Lighthouses of France: Bouches-du-Rhône (Marseille Area)

France (officially the French Republic, République française) has coasts facing south on the Mediterranean Sea, west on the open Atlantic Ocean, and north on the English Channel (La Manche in French). Long a leader in lighthouse design, France has scores of famous and historic lighthouses. And it was a French engineer and physicist, Augustin-Jean Fresnel (1788-1837), who invented the powerful and beautiful lenses used in lighthouses around the world.

For local government mainland France is divided into 94 departments (départements), which are grouped for administrative purposes into 12 regions (régions). This page lists lighthouses of the département of Bouches-du-Rhône (Mouths of the Rhône) on the Mediterranean coast of France. The western part of Bouches-du-Rhône includes most of the Rhône delta, a vast wetland known as the Camargue. The eastern part of the département includes the city of Marseille, France's second largest city (after Paris) and largest commercial port. Bouches-du-Rhône was part of the historic province of Provence and is now included in the region called Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur (Région Sud for short).

The French word for a lighthouse, phare, is often reserved for the larger coastal lighthouses; a smaller light or harbor light is called a feu (literally "fire," but here meaning "light") or a balise (beacon). The front light of a range (alignement) is the feu antérieur and the rear light is the feu postérieur. In French île is an island, cap is a cape, pointe is a promontory or point of land, roche is a rock, récife is a reef, baie is a bay, estuaire is an estuary or inlet, détroit is a strait, rivière is a river, and havre is a harbor.

Aids to navigation in France are maintained by the Bureau des Phares et Balises, an agency of the Direction des Affaires Maritimes (Directorate of Maritime Affairs). The Directorate has four regional offices (called Directions Interrégionale de la Mer, or DIRM) at Le Havre, Nantes, Bordeaux, and Marseille. Mediterranean lighthouses fall under the Marseille office, DIRM Méditerranée.

ARLHS numbers are from the ARLHS World List of Lights. FR numbers, where available, are the French light list numbers. Admiralty numbers are from volume E of the Admiralty List of Lights & Fog Signals. U.S. NGA List numbers are from Publication 113.

General Sources
Les Sentinelles des Mers - Méditerranée
Photos and information posted by Guy Detienne.
DIRM Méditerranée - Phares de Méditérranée (Continental Ouest)
An interactive map leads to information and photos for the major lighthouses.
Phares d'Europe
A large, well known site maintained by Alain Guyomard and Robert Carceller.
Phareland, le Site des Phares de France
This comprehensive site has good photos and information about the major lighthouses.
Online List of Lights - France - South Coast
Photos by various photographers posted by Alexander Trabas. For the Marseilles area many of the photos are by Capt. Peter Mosselberger ("Capt. Peter"), by Rainer Arndt or Arno Siering, or by Heike and Friedrich Klett.
Lighthouses in Bouches-du-Rhône
Photos by various photographers available from Wikimedia.
World of Lighthouses - South Coast of France
Photos by various photographers available from Lightphotos.net.
Leuchttürme in Frankreich
Photos by Andreas Köhler.
Lighthouses in France
Aerial photos posted by Marinas.com.
Société Nationale pour le Patrimoine des Phares et Balises (S.N.P.B.)
The French national lighthouse preservation organization.
Französische Leuchttürme
Historic photos and postcard images posted by Klaus Huelse.
GPSNauticalCharts
Navigational chart information for the French Mediterranean.
Navionics Charts
Navigational chart for southern France.


Faraman Light, Port-St-Louis-du-Rhône, September 2023
Instagram photo by Christelle Freg


Beauduc Light, Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, August 2021
Instagram photo by Martine Cvr-Xno

La Ciotat Lighthouses
* La Ciotat (Môle Bérouard)
1840. Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); green light 2 s on, 2 s off. 13 m (43 ft) round masonry tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted white, lantern green. Trabas has Capt. Peter's fine closeup, Patrick Tremisi has a photo, Jean Thierry has a 2022 photo, Huelse has a historic postcard view, and Google has a street view and a good satellite view. Located on the mole on the north side of the old harbor at La Ciotat, a resort town of about 35,000 residents. Site open, tower closed. . ARLHS FRA-196; Admiralty E0694; NGA 6708.
* [La Ciotat Jetée]
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 18 m (59 ft); red flash every 4 s. 15 m (49 ft) metal tower with a flared top and a small lantern. Tower painted white, lantern red. Trabas has the Kletts' photo, Erwin Poppe has a 2023 photo, Google has a satellite view. Located at the end of a mole projecting from the main quay at La Ciotat. Accessible by walking the mole. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS FRA-570; Admiralty E0693; NGA 6716.
* [La Ciotat Digue]
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 21 m (69 ft); three red flashes every 12 s. 19 m (62 ft) metal tower with a flared top and a small lantern. Tower painted white, lantern red. Trabas has Capt. Peter's photo, a 2020 photo is available, and Google has a satellite view and a distant street view. Located at the end of a jetty on the east side of the main quay at La Ciotat, about 10 km (6 mi) southeast of Cassis. Accessible by walking the mole. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS FRA-110; Admiralty E0693.3; NGA 6712.

Cassis Lighthouses
Cassidaigne
1834 (unlit until 1935). Active; focal plane 23 m (75 ft); two white flashes every 6 s. 24 m (79 ft) round tapered stone tower with gallery; the light is displayed from a mast at the top. Tower painted white with a black vertical stripe. A photo is available, Trabas has Eckhard Meyer's photo, and Bing has a satellite view. Lighthouse Digest has a historic photo. This beacon marks the Banc de la Cassidaigne, a shoal 8 km (5 mi) south of Cassis. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. ARLHS FRA-179; Admiralty E0690; NGA 6704.
* Cassis (Môle Aristide Briand) (2)
1946 (station established 1880). Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); green light occulting twice every 6 s. 8 m (26 ft) round white stone tower with lantern and gallery. Lantern painted green. This light replaced a cast iron tourelle destroyed during World War II. A 2023 photo is at right, Trabas has a photo, Wikimedia has a good 2010 photo, another photo is available, Łukasz Pająk has a closeup street view, and Google has a satellite view. Huelse has an interesting postcard view of the original lighthouse. Located at the end of the mole sheltering the harbor of Cassis, a popular resort town about 20 km (13 mi) east of Marseille. Accessible by walking the pier. Site open, tower closed. . ARLHS FRA-081; Admiralty E0686; NGA 6700.
* Cassis Main
1840. Inactive since 1915. 8.5 m (28 ft) round white stone tower, unpainted. Lantern removed. Google has a street view and a satellite view and Huelse has a historic postcard view. This lighthouse has been in private ownership for a century. Located at 14 Avenue Amiral Ganteaume on the west side of Cassis harbor. Site and tower closed but the lighthouse stands beside a public street. Owner/site manager: private. ARLHS FRA-840.

Cassis Light, Cassis, April 2023
Google Maps photo by Immo-Uhlenbruck GmbH

Marseille Lighthouses
Founded as a Greek colony around 600 BCE, Marseille is by far the largest and most important port of France's Mediterranean coast. The city has a population of about 870,000, and the metropolitan area population is about 1.9 million.
Le Planier (6)
1959 (station established 1320). Active; focal plane 68 m (223 ft); white flash every 5 s. 66 m (216 ft) round stone tower with lantern and gallery. The tower is unpainted and the lantern is painted red. 1-story stone crew quarters. Gilles Barbero's photo is at right, Céline Dubreuil has a fine 2007 photo, Kamel Maata has a 2016 view from the sea, Trabas has Capt. Peter's photo, Wikimedia has Matieu Sokolovic's 2019 photo, Marinas.com has good aerial photos, Didier Saint-Gerand has a street view, and Google has a satellite view. This is one of the tallest lighthouses of the Mediterranean. The tiny Île du Planier is part of an extensive system of reefs that endangers all ships bound for Marseille. Robert d'Anjou built the first light tower here in 1320. In 1774 a 20 m (66 ft) tower was built and equipped with oil lamps. An 1839 lighthouse, 36 m (118 ft) tall, was replaced in 1881 by a soaring 62 m (203 ft) stone tower seen in a historic postcard view posted by Huelse. That classic lighthouse was destroyed by German troops during World War II and replaced by a temporary light until the present tower was built. Lighthouse Digest has a historic photo and also postcard views of the 1881 and 1774 towers. Located about 13 km (8 mi) southwest of Marseille. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. . ARLHS FRA-399; FR-1415; Admiralty E0680; NGA 6688.
[Île Ratonneau (Îlot Tiboulen de Maïre)]
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 34 m (112 ft); three green flashes every 12 s. 4 (13 ft) post painted white with a green top. Trabas has the Kletts' photo, a view from the sea (second photo on the page) is available, and Google has a satellite view. This small beacon is important because ships bound for Marseille from the east must make a sharp turn around this island. The Îlot Tiboulen de Maïre is a steep-sided islet off the western end of the Île Ratonneau, largest of the Frioul Islands, a group of small, rocky islands southeast of the Marseille waterfront. Located atop the islet. Site status unknown. Admiralty E0677; NGA 6668.
[Port du Frioul (2?)]
Date unknown (station established 1871). Active; focal plane 7 m (23 ft); green light, 2 s on, 2 s off. 5 m (17 ft) hexagonal pylon, painted white with a green band at the top. Trabas has Tom Chisholm's closeup photo and Google has a satellite view. The historic lighthouse here has been demolished. Located on the east (main) breakwater of the Île d Ratonneau. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS FRA-296; Admiralty E0678; NGA 6664.

Le Planier Light, Marseille, April 2021
Google Maps photo by Gilles Barbero
 
* Château d'If (2)
1948 (station established 1863). Active; focal plane 27 m (89 ft); two white flashes every 6 s. 17 m (56 ft) round cylindrical stone tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted white, lantern red. Fernando Marinho's 2023 photo is at right, Trabas has a closeup photo by the Kletts, Elena Chizhik has a photo, Ivica Cica has a street view, Marinas.com has aerial photos, and Google has a satellite view. The original lighthouse, only 9 m (30 ft) tall, was destroyed in 1944, during World War II. Lighthouse Digest has a postcard view of the 1863 tower and a historic photo of the 1948 tower that also shows what may be a temporary light used in 1945-48. Huelse also has a postcard view of the 1863 tower. The lantern of the present lighthouse was removed for restoration in 2012. The Château d'If is a castle built in the 1520s on a small island off Marseille. Used for many years as a prison for state prisoners, the château was made famous by the Alexandre Dumas novel The Count of Monte Cristo. Tours of the island are available. Located at the eastern tip of the island, marking the entry to Marseille from the south, about 2.5 km (1.5 mi) southwest of the Pointe de la Désirade. Site open, tower closed. Site manager: Chateau d'If . ARLHS FRA-237; Admiralty E0676; NGA 6660.
[Canoubier]
1833. Daybeacon, never lit. Approx. 18 m (60 ft) round tapered stone tower, painted yellow with one black horizontal band. The top of the tower is rounded and carries a black daymark. Lightphotos.net has a closeup photo by Karl Agre, a lovely 2017 photo is available, Karim Saari has a photo of this beacon (on the left) and the next one, and Google has a satellite view and a very distant street view. (beacon on the left). This beacon, the Tourelle de Canoubier, is the oldest French beacon to be built at sea on an underwater foundation. It is located about 180 m (600 ft) southwest of the Feu de Sourdaras, off the Pointe d'Endoume; Huelse has a postcard view showing the relationship of the two historic towers, with both painted with black and white horizontal bands. Accessible only by boat; there should be fairly good views from many locations onshore. Site and tower closed.
Sourdaras
Date unknown (unlit until 1912). Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); nine quick white flashes every 15 s. 19 m (62 ft) round stone tower with gallery, painted yellow with one black horizontal band. Lantern removed. Trabas has the Kletts' photo, Xavier Motomaker has a 2022 photo, Karim Saari has a photo of this beacon (on the right) and the previous one, and Google has a satellite view and a very distant street view (beacon on the right). The tower was somewhat expanded and enlarged in 1906 to accommodate a lantern, which was finally added in 1912. The lantern can be seen in a distant postcard view posted by Huelse. This historic beacon marks a shoal, the Banc de Sourdaras, roughly halfway between the Château d'If and the mainland at Pointe d'Endoume. Located about 600 m (0.4 mi) west of the Pointe d'Endoume. Accessible only by boat; there should be fairly good views from many locations onshore. Site and tower closed. ARLHS FRA-837; Admiralty E0674; NGA 6656.

Château d'If Light, Marseille, October 2023
Google Maps photo by Fernando Marinho
Pointe de la Désirade (Le Pharo)
1881. Active; focal plane 13 m (43 ft); green flash every 4 s. 15 m (49 ft) round cylindrical stone tower with lantern and gallery. The lighthouse stands just offshore and is connected to land by a footbridge about halfway up the tower. Lighthouse painted white, lantern green. Titi Lacydon's 2020 photo is at right, Wikimedia has Tanya Dedyukhina's 2012 photo, Trabas has a closeup photo by Hendrik Martin Porath, Francine Parroche has a 2021 closeup, Lighthouse Digest has a historic photo, Huelse has a historic postcard view, and Google has a satellite view. The name Pharo is from the Occitan word faròt for a lighthouse but it refers more specifically to the Palais du Pharo, a palace built by Napoléon III for his wife Eugénie and now used as a university building. Located on the Pointe de la Désirade, also called the Pointe du Pharo, on the south side of the harbor entrance of Marseille. Site and tower closed; there may be a view from the end of the Rue des Catalans but most photos seem to be taken from the water. ARLHS FRA-260; Admiralty E0660; NGA 6628.
* Fort Saint-Jean (1) (Tour du Fanal)
1644. Inactive at least since 1837. Approx. 25 m (82 ft) round masonry tower, unpainted. Dominique Pipet has an excellent 2007 photo, Uira Caetano has another good photo, Jean Kao has a photo, Huelse has a historic postcard view, Stefan Pickenhahn has a street view and Google has a satellite view. The Fort Saint-Jean was built in 1668-71 by the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem. Ordered by Louis XIV as a watch tower, the Tour du Fanal (Beacon Tower) came to be used also as a lighthouse, with fires at the top to guide ships into the harbor. In 1837 a small lighthouse was built at the base of the tower; this light was in use at least until the 1950s, but it has since disappeared. Huelse has a postcard view showing the small lighthouse below the tower. Located on the quay south of the Passe de la Joliette. Site open, tower status unknown.

Pointe de la Désirade Light, Marseille, Octiber 2020
Google Maps photo by Titi Lacydon
* Digue du Fort Saint-Jean (Feu vert de la traverse de la Major)
1882. Active; focal plane 7 m (23 ft); green light occulting three times every 12 s. 7 m (23 ft) round cast iron tower with lantern and gallery, painted green. Trabas has a photo by Arndt, Larry Myhre has a 2007 closeup, Toussaint Paoli has a 2020 photo, and Google has a satellite view. This light is one of a pair of lights guiding ships through the Passe de la Joliette into the Bassin de la Grande Joliette. Located at the end of the breakwater extending from Fort Saint-Jean. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS FRA-554; Admiralty E0662; NGA 6636.
* Passe de la Jolliette (2) (Feu rouge de la traverse de la Major)
1882. Active; focal plane 7 m (23 ft); red light occulting three times every 12 s. 7 m (23 ft) round cast iron tower with lantern and gallery, painted red. The light is seen at the lower left of the photo at right, Trabas has Arndt's photo, Larry Myhre has an excellent photo, Huelse has a historic postcard view, and Google has a satellite view. This is the other light of the pair guiding ships through the Passe de la Joliette into the Bassin de la Grande Joliette. The lighthouses are typical late 19th century prefabricated tourelles. Originally they were farther north, but after World War II the Bassin was expanded southward and the two lights were relocated accordingly, so that this light now stands at the foot of the Phare de Sainte-Marie. Accessible via the Quay Jean Charcot. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS FRA-488; Admiralty E0657; NGA 6632.
* Sainte-Marie (Passe de la Joliette (1))
1855. Inactive (although the lighthouse is floodlit at night). 21.3 m (70 ft) round cylindrical stone tower with lantern and gallery. The tower is unpainted white stone, and the lantern is weathered green metallic. A 2024 photo is at right, Dominique Lenoir also has a good photo, Domingo Gonzalez has a 2022 photo, Huelse has a historic postcard view, José Atila Alvarado Alvarado has a distant street view, and Google has a satellite view. The harbor of Marseille is a series of bassins separated by dikes and quays. This lighthouse, a familiar landmark of the waterfront, stands at the south entrance to the bassins on the Digue Sainte-Marie; the entrance is called the Passe de la Joliette and it leads to the southernmost bassin, the Bassin de la Grande Joliette. The lighthouse has been deactivated in favor of the Digue Sainte-Marie light (next entry) at the end of a new breakwater extending southwest from the Digue Sainte-Marie. Accessible via the Quay Jean Charcot. Site open, tower closed. . ARLHS FRA-842.
Digue Sainte-Marie (Marseille)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 20 m (66 ft); quick red double flashes. Approx. 13 m (42 ft) tripod tower with lantern and gallery. Tower painted white, lantern and gallery red. Trabas has a closeup photo by Hendrik Martin Porath, Larry Myhre has a photo, a wider 2024 view also shows the Sainte-Marie and Feu Rouge lights, and Google has a satellite view. This light and the Pointe de la Désirade light (see above) mark the entrance to Marseille's inner harbor. Located at the end of the southwestward extension of the Digue Sainte-Marie, the main breakwater of Marseilles harbor, about 500 m (0.3 mi) southwest of the historic lighthouse (previous entry). Site and tower closed. ARLHS FRA-122; Admiralty E0656; NGA 6624.


Sainte-Marie Light and Feu Rouge, Marseille, April 2024
Google Maps photo by Bali Photographie

Marseille Nord (Digue Extérieure)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); green flash every 5 s. 12 m (39 ft) lantern and gallery on a tripod mounted atop a 1-story concrete building. Tripod painted white, lantern and gallery green. Trabas has the Kletts' closeup photo, Rosana Galvez Herrero has a 2023 photo, an aerial view is available, and Google has a satellite view. This lighthouse is similar in design to the Digue Sainte-Marie light (previous entry). The light had to be removed for a time during construction at the end of the breakwater, but the Admiralty announced it to be back in place in March 2018. Located at the northwest end of the outer breakwater of Marseille, where it marks the north entrance to the harbor. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. Admiralty E0634; NGA 6572.
* Mourepiane
1930. Inactive since the 1960s. 9.5 m (31 ft) round cylindrical masonry tower with lantern and gallery, attached to a 2-story masonry keeper's house. Lighthouse painted white; lantern dome painted gray. Köhler's photo is at right, another photo is available, and Google has a street view and a satellite view. This poorly-known and seldom-visited lighthouse was owned by the Département des Bouches du Rhône and used as a residence (possibly for an official, or as a rental property). It was for sale in April 2007, but we don't know if it was sold. Located at the end of the Traverse du Phare on a bluff overlooking the north entrance to Marseille harbor. Site and tower closed, but it is possible to view the lighthouse from nearby on the Chemin de Mozambique. ARLHS FRA-844.
Trinity House Lightship 94 Razzle (?)
1939. Decommissioned 1990. 41.2 m (137 ft) steel lightship; the light was displayed from a square pyramidal steel skeletal tower with lantern and gallery. Built by Philip & Son, Dartmouth, England. The ship served many stations off the English coast in the service of Trinity House. After passing through several owners, the ship came to the Netherlands in 1998 and was restored in Den Helder. With the new name Zeeburg it was moored at the Open Haven Museum in Amsterdam, where it was available for parties. However, the Museum went out of business in 2003. In 2005 the ship was reported to be included in a new historic ship museum established at the former NDSM shipyard. Iris Klempau visited the ship in July 2005 and found it in good condition. However, there was delay in implementing plans for the vessel and when Anna Jenšíková visited the ship in June 2007 she found it deserted and detriorating. Soon thereafter new owners renovated the vessel, renamed it Brightside, and opened it as a site for business meetings and private parties. As of 2014, however, the ship was closed once again. Dennis Nijhuis has a page for the ship, Carl Guderian has an October 2007 photo, and Larry Myhre has a June 2008 photo of the ship in Amsterdam. In 2016 the ship was sold and towed to Marseille, where it was repainted in a multicolored pattern, renamed Razzle, and renovated to serve as a live music venue. The original plan was to open in Lyon later in 2017. This didn't happen. As of 2020 the ship was still in Marseille moored at the Port De Peche Saumaty; Google has a satellite view and a 2021 street view across the harbor. However a January 2022 street view across the harbor shows the has left that location in 2021. Its whereabouts are unknown; it may have been scrapped. ARLHS NET-161.

Mourepiane Light, Marseille, April 2010
photo copyright Andreas Köhler; used by permission
Passe de l'Estaque (Digue de Saumaty)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 20 m (66 ft); very quick white flashes, in groups of two. 17 m (56 ft) lantern and gallery on a tripod. Tripod painted white, lantern and gallery red. Trabas has the Kletts' photo, a 2021 photo is available, and Google has a satellite view. Located on a breakwater on the east side of the entrance to the harbor of L'Estaque, a fishing port on the west side of Marseille. Site and tower closed. Admiralty E0631; NGA 6568.
Port de la Lave Môle
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 11 m (36 ft); red flash every 4 s. 11 m (36 ft) round stone-faced concrete tower. Trabas has the Kletts' photo and Google has a satellite view and a very distant street view. Port de la Lave is a small craft harbor at L'Estaque on the west side of Marseille. Located at the end of the breakwater mole. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS FRA-414; Admiralty E0628; NGA 6560.

Côte Bleue (Cap Couronne Area) Lighthouses
#Carry-le-Rouet Môle (1)
1960s (?). Apparently replaced in 2012. This was a 6 m (20 ft) mast mounted on a square 1-story equipment shelter. Mast painted green, equipment shelter white. It was replaced by a light on a pole next to a smaller equipment shelter (focal plane 9 m (30 ft); very quick flashing green light). Trabas has the Capt. Peter's photo and Google has an indistinct satellite view and a distant street view. Note that both Lighthouse Digest and ARLHS have this light confused with the Pain de Sucre Light (next entry). Located on the east breakwater of the harbor of Carry-le-Rouet, about 20 km (13 mi) west of Marseille. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS FRA-839. Current light: Admiralty E0624.7; NGA 6549.
Pain de Sucre
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 7 m (23 ft); red flash every 2.5 s. 5 m (17 ft) round strongly-conical concrete tower, painted white with a red band at the top. Trabas has the Capt. Peter's photo, Houssam Hammoud has a 2020 closeup, and Google has a satellite view and a distant street view. Located on sharp point sheltering the west side of the harbor of Carry-le-Rouet. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty E0624.8; NGA 6550.
* Sausset-les-Pins
Date unknown (1950s?). Active; focal plane 10 m (33 ft); red light occulting three times every 12 s. 7 m (23 ft) round concrete tower with gallery and a small lantern. Lighthouse is white, lantern red. Radouane Les Angles has a closeup 2024 photo, Dominique Pipet has an October 2007 photo, Trabas has Eckhard Meyer's photo, Lighthouse Digest has a historic photo, and Google has a street view and a satellite view. Cedric Motte's photo from June 2007 shows the lighthouse being renovated. Located on the west jetty at Sausset-les-Pins, a small boat harbor about 25 km (15 mi) west of Marseille. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS FRA-468; Admiralty E0624; NGA 6548.
* Cap Couronne (2)
1960 (station established 1867). Active; focal plane 34 m (112 ft); red flash every 3 s. 31 m (102 ft) round concrete tower with lantern and gallery, rising through the center of a 1-story keeper's house. Upper 1/3 of the lighthouse painted red, lower 2/3 white. Cyril L'Hibou's 2022 photo is at right, Trabas has Siering's photo, DIRM has a page for the lighthouse, Jacques Oliver has another photo, Jean Thierry has a 2021 photo, Bertrand de Laclos has a street view from the rocky shore below the lighthouse, and Google has a satellite view. The original lighthouse was a much shorter tower. Huelse has a postcard view of the older lighthouse, which unfortunately was demolished; Lighthouse Digest also has a historic photo showing both towers. This lighthouse marks the eastern entrance to the Golfe de Fos and shows a red light for ships bound westward to Marseille. Located at the end of the Chemin du Phare in La Couronne, about 30 km (19 mi) west of Marseille. Accessible by road, and parking is provided. Site open, tower closed. . ARLHS FRA-090; FR-1385; Admiralty E0622; NGA 6544.

Cap Couronne Light, Martigues, May 2022
Instagram photo by Cyril L'Hibou

Golfe de Fos Lighthouses
The Golfe de Fos is a semicircular bay between Cape Couronne and the Rhône delta. The bay includes the industrial and commercial port facilities that couldn't be accommodated in the cramped traditional harbor of Marseille.
Port-de-Bouc (Fort de Bouc) (2)
1840 (station established in the mid 1700s). Active; focal plane 30 m (98 ft); white, red or green light, depending on direction, occulting twice every 6 s. Lantern on a short round light tower mounted atop the historic Fort de Bouc, which dates from the 13th century. Piotr Adamski's 2022 photo is at right, Trabas has the Kletts' photo, Muriel Martin also has a 2022 photo, Lighthouse Digest has a historic photo, and Google has a satellite view and a distant street view across the harbor. There is a secondary light on the extreme point of the land; this light (Admiralty E0607.2; NGA 6472) displays strobe-like white flashes at a focal plane of 8 m (26 ft). Trabas has Capt. Peter's photo and a good view from the sea shows both lights. Located on the south side of the entrance to Port-de-Bouc and the Chenal de Caronte, the channel leading to the large Étang (sound) de Berre. Site status unknown; access may be blocked by an industrial zone. . ARLHS FRA-288; FR-1353; Admiralty E0607; NGA 6468.
* Port-de-Bouc Jetée Nord (2)
Date unknown (station established 1842). Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); very quick red flashes in groups of two. 9 m (30 ft) round barbell-shaped white tower with a red top. Trabas has Capt. Peter's photo, Claude Bequet has a 2021 photo, Lighthouse Digest has a historic photo also showing the 1842 tower, and Google has a street view and a satellite view. Located at the end of the breakwater jetty on the north side of the entrance to Port de Bouc. Accessible by walking or driving the jetty. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS FRA-411; Admiralty E0608; NGA 6480.
Pointe de Berre
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 12 m (39 ft); four flashes every 15 s, white or red depending on direction. 10 m (33 ft) square skeletal tower, painted red with a white horizontal band and mounted on a square masonry base. Trabas has Capt. Peter's photo and Google has a satellite view. This light is on the Étang de Berre, a lagoon covering about 155 km2 (60 mi2). The lagoon is connected to the Mediterranean at Port-de-Bouc by a dredged channel, the Canal de Caronte. Located at the end of a quay at an oil terminal on the northeast side of the lagoon. Site and tower closed. ARLHS FRA-606; Admiralty E0615; NGA 6524.
* Saint-Gervais (Fos-sur-Mer)
1978. Active; focal plane 45 m (148 ft); seven very quick (strobe-like) flashes every 12 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 45 m (148 ft) oval-shaped cylindrical dark gray reinforced concrete tower with lantern; a very unusual modern design. Trabas has Capt. Peter's photo, DIRM has a page for the lighthouse, Köhler has a photo, and Google has a street view and a satellite view. Lighthouse Digest has a historic photo that also shows a skeletal tower next to the present one. This leading light, located at the head of the Golfe de Fos, guides vessels entering the bay from the Mediterranean. Located adjacent to the yacht harbor of Fos-sur-Mer. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS FRA-478; FR-1351; Admiralty E0606.8; NGA 6456.

Port-de-Bouc Light, Martigues, August 2022
Google Maps photo by Piotr Adamski
Port de Fos Range Rear
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 29 m (95 ft); quick-flashing white light intensified on or near the range line. 28 m (92 ft) square cylindrical skeletal tower carrying a red rectangular daymark. Trabas has Capt. Peter's photo and Google has a satellite view. The front light is on a much shorter skeletal tower. Located in a large containership terminal in the Port de Fos. Site and tower closed. Admiralty E0604.1; NGA 6400.
Môle Graveleau Range Rear
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 22 m (72 ft); quick-flashing red light, visible on or near the range line. 20 m (66 ft) triangular cylindrical skeletal tower, painted white with a blue band at the top. Trabas has a photo and Google has a satellite view. The front light is on a much shorter skeletal tower. Located beside one of the basins of the Port de Fos. Site and tower closed. Admiralty E0603.71; NGA 6402.
* Canal de Saint-Louis (3)
Date unknown (station established 1872). Active; focal plane 14 m (46 ft); quick flashing white light. 13 m (43 ft) round hourglass shaped metal tower mounted on a square 1-story equipment shelter. Trabas has a photo by Christophe Boxus, a 2018 photo and another photo are available, Marinas.com has aerial photos, Jan-Czeslaw Nosal has a closeup street view, and Google has a satellite view. This modern light replaced a tower constructed after World War II. The original light was an interesting cast iron lighthouse shown on Huelse's postcard view; Lighthouse Digest has a historic photo of the second light, a more typical cast iron tourelle. The present light stands on the square stone base built for the second light. The Canal de Saint-Louis, dug in 1871, is a short channel connecting the Grande Rhône, the principal branch of the river, to the Golfe de Fos to the east. Located at the end of the long south jetty at the east entrance to the canal. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS FRA-549; Admiralty E0602; NGA 6408.
*** Port Saint-Louis-du-Rhône (Tour Saint-Louis)
Date unknown (tower built 1737, station established in the 1700s). Active; focal plane 15 m (49 ft); quick-flashing white light, intensified along the line of the Canal de Saint-Louis. 21 m (69 ft) square masonry tower crowned by a cylindrical watchtower. A 2021 photo is at right, Trabas has Capt. Peter's closeup photo (notice the lamp, seen through the opening at the top of the tower), Pascal Foucault has a 2022 photo, Lighthouse Digest has a historic photo and Google has a street view and a good satellite view. The Tour Saint-Louis, built in 1737, is the symbol of the town of Port-St.-Louis-du-Rhône. It houses the local tourist office and a museum; the first floor has exhibits on the birds of the Camargue and the upper floors have visiting art exhibits. Located in the center of St.-Louis-du-Rhône, the town closest to the mouth of the Grande Rhône, on the east side of the Camargue. Site open, museum open Monday through Friday at a small admission fee. . ARLHS FRA-485; Admiralty E0603; NGA 6404.

Tour Saint-Louis, Port-St-Louis-du-Rhône, October 2021
Google Maps photo by Daniele V

Lighthouses of the Camargue
The Camargue, one of Europe's most famous natural areas, is a large triangular wetland surrounding the delta of the Rhône River. The Grand Rhône, the principal channel of the river, is on the east side of the Camargue, and the Petit Rhône flows through the western part of the wetland.

*
Faraman (3)
1892 (station established 1830). Active; focal plane 41 m (135 ft); two white flashes every 10 s. 43 m (141 ft) round stone tower with lantern and gallery, painted with black and white horizontal bands. 2-story masonry keeper's house. Christelle Freg's 2023 photo is at the top of this page, DIRM has a page for the lighthouse, Stephane Allemand has a 2024 photo, Adel Cherdoudi has a July 2017 photo, Marc Bonsignori has a similar photo, Trabas has Eckhard Meyer's photo, Wikimedia has a photo aand a more distant view by Josélito Tirados,Marinas.com has aerial photos, Huelse has a historic aerial photo as well as a postcard view, and Google has a fine satellite view. This lighthouse marks the southernmost extension of the Camargue. It stands about 500 m (0.4 mi) from the surf, in an area of large lagoons famous for their huge flocks of flamingos. Ecotours of this area are available. The lighthouse was damaged during World War II and repaired between 1947 and 1950. The original lighthouse was a 15 m (49 ft) wood tower; it was replaced in 1840 by a 37 m (121 ft) stone tower attached to a keeper's house. The 1840 lighthouse was lost to beach erosion in 1892. The present lighthouse was built 1200 m (3/4 mi) away, using many stones from the 1840 lighthouse. Located about 12 km (7.5 mi) southwest of Salin-de-Giraud. Accessible by a unpaved park road, the Route du Sémaphore, which crosses the wetlands on a series of dikes and causeways. Site open, tower closed. Site manager: Parc Naturel Régional de Camargue. . ARLHS FRA-098; FR-1328; Admiralty E0600; NGA 6356.
Beauduc (Pointe du Sablon)
1903 (daybeacon established 1865). Inactive since 2018. 27 m (89 ft) round stone tower with lantern and gallery. The lighthouse is unpainted white stone; the lantern appears black with a white roof. 2-story masonry keeper's house. This is a rarely-visited lighthouse. A 2021 photo is at the top of this page, DIRM has a page for the lighthouse, a 2010 photo is available, Huelse has a historic postcard view, and Google has a good satellite view. This lighthouse stands on a sweeping curve of the narrow barrier island at the southern end of the Camargue; the area is quite remote and not easy to reach. The lighthouse was deactivated in 2018 and replaced with a lightfloat (Admiralty E0597). The abandoned lighthouse may become endangered. Located about 16 km (10 mi) southeast of Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer. Accessible only by boat or by a long hike on the beach. Site open, tower closed. Site manager: Parc Naturel Régional de Camargue. . ARLHS FRA-188; ex-FR-1325; ex-Admiralty E0594; NGA 6344.
* La Gacholle
1884. Active; focal plane 17 m (56 ft); flash every 4 s, white, red or green depending on direction. 16 m (56 ft) square concrete tower with lantern and gallery, rising from the center of the front of a 1-story keeper's house. Lighthouse painted white; the lantern is black with a white dome. Pascal Delorme's 2024 photo is at right, Trabas has Siering's photo, Joe Yeager has a fine 2007 photo, Clément Maret has a 2021 photo, Marinas.com has aerial photos, Eric Herbien has a street view, and Google has a good satellite view. This lighthouse is located deep in the Camargue, far from any port, and it does not mark any cape. Its purpose was to guide ships into the Baie de Beauduc, a scallop in the coast that provides protection from easterly gales and thus served as a harbor of refuge from storms. In modern times it has become a relatively minor aid to navigation. The lighthouse was damaged during World War II but it was repaired and returned to service in 1947. The keeper's house is now used as a park ranger station. Located about 11 km (7 mi) east of Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, the one town on the Camargue coast. Accessible by a walk of about 2 km (1.2 mi) from a parking area, which is accessible by unpaved park roads from Salin de Giraud on the east side of the Camargue. Site open, there is a small museum and gift shop in a station building, tower closed. Site manager: Parc Naturel Régional de Camargue. . ARLHS FRA-297; FR-1324; Admiralty E0592; NGA 6348.

La Gacholle Light, Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, January 2024
Instagram photo by Pascal Delorme

Information available on lost lighthouses:

Notable faux lighthouses:

Adjoining pages: East: Le Var | West: Languedoc-Roussillon

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Posted April 3, 2006. Checked and revised May 4, 2024. Lighthouses: 33; lightships: 1. Site copyright 2024 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.