Phare de l'Espiguette, Maritime lighthouse in Le Grau-du-Roi, France.
Phare de l'Espiguette is a 27-metre square tower whose lower two-thirds are light beige stone blocks, topped by a dark, nearly black upper section. A broad black cornice with a row of small rounded arches sits beneath a glazed lantern room capped by a white domed roof. It rises behind dense green foliage on the Pointe de l'Espiguette.
Built in 1869 by Charles Dupuy, a municipal councillor of Aigues-Mortes, the tower then stood 150 metres from the shoreline. Silting pushed the coast seaward, and the lighthouse now rises more than 700 metres from the water. It was classified as a monument historique on 9 October 2012 and, after full restoration, opened to the public in 2023.
This lighthouse represents an important chapter in French maritime navigation and stands as a reminder of the region's seafaring history. Visitors can observe how the structure fits into the modern landscape, surrounded by protected dunes and cycling paths that connect it to local communities.
The lighthouse has been open to the public since mid-2023, after a full restoration and the fitting of a museum space. It stands in the dunes of the Pointe de l'Espiguette, a 197-hectare protected site managed by the Conservatoire du littoral, so access is on foot or by bike along the marked paths.
The 1000W halogen lamp casts its beam 24 nautical miles (44 km) southward, and the light shows three white flashes four times a minute. In 2019 La Poste issued a booklet of twelve permanent stamps titled "Repères de nos côtes" that includes the lighthouse.
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