The La Coubre Lighthouse (French: ''Phare de la Coubre'') is a historic
lighthouse that is still in service in
La Tremblade
La Tremblade () is a commune in the Charente-Maritime department and Nouvelle-Aquitaine region in south-western France.
Toponymy
The name of the town probably derives from the presence of aspen trees (French: ''tremblers'') in the ...
, in
Charente-Maritime
Charente-Maritime () is a department in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region on the southwestern coast of France. Named after the river Charente, its prefecture is La Rochelle. As of 2019, it had a population of 651,358 with an area of 6,864 square kil ...
, in
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
.
La Coubre is high and is the highest in the department. A museum tells the history of the different lighthouses that have existed in the region. It is possible to climb to the top from February to November.
Geography
The lighthouse is located in the "Pointe of La Coubre", 15 km from
Royan
Royan (; in the Saintongeais dialect; oc, Roian) is a commune and town in the south-west of France, in the department of Charente-Maritime in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region. Its inhabitants are known as ''Royannais'' and ''Royannaises''. Capi ...
and at the north of the
Gironde Estuary, close to the Bonne Anse Bay.
The "Pointe of La Coubre" and the sandbank separate the calm water of the Gironde Estuary, and to the north, the
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...
. It is the highest Lighthouse in Charente-Maritime and guides the ships into the estuary, avoiding the sandbanks, where many ships have wrecked.
History
* In 1690, there was a
beacon
A beacon is an intentionally conspicuous device designed to attract attention to a specific location. A common example is the lighthouse, which draws attention to a fixed point that can be used to navigate around obstacles or into port. More mode ...
on the "Pointe de La Coubre". Some structures were later constructed during the 19th century, but they have since been destroyed.
* In 1860, because of a number of
shipwrecks, an imperial decree put in order the construction of a lighthouse, on the northern part of the estuary.
* This wooden lighthouse would soon be replaced in 1895 by a 57-meter-high-stoned lighthouse. In 1892, the construction of this new lighthouse started, 1.5 km away from the ocean. However, ten years later, the erosion threatened it. Therefore, a
breakwater was built to try to slow the ocean.
* It was decided to build a new one, 1.8 km away from the previous stoned lighthouse. This one was built with concrete and the stoned lighthouse collapsed in 1907.
* In 2016, the 1905 lighthouse was repainted to be better seen by ships. A ton of paint was used during the three-month work.
Tourism and museum
After climbing the 300 steps among the opaline on the walls, visitors can see the Wild Coast (
Côte Sauvage), the beaches, the La Coubre forest, the Gironde Estuary and the
Cordouan Lighthouse
Cordouan lighthouse () is an active lighthouse located at sea, near the mouth of the Gironde estuary in France. At a height of , it is the tenth-tallest "traditional lighthouse" in the world.
The Tour de Cordouan, the 'Patriarch of Lighthouses ...
(the oldest in France).
100 years after the lighthouse was put into service, a museum was built to tell the history of the different lighthouses that have guided the ships. The museum has a few rooms where the history of the lighthouses is told, from 1699 to nowadays. In another room, marine objects are shown, a device measuring the fog, old lenses and other mechanisms.
See also
*
List of lighthouses in France
This is a list of lighthouses in France. It includes the French overseas territories.
Metropolitan France
French Overseas Departments and Territories
* List of lighthouses in Guadeloupe
* List of lighthouses in French Guiana
* List of ...
Gallery
La coubre.jpg, Lighthouse in 2004
La Coubre 2012.JPG, Lighthouse in 2012
Phare de la Coubre.JPG, Lighthouse in 2012
Au large du phare de La coubre par Agnes Durand.jpg, The sea at La Coubre
References
Lighthouses in France
Buildings and structures in Charente-Maritime
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