Phare d’Eckmühl – Fermeture jusqu’au 30/10

CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC DUE TO MILITARY ACTIVITIES UNTIL 30 OCTOBER.

Of the eight lighthouses in the Pays Bigouden, this is undoubtedly the most elegant of them all. Its 65-metre Kersanton tower is topped by a white dome. This is encircled by a crenellated cornice, a crown that gives this stone beacon the air of a prince. In total, 307 steps lead up to its lantern.

Visitors can access the viewing platform, which offers a 360° panoramic view of the coast, the villages and the Pointe de Saint-Pierre. There are 290 steps to climb!

The climb takes place between opaline walls, and when you emerge from this pearlescent passageway, you are met by other shades of blue: those of the sky and the sea, which only the horizon can tell apart.

From up there, the view is breathtaking, taking in the old Penmarc’h lighthouse, now decommissioned and converted into an exhibition space. Looking out to sea in this direction, you can also see the Semaphore, with its military-style architecture, which is used to monitor the maritime area.

This complex overlooks one of France’s busiest yet most dangerous maritime routes.

The Eckmühl beam has a range of up to 45 km in all directions, flashing every 5 seconds, and has done so since 1897, the year it was built. Its beam cuts across Audierne Bay and even reaches the shores of the Haut Pays Bigouden.

It is open to visitors from April until the end of the All Saints’ Day holidays and during the Christmas holidays, weather permitting.

Guided tours take place in July and August every Tuesday evening from 9.30 am to 11.00 pm and on Friday mornings before the lighthouse opens at 9.15 am. Bookings for these guided tours can be made by telephone or via the website.