Name and Location

The Phare de la Garoupe, also known as "La Garoupe," is a major coastal lighthouse located on the Cap d'Antibes (Plateau de la Garoupe) in Alpes-Maritimes, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, France. Its address is Route du Phare, 06160 Antibes, and its geographic coordinates are 43°33′51.6″ N, 7°07′56.6″ E (decimal: 43.5643405°, 7.1327158°).

2. Construction and History

The current tower was completed and first lit on April 1, 1884. The lighthouse was automated in 1973, and it has been unmanned since then. The managing authority is the Service des phares et balises, Ministère de la Transition écologique (French Navy).

3. Architecture and Materials

The Phare de la Garoupe is a cylindrical granite tower with a balcony and lantern, built using local grey granite and cast-iron materials. The tower stands 29 meters above ground, and its base building features a single-storey keeper's house.

4. Light and Navigation

The lighthouse emits a group flashing white light every 10 seconds, with a sequence of 0.1 s flash + 2.4 s dark + 0.1 s flash + 7.4 s dark. Its nominal range is approximately 31 nautical miles (57 km). The light is listed on electronic navigation systems and can be found in nautical chart references such as SHOM 1673, NGA Pub. 113, and Admiralty List of Lights A 2550.

5. Accessibility and Visiting

The lighthouse tower is closed to the public, but visitors can access the site for free via a small parking area on Rte du Phare, followed by a short paved climb. The best vantage points are from the south terrace, which offers views of Nice to the east and Cannes and L��rins Islands to the west.

6. Notable Views and Landscape

Perched 106 meters above sea level, La Garoupe commands panoramic views over the Mediterranean, the Maritime Alps, the Bay of Antibes, and—on very clear days—the summits of Corsica to the south. The surrounding landscape features macchia scrub, umbrella pines, and olive groves.

7. Anecdotes and Folklore

The name "Garoupe" may derive from the Gascon word garopa, meaning "slab" or "flat rock." Former keepers have shared stories of a 1909 mistral storm that swept away roof tiles; they sheltered under the lantern for 48 hours. The plateau has also featured in French cinema for Riviera-setting shots, though the tower itself rarely appears on screen.

8. Technical and Operational Details

The lighthouse is an unpainted granite tower with a white lantern house and red ventilator ball. Its optic and lamp are electric halogen, originally using a Fresnel lens of 3rd order. The lighthouse has been protected under national lighthouse regulations, but it is not classified as a "Monument Historique."

9. Further Information

For more information, refer to the French Wikipedia article at https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phare_de_la_Garoupe and the Wikidata entry Q3378473.