the upper part painted red and made of exposed brick.
Built locally with stones from Barsac and Saint-Macaire, on deep foundations, the conical-looking tower is topped by a faceted lantern, 3,50 m in diameter.
It is by going up there, all up there, that you can admire this beautiful light which guides sailors and ships.
The monumental entrance to the lighthouse, with its pretty imposing door, is built of freestone. Raise your head: a bas-relief representing a ship, a fish and the star of the headlights welcomes you. Nice, right? And if you look closer, you will discover two dates, which symbolize the two constructions of the lighthouse: 1840, 19547, the intermediate lighthouse not really counting.
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©Cap Ferret lighthouse ![]()
©Cap Ferret lighthouse
In the hall, there is the elevator and a mosaic showing the Arcachon basin by Labouret. But above all, we discover two busts: the first represents Augustin Fresnel (1788-1827), inventor of the stepped lens. It should be noted in passing that Augustin redoubled his inventiveness with this invention which considerably increases the lighting power of the headlights. As for the second bust, it is Charles-François Beautemps-Beaupré, engineer and hydrographer of the XNUMXth century, water specialist yes, but also a great cartographer, and we know how precious it is at sea.
The maps are essential, but so is the light: the original optics, based on a bath of mercury, were removed by the German army in 1944, then returned to service. In 1948, the light flashing red regularly every 5 seconds, is visible more than 50 kilometers at sea. Today the lighthouse is equipped with a 250 watt lamp installed in 2014, with a range of 22,1 nautical miles and illuminates the Basin in red. Beautiful!
The visitor that you are has beautiful rooms where are presented maps of yesterday and today, an evocation of navigation on Bassin d'Arcachon and the history of the lighthouse. An opportunity to go further than our certainly fascinating presentation, and we thank you for that, but necessarily restricted.
Numerous animated nautical charts, touch screens and the presentation of a 3D optical mechanism will delight young and old alike, simply wishing to discover, in a fun, interactive and enriching way. The Cap Ferret lighthouse got a makeover in 2018, to the delight of your amazed little eyes. The shaft has been repainted, the parapet at the top of the lighthouse has a beautiful railing in perforated sheet metal in a beautiful bright red, very contemporary. It slams!
From the top of the lighthouse, after having climbed, what am I saying, won a climb of 258 steps, the visitor enjoys an exceptional panorama of the peninsula: on your right, as far as the eye can see, the Atlantic Ocean with its of thin sand ; on your left the Banc d'Arguin, further on the majestic dune of Pilat.
Yes, there is something to dream about…and go there!
The Cap Ferret lighthouse,
Lege-Cap-Ferret.
Listed in the Supplementary Inventory of Historic Monuments.
To see and do, near the Cap Ferret lighthouse
The port of Piraillan
The Piraillan site, dug in a conch shape, served as a natural port for the small boats of local fishermen: The maritime pines that were planted there are, some of them, around 200 years old. The reservoirs have become a re-
protected natural reserve which is home to around a hundred species of birds. Today Piraillan is as famous for
its nature reserve as well as for its oyster port and its oyster tasting cabins.
