Phare de Pontusval, Maritime lighthouse in Plounéour-Brignogan-plages, France.
Phare de Pontusval is a white cylindrical stone lighthouse tower topped by a black gallery railing around a white lantern room with glass panes and a domed metal roof, with a thin antenna and weather vane above. Its base is hidden behind the dark slate roof of an attached white house with a grey roof and chimney. A white gate stands between two square white pillars to the right of the tower base.
Construction of the Phare de Pontusval was decided after numerous shipwrecks on a coast short of lights, and it was completed in June 1869; the first lighting took place on 15 September 1869. It was built between 1865 and 1869 on the Beg-Pol headland to guide ships past the dangerous coast of the Bro Bagan. It was listed as a monument historique on 23 May 2011, together with several other lighthouses.
The Breton name Tour-tan Brignogan links the tower to the coastal village of Brignogan, while Pontusval is the French name used on maps and in heritage listings. The lighthouse works as a relay between the Île Vierge and Île de Batz lights, guiding boats past the dangerous coast of the Bro Bagan. Its white and red light is visible up to 10 nautical miles, about 18 km.
The tower stands on the Beg-Pol headland in Brignogan-Plages, reached on foot from the coastal path; the base is hidden behind the keeper's house, whose white gate opens between two square pillars. Fifty-two steps lead to the top. The site is exposed to Atlantic wind and spray, so wear sturdy footwear and weatherproof clothing.
Marie-Paule Le Guen was the lighthouse's last keeper, losing the post in 2003, yet she kept living in the keeper's house beside the tower until her death in November 2023. The 14.5 m square tower she tended stands at Beg-Pol, halfway between the Île Vierge and Île de Batz lights.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 94,453 contributors worldwide.