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Discover the most beautiful lighthouses in Charente-Maritime

The Chassiron Lighthouse

Discover and visit the mythical Chassiron Lighthouse

The Chassiron lighthouse is located on the island of Oléron, at the northern tip of the island - the tip of the world - in the commune of Saint-Denis d'Oléron.

Identity sheet : 

Address : Phare de Chassiron – 17650 Saint-Denis d’Oléron

Height: 46 m

Number of steps: 224

Range: approximately 50 kilometres

Construction: From 1834

Start of operation: 1836 

The Chassiron lighthouse The lighthouse of the island of Oléron, located at the northern tip of the island, is situated in the centre of a magnificent garden in the shape of a compass rose. You will discover the lighthouse itself, but you can also stroll in this beautiful garden and end your visit with the museum.

Le phare de chassions sur l'ile d'Oléron

The gardens of the Phare de Chassiron, an unforgettable experience

1 Chassiron, light of Oleron, a visit not to be missed

Historiquement, la première « tour à feu »  fut construite sur ordre de Colbert pour permettre le guidage des bateaux qui entraient sur la Charente afin de rallier the Rochefort military arsenal. This made the Antioch Channel and its dangerous coastline safer, but the increase in maritime traffic soon necessitated the construction of a more powerful lighthouse.

This was the beginning of current Chassiron lighthouse, originally all white, but in the 1920s it was repainted with black stripes to improve its visibility and distinguish it from its cousin the whale lighthouse on the Ile de Ré.

Today, this aesthetic means that the Chassiron lighthouse is unmistakable, and gives it its special character. So don't hesitate to come and get lost at the tip of the world, to discover this magnificent historical monument, its museum and why not its shop.

jardin du phare de chassiron

2 From the top of the Chassiron lighthouse an incredible view

Set off on an assault on its 224 steps and become one with the Chassiron lighthouse. Once you have made this effort, admire this breathtaking panorama , plunge your eyes into the ocean as far as the eye can see, to the south the island of Oléron of course, but also the Rochelaise coast, the island of Ré and the island of Aix.

vue du sommet du phare de chassiron

3 The Chassiron lighthouse, 4 reasons to choose the guided tour

The emblematic Chassiron Lighthouse will offer you the choice of either a self-guided or guided tour when you come. Here are the reasons to discover the Lighthouse on a guided tour.

Discover the rocky foreshore

Is the weather good? Take the opportunity to discover the rocky foreshore. The guide will show you the wealth of biodiversity located at the foot of the lighthouse cliffs. You will observe an unsuspected fauna and flora, as well as their natural environment and their adaptation to the environment.

Walking around the fish locks

Visible only at low tide, these small stone walls are fish locks still in use. Also known as fish traps, they form fixed traps that trap fish when the sea recedes.

Made only of stones, they are extremely solid and resist the repeated assaults of the tides and also act as a breakwater, protecting the coastline from erosion.

Once very numerous, only 17 of them are still in operation today on the whole island of Oleron, and can be used to catch different types of fish such as bass, mackerel or conger eels.

The Chassiron lighthouse by night, an experience not to be missed

This tour is only available during the summer months (July and August) and will allow you to climb to the top of the Chassiron lighthouse to admire the sunset until the lighthouse lantern is lit. You will be given a guided tour explaining how the lighthouse works and its history.

Discover edible seaweed

Discover the numerous seaweeds, of infinite colour, that can be served at your table. Unfortunately still unknown, you can discover during this walk on the foreshore, these different varieties of green, red or brown seaweed that you can use in your recipes thanks to the small booklet given at the end of the visit.
algues comestibles estran phare chassiron