Keep an eye out along your lighthouse cycling route on La Vélodyssée
Maritime lighthouses provide information, help sailors get their bearings and represent part of France’s architectural and technical heritage.
You will likely come across one as you travel on La Vélodyssée. These lighthouses will appear throughout your adventure and you can see them from the trail or by taking a small detour (like those on islands). Read on for a quick overview so you can tell everyone about these seaside monuments before or during your trip.
The Île d'Aix lighthouse:
The distinctive feature of the Île d'Aix lighthouse is that it consists of two towers 25.3 m high - we admit, you can't tell from this photo!
The lantern tower was commissioned in 1841 and the screen tower was built in 1889. The tops of the towers, now red, were originally black, until 1995. The lighthouse cannot be visited, but it is still in service, even though it is no longer staffed. Its last keeper was a woman, Jacqueline Cochard, from 1983 to 1994, when the lights were automated. The lighthouse is also remotely controlled from the port of La Pallice in La Rochelle.
It has been listed as a Historic Monument since 2011.
The Chassiron lighthouse:
Located at the northern tip of the island, near Saint-Denis-d'Oléron, perched on a rocky cliff, the Chassiron lighthouse rises 50 metres.
The first tower of the lighthouse was built on the orders of Colbert in 1685. It is the second light built on the French coast after the one at Cordouan. Originally entirely white, the lighthouse was given its black bands in 1926 to increase its visibility distance and limit confusion with its neighbour, the Phare des Baleines.
It has been listed as a Historic Monument since 2012.
After climbing the 224 steps, you reach the rotunda of the lighthouse. It houses a museum devoted to traditional fishing, wine-growing and market gardening. The lighthouse can be visited all year round, more information on the Chassiron lighthouse website.
The Cordouan lighthouse:
The lighthouse nicknamed the Versailles of the Sea, or the King of Lighthouses, is a masterpiece of French architectural and technical heritage. It has been in operation for 4 centuries! Built in 1611, the Cordouan lighthouse has undergone several demolitions and changes, such as the raising of the tower in 1790.
Located on the Cordouan plateau at the mouth of the Gironde estuary, the lighthouse rises 67.50 m.
It was the first lighthouse to be listed as a Historic Monument in 1862 and it has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since July 2021.
Thanks to technology, you can take a virtual tour of the lighthouse and see how it has evolved since it was built, by day or night, in rain or sunshine, at high or low tide.
The Biarritz lighthouse:
Built in 1834, the Biarritz lighthouse overlooks Cap Hainsart, which marks the boundary between the sandy coast of the Landes and the rocky coast of the Basque Country.
Proud of its 248 steps, the lighthouse stands 47.5 metres tall, about 75 metres above sea level. Its copper dome is decorated with twelve different bronze lion heads serving as gargoyles. The lighthouse is listed as a Historic Monument since 2009.
A little anecdote? On 24 August 2019, the Biarritz lighthouse hosted the heads of state or government of the G7 for a dinner.
The lighthouse is visible from La Vélodyssée and can be visited; more information on the Biarritz tourist office website.
Now that you know all about the lighthouses on La Vélodyssée, all you have to do is hop on your bike to explore them.