Name and Location

Phare de la Jetée Saint-Nicolas is a small lighthouse located at the seaward end of the Saint-Nicolas pier in Les Sables-d’Olonne, on France’s Atlantic coast. The coordinates are 46°29′14.0″ N, 1°47′31.2″ W (lat 46.4872335, lng –1.7919921).

Construction and History

The exact date of construction for the current tower is not documented here; various port plans suggest a late-19th or early-20th-century origin. It replaced earlier beacons marking the entrance to Les Sables-d’Olonne’s harbour.

Architecture and Materials

Phare de la Jetée Saint-Nicolas is a pier-head lighthouse, integrated into a single-storey masonry building. The tower height is 14 m above base (building cited as 8 m tall with one level), and the focal height is 16 m above mean sea level. The structure appears as a cylindrical tower rising from a rectangular base, painted in horizontal red and white bands; topped by a small red-domed lantern room. Materials used are traditional masonry or concrete.

Light and Navigation

The lighthouse emits a quick flashing red light (Q R) and illuminates an arc approximately from 143° to 094° (magnetic). The range is 8 nautical miles, and the sectors marked by this aid to navigation are not specified. Nautical chart references include Admiralty D1200; NGA 113-1212; SHOM; Aladin 8500144. The light is fully automated, powered by mains electricity with a backup battery bank.

Accessibility and Visiting

The pier is open for viewing on foot along the jetty. However, the tower interior is closed to visitors. No guided tours of the lighthouse are available. Nearby parking is at the port, and facilities such as cafés, restaurants, and beaches are within 500 m.

Notable Views and Landscape

From the jetty head, you can enjoy panoramic vistas of the Bay of Biscay, the harbour basin, and the town’s golden-sand beaches. Migratory seabirds and fishing boats frequent this stretch of coastline.

Technical and Operational Details

The lighthouse is managed by the Port-municipality of Les Sables-d’Olonne under the French Lighthouse and Beacons Service (Service des Phares et Balises). It is not classified as a national historic monument but is locally protected as part of the port’s maritime heritage.

Further Information

For further reading, refer to OpenStreetMap entry “way/171146739” (GeoJSON properties), SHOM nautical charts (France – Atlantic coast), and Wikidata Q28375142.