Name and Location

The Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie Harbour Entrance Lighthouse marks the entrance to the marina at Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie in Vendée (Pays de la Loire), France. The lighthouse can be found at 44 Quai de la République, 85800 Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie, France.

Construction and History

The exact construction date of the lighthouse is unknown, but municipal plans suggest a rebuild or major renovation in the mid-20th century. The lighthouse has always served to aid small-craft navigation into the port, with no permanent keeper recorded. It is presumed that the light was automated from its early installation.

Architecture and Materials

The lighthouse stands at the end of the stone south jetty (Quai de la République), overlooking the mouth of the Vie estuary where it flows into the Bay of Biscay. The structure consists of a reinforced-concrete tower, with a slender square-section shaft rising from a concrete quay base and a small gallery balcony supporting the lantern. The lighthouse has an unpainted or whitewashed concrete exterior with a green lantern dome.

Light and Navigation

The lighthouse emits a green occulting or flashing light, with an exact pattern not published. It is estimated to have a nominal range of approximately 6 nautical miles (11 km). The power source is electricity, fed from mains supply, and the light is fully automatic.

Accessibility and Visiting

The quayside is open to visitors, but access to the tower and lantern is not permitted. Parking and pedestrian promenades are available along Quai de la République, with bicycle racks and a local bus stop within 200 meters. Nearby facilities include a tourist office, cafés, fish market, and craft-beer bars.

Notable Views and Landscape

From the foot of the lighthouse, visitors can enjoy a panoramic outlook over the Vie estuary, the breakwater, and across to the Pointe du Payré peninsula. By night, the green beacon welcomes pleasure-craft returning to the marina.

Anecdotes and Folklore

Locals sometimes refer to the lighthouse as "la petite balise verte" (the little green buoy on land). No specific legends or keeper stories are recorded for this minor harbour light.

Technical and Operational Details

The managing authority is Port de Plaisance de Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie under the oversight of the French Service Hydrographique et Océanographique de la Marine (SHOM). The lighthouse is not listed as a monument historique, but is protected only insofar as part of the port's public property.

Further Information

For further information, visit the SHOM chart indexes at https://www.shom.fr or OpenStreetMap relation 88925443.