Poulains lighthouse, Maritime navigation beacon at Îlot des Poulains in Sauzon, France

The Poulains lighthouse is a square masonry tower attached to the gable of a rectangular masonry house with exposed stone quoins, standing on the rocky islet of the Pointe des Poulains. The tower has a projecting corbelled top supporting a gallery, with a red cylindrical lantern and dome above. The house roof holds 32 m² of solar panels.

Built in 1867, the lighthouse was created to guide ships safely through treacherous waters in this region of Brittany. Over the following decades, it evolved from its original lighting system to newer technologies that improved its effectiveness and reliability.

The lighthouse's fame owes much to actress Sarah Bernhardt, who bought the neighbouring Fort Sarah-Bernhardt and spent every summer there from 1894 to 1922. Visitors she received helped spread word of the lighthouse's typically Breton appearance when they returned to Paris.

Access to the lighthouse depends on tidal conditions, as high tides can isolate or partially submerge the rocky island. Plan a visit during appropriate tide windows and check weather forecasts beforehand, since this exposed location is subject to sudden wind and wave changes.

The last keeper, René Le Port, left in 1987 when the light was automated; it is now controlled from the Goulphar lighthouse. The site is open to the public, and the keeper's house was deliberately small and functional, with only a 2-metre-high walled courtyard for shelter from the wind.