Name and Location

The Phare de l'Île d'Aix (Île d'Aix Lighthouse) is located at Fort de la Rade, Île-d'Aix, Charente-Maritime, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France. Its official coordinates are 46°00′35.6″ N, 1°10′40.3″ W.

Construction and History

The lighthouse was built atop Fort de la Rade, part of a network of coastal defenses constructed in the 19th century around Rochefort. The exact date of construction is not documented, but it likely dates from the late 19th or early 20th century, replacing earlier beacons.

Architecture and Materials

The lighthouse stands on top of a masonry fortification base with a cylindrical concrete or brick tower. The tower height is 25 meters above its base, and the focal height is estimated to be around 28 meters above sea level. The structure features an unpainted masonry or light-colored finish, with a lantern room and gallery.

Light and Navigation

The Phare de l'Île d'Aix serves as a major coastal light, fully automated and unmanned. Its light characteristic is not explicitly listed in available data, but likely follows the form "Fl W xx s". The range of the light is typically 15-18 nautical miles for lighthouses of this class.

Accessibility and Visiting

The tower itself is closed to the public, but the island and fort grounds are open for self-guided tours. Visitors can reach the Île-d'Aix by regular passenger ferries and private boats from Fouras, La Rochelle, and Châtelaillon-Plage. On arrival at the Île-d'Aix quay, the fort and lighthouse are a short walk along the seafront.

Notable Views and Landscape

From the top of the lighthouse, visitors can enjoy panoramic seaward views of the pertuis d'Antioche strait, with sightlines to Fort Boyard, Île d'Oléron, and the mainland coast. At sunset, the lighthouse silhouette is a popular subject for landscape photographers.

Anecdotes and Folklore

According to local legend, Napoleon Bonaparte paused near the future site of the lighthouse before embarking for exile in 1815. Former keepers have shared stories about harsh winter storms when the light's electric generator had to be jump-started after sand and salt spray disabled the wiring.

Technical and Operational Details

The lighthouse is maintained by the French "Service des phares et balises" under the Ministère de la Mer (formerly by the French Navy). It functions as an active aid to navigation marking the approaches to the île d'Aix channel and the roadsteads of Ré and Oléron.

Further Information

For further reading, please refer to the French Cadastre (cadastre-dgi-fr), SHOM "List of Lights" for Pertuis d'Antioche, Île d'Aix tourist office (https://www.iledaix.fr/), and Wikipedia (French) (https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phare_de_l%27%C3%AEle_d%27Aix).