Name and Location

The Phare de l'Anse à la Barque is an active coastal lighthouse located on the western shore of Basse-Terre Island in Guadeloupe, an overseas region of France. Its official address is 1733 Boulevard des Habissois Souverains (Bd des Habissois Souverains), Vieux-Habitants 97119, Guadeloupe. The lighthouse marks the entrance to the little bay called Anse à la Barque, just north of the town of Vieux-Habitants.

2. Construction and History

The Phare de l'Anse à la Barque was constructed without a definitive archival date available in public sources. Its structure is a white, cylindrical masonry tower rising directly from a small keeper's house or service building at ground level. The lighthouse has no formal "Monument historique" listing, but it appears on the national cadastre (2011 update) and is maintained by France's Directorate of Maritime Affairs (Service des Phares et Balises).

3. Architecture and Materials

The lighthouse is a utilitarian, functional design common to France's Service des Phares et Balises. The tower is 11 meters high, with a focal plane approximately 11 meters above mean sea level. It is constructed from masonry or concrete, typical of mid-20th-century French overseas lighthouses.

4. Light and Navigation

The Phare de l'Anse à la Barque is a multi-sector light, intended to guide vessels into the bay while warning of surrounding reefs and shoals. All flashes occur in groups of two, in a repeating pattern every 6 seconds (sequence 1+(1)+1+(3)). The light has three sectors: red for hazards to northwest, white for entrance to the bay, and green for channel to anchorage.

5. Accessibility and Visiting

The lighthouse is accessible from Vieux-Habitants by following N2 westward, turning north onto Bd des Habissois Souverains, then Chemin des Acacias. A small roadside parking area lies within 100 meters of the tower. However, public access is limited to exterior views only; the tower is not open for visitors.

6. Notable Views and Landscape

The lighthouse perches on a low rocky headland fringed by dry-forest vegetation and coconut palms. From its base one looks west across Anse à la Barque—a calm cove with sandy beach—and beyond to the Caribbean Sea. To the east rises the steep slopes of the Massif de la Soufrière, part of Guadeloupe National Park.

7. Anecdotes and Folklore

No relevant stories or anecdotes are available for this lighthouse.

8. Technical and Operational Details

The lighthouse is an automated light powered by solar panels and backup batteries; there is no resident keeper since the late 20th century. The tower features a radar reflector installed on top, but an AIS transponder is unknown. Chart references include French Official Charts (SHOM) and British Admiralty Chart J5712.

9. Further Information

For further reading, visit the Wikimedia Commons page for File "Phare de l’Anse à la Barque.jpg" or consult the French Wikipedia article on Phare de l'Anse à la Barque.