Phare du Titan, Maritime navigation lighthouse in Île du Levant, Hyères, France
Phare du Titan is a lighthouse on Île du Levant near Hyères, France, built with a round tower attached to a rectangular building structure. The tower measures roughly 10 meters tall and sits about 73 meters above sea level on the island.
The first lighthouse was built in 1835; in 1897 it was replaced by a wider round tower attached to the old square building, which kept housing the keepers. A fixed light was installed in 1890. In 1944 the lantern was machine-gunned and still bears the marks. It was automated in 1984.
The name Titan comes from the wreck of the Titan, a ship whose remains lie nearby; Philippe Tailliez used the lighthouse as a reference point for his dives on the wreck in 1954 and 1957. The tower is listed in the general inventory of cultural heritage.
The lighthouse stands on the northeast coast of Île du Levant, inside the military zone of the Centre d'essais de la Méditerranée used for missile launches for the Direction générale de l'armement. It was automated in 1984 and is not open to visitors. It can only be seen from a distance, from the sea or from outside the restricted perimeter.
The lighthouse sits within a military testing center where missile launch operations occur. This unusual dual purpose makes it both a historical monument and an active defense facility.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 92,810 contributors worldwide.