The Phare de l'Espiguette (Espiguette Lighthouse) is a -high square tower. Built in 1869, the lighthouse is found on the
Pointe de l'Espiguette, near to
Le Grau-du-Roi
Le Grau-du-Roi (; ) is a commune in the Gard department in southern France. It is the only commune in Gard to have a frontage on the Mediterranean. To the west is the Herault department and La Grande-Motte village, and to the east is the Bouc ...
on the
Gulf of Lion
The Gulf of Lion or Gulf of Lions is a wide embayment of the Mediterranean coastline of Catalonia in Spain with Languedoc-Roussillon and Provence in France, extending from Begur in the west to Toulon in the east.
The chief port on the gulf is ...
in
Occitanie, France.
Geography
L'Espiguette appears on some of the oldest maps: on the Barentzoom map of 1593 it is called Lapiquete and was an island. The channels in the
Rhône
The Rhône ( , ; Occitan language, Occitan: ''Ròse''; Franco-Provençal, Arpitan: ''Rôno'') is a major river in France and Switzerland, rising in the Alps and flowing west and south through Lake Geneva and Southeastern France before dischargi ...
delta are constantly changing, it was in 1570 that the Grau de Roi opened up, and the subsequent channelling of this watercourse and the silting of the land alongside it led to the fishing village of
Le Grau-du-Roi
Le Grau-du-Roi (; ) is a commune in the Gard department in southern France. It is the only commune in Gard to have a frontage on the Mediterranean. To the west is the Herault department and La Grande-Motte village, and to the east is the Bouc ...
, and the silting made a land bridge through to L'Espiguette. To the south of L'Espiguette is the Mediterranean Sea and to the north the Lagune de la Sicarex, which in itself is a protected breeding ground for endangered avian species. The point consists of 197 ha of sand dunes, and is a protected nature reserve. The beaches are popular with tourists, and host a large
naturist beach
A nude beach, sometimes called a clothing-optional or free beach, is a beach where users are at liberty to be nude. Nude beaches usually have mixed bathing. Such beaches are usually on public lands, and any member of the public is allowed to use ...
.
History
The square tower was built in 1869, from the mean high tide mark, the silting has continues and it is now situated in sand dunes more than from the water.
Technical details
A 1000W Halogen lamp throws its beam south. It throws 3 white flashes four times a minute.
See also
*
List of lighthouses in France
This is a list of lighthouses in France. It includes the French overseas territories.
Metropolitan France
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*
Pointe de l'Espiguette
References
External links
PhotosPointe de l'Espiguette - Conservatoire du littoral
*
Lighthouses completed in 1869
Lighthouses in France
Buildings and structures in Gard
Camargue
1869 establishments in France
Monuments historiques of Gard
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