Name and Location

The Isle Noire Lighthouse, also known as Phare de l’Île Noire in French and Tour-tan an Enez Du in Breton, is located on Île Noire off the north-west coast of Brittany in the Iroise Sea. The official address is 13 Phare de l’Île Noire, 29252 Plouezoc’h, Finistère, France. The coordinates are 48°40′21″ N, 3°52′32″ W, and the Plus Code is M4CF+XR Plouezoc’h, France.

2. Construction and History

The exact date of original construction is not recorded in available cadastre sources (2013 update). However, it is likely that the lighthouse was erected in the late 19th or early 20th century. It has been charted as a minor light in official French maritime documents since then.

3. Architecture and Materials

The Isle Noire Lighthouse features a cylindrical masonry or reinforced-concrete tower, painted white. The lantern room is standard cast-iron with a surrounding walkway. The height of the tower above base is 15 meters (49 feet), and the focal plane is 15 meters above mean high water.

4. Light and Navigation

The lighthouse exhibits an occulting light characteristic, with a group sequence of “3 occultations + 1” followed by “1 occultation + 1,” repeating every six seconds. The sectors and colors are green (visible between 51° and 135° at a range of 8 nautical miles), red (visible between 135° and 211° at the same range), and white (visible between 211° and 51° at a range of 11 nautical miles). The lighthouse is charted on French ADM chart A 1799.9.

5. Accessibility and Visiting

The Isle Noire Lighthouse is not open to the public, and landing on the island is rare due to strong tides and currents. The best viewing points are from the Plage de Porspaul (mainland coast of Plouezoc’h) or by private boat or local excursion operators under calm sea conditions.

6. Notable Views and Landscape

The surrounding landscape features a low, rocky islet fringed with kelp beds. Nearby headlands include Pointe du Diben to the north and Pointe de Primel to the south. Sea birds frequent the rocks, and seals are often seen hauled out on adjacent ledges.

7. Anecdotes and Folklore

There are no widely recorded folklore or keeper stories surrounding the Isle Noire Lighthouse. Traditional accounts mention its importance in avoiding the “Black Rocks” (Les Pierres Noires) around the islet.

8. Technical and Operational Details

The lighthouse is fully automated, with a power source likely being solar-electric or mains supply via submarine cable (standard for minor lights). There is no known AIS transmitter or radar installation on the tower.

9. Further Information

The Isle Noire Lighthouse is still active as a navigation aid for coastal shipping entering the baie de Morlaix and for small craft rounding the Brittany tip. It is charted on SHOM chart No. 714 (English Channel – West) and international ENCs in the same region.