Phare de Cordouan

Le Verdon-sur-Mer

Nicknamed the "Versailles of the sea", it rises alone offshore, hemmed in by the currents and sandbanks of the estuary.

Built on a rocky plateau at the mouth of the Gironde, some 7 km off Le Verdon-sur-Mer, the Cordouan lighthouse is the oldest lighthouse in France still in operation. Its construction, commissioned from the engineer Louis de Foix, stretched from 1584 to 1611: it financially ruined its designer, who died in 1602 without seeing the work completed. Nicknamed the "Versailles of the sea" for its architecture laden with pilasters and statues, the building of Saintonge stone rises to 67.50 metres and has 301 steps. The first lighthouse listed as a historic monument in France, as early as 1862, Cordouan joined the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2021.

Getting there : Listed as a historic monument as early as 1862 (the first lighthouse listed in France); inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2021; reachable by boat from Royan or Le Verdon-sur-Mer depending on the tides, open to visitors in season.

Opening times and access details are given as a guide only: check before you set out.

Ambient sound