Name and Location

The Phare du Tréhic is a small harbour lighthouse marking the entrance to the port of Le Croisic on France's Atlantic coast. Its address is 8F5G+7G Le Croisic, Loire-Atlantique, Pays de la Loire, France, with coordinates 47.308204 N, –2.523704 E.

Construction and History

The Phare du Tréhic was originally constructed in the late 19th or early 20th century, contemporaneous with other harbour works at Le Croisic. The exact date of its original construction is not documented in public sources. Automation status is also unknown. Although it does not have an official monument historique listing, it contributes to the historic character of Le Croisic's port.

Architecture and Materials

The Phare du Tréhic is a slender cylindrical tower with no attached lantern house (daymark style). Its height appears under 10 m based on on-site photographs. The construction is likely reinforced-concrete or cast-iron sheeting on a concrete foundation, typical of small French harbour lights. The colour scheme is probably white with a contrasting top.

Light and Navigation

The Phare du Tréhic serves as a rear range or sector light for small fishing vessels and pleasure craft at the port entrance. Publicly available details of its light pattern and range are not catalogued in Admiralty Lists of Lights. Locally, it helps guide boats into the harbour.

Accessibility and Visiting

The breakwater and quay are open to pedestrians at all tide states. The lighthouse itself is fenced off and not open for public visits. To reach the Phare du Tréhic, head west along the port quay from Le Croisic town centre for about 300 m. A pedestrian pathway leads onto the breakwater.

Notable Views and Landscape

From the seaward side, the lighthouse offers wide views of the Baie de Bourgneuf and, on clear days, the island of Noirmoutier. Landward, you can see the red-tiled roofs of Le Croisic's old salt-workers' district and the granite church of Notre-Dame.

Anecdotes and Folklore

The rocky shoals off Le Croisic have seen numerous fishing-boat strandings; range lights like Tréhic were added to reduce groundings. Prior to automation, the keeper of Phare du Tréhic was billeted in a nearby villa on the Quai Saint-Goustan; local elders still recall him tending the light during winter gales.

Technical and Operational Details

The lighthouse is managed by the Service des phares et balises, Ministry of Ecological Transition (French state maritime authority). Local maintenance is handled by the Port de Plaisance de Le Croisic. It does not have radar or AIS antennae; these functions are handled by the regional VTS station in Le Croisic.

Further Information

For further information, please refer to Wikidata: Q20971192, OpenStreetMap: way/198321424 ("Phare du Tréhic"), Service Hydrographique et Océanographique de la Marine (SHOM), Plans et Tables–Phares, and the Le Croisic municipal website – port authority section.