Name and Location

The Phare de Contis (Fare de Contis) is an active 19th-century cast-iron lighthouse located in southwestern France, specifically in Saint-Julien-en-Born, Landes, Nouvelle-Aquitaine. Its address is Chemin de la Lanterne, 40170 Saint-Julien-en-Born, and its coordinates are 44°05′36.6″ N, 1°19′00.6″ W.

Construction and History

The Phare de Contis was constructed in the mid-1800s and commissioned around 1867-1871. Its purpose is to guide shipping along the Côte d'Argent and mark the Contis-les-Bains promontory. The lighthouse was automated at an unspecified date, but it remains fully operational under the French lighthouse and beacon service (Service des phares et balises).

Architecture and Materials

The Phare de Contis features a tapering cylindrical cast-iron structure set on a masonry base. It stands 46 meters tall, with a focal plane at 50 meters above mean sea level. The tower is made of prefabricated cast-iron segments bolted together and has a masonry foundation.

Light and Navigation

The lighthouse emits a group of four white flashes every 25 seconds (Fl (4) W 25 s), with a technical sequence of 0.1-second flash followed by 4.1 seconds of eclipse, repeated four times, and then a 12.3-second eclipse. Its nominal range is 23 nautical miles.

Accessibility and Visiting

The Phare de Contis is not generally open to the public, but the landward grounds and immediate exterior are freely accessible. There are no on-site museum or visitor center facilities, but parking and beach access are nearby.

Notable Views and Landscape

From its base, the lighthouse offers a panoramic vista of the Côte d'Argent – sandy beaches, surf breaks popular with surfers, and the Atlantic horizon. The surrounding environment features low coastal dunes and the extensive Landes pine forests.

Anecdotes and Folklore

Locally, the lighthouse is often called "La Lanterne de Contis." There is a legend that on stormy nights, fishermen's ghostly lanterns can be glimpsed mingling with the official beacon. Records of individual keepers are scarce, but it is known that keepers' dwellings once adjoined the tower but have since been removed or repurposed.

Technical and Operational Details

The Phare de Contis has a radar/AIS installation not permanently installed on site. It is listed as a Monument historique (France) since November 6, 2009, with registry reference PA40000073. The lighthouse serves as a major coastal beacon and is one of the tallest along the Landes shoreline.

Further Information

For further reading, consult Wikidata (Q17783615), French Wikipedia (https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phare_de_Contis), ANFR (2019) technical file (ref. FR:ANFR 346589), Ministère de la Culture (2016) heritage dossier (ref. PA40000073), and SHOM (Service Hydrographique et Océanographique de la Marine), Chart D 1382.