Feu de Kerjean

Feu de Kerjean is a small lighthouse in Louannec, a commune on the Côtes-d'Armor coast in Brittany, right next to Perros-Guirec and the Pink Granite Coast. Unlike the region's famous monumental lighthouses, Kerjean is a modest, purely functional structure — but one with a history stretching back to the mid-19th century.

How do you get there?

The light stands on a rise above the Perros-Guirec roadstead, within the commune of Louannec, so the easiest approach is to drive to the area and cover the last stretch on foot. This part of the Côtes-d'Armor coast is served by a coastal footpath (the Sentier des Douaniers, part of the GR34), which runs along the shoreline and lets you combine a visit to Feu de Kerjean with a walk toward Perros-Guirec or Ploumanac'h.

What will you see?

Feu de Kerjean is a cylindrical masonry tower 15.50 metres tall, topped by a platform holding the lighting apparatus. A small building is attached to the tower, originally used as a storeroom — a typical arrangement for lighthouses of this era, which rarely had large keeper's quarters. Because the tower stands on elevated ground, the light itself sits as high as 79 metres above the highest tide level, far more than the tower's own height would suggest.

Kerjean was never a standalone project. It was part of a system of four lights marking the two channels into the Perros-Guirec roadstead. The plans were drawn up in 1856 by engineers Dujardin and Delarue, under the supervision of Léonce Reynaud, then head of France's lighthouse service. Construction and the alignment lighting scheme were carried out from 1860 onward.

The lighthouse was modernised repeatedly as technology advanced. In 1907 the apparatus was converted to burn mineral oil and the permanent keeper was removed, with an automatic catoptric light installed instead. In 1932 the Inspector General of Lighthouses and Beacons decided to electrify Kerjean, but the outbreak of the Second World War delayed the work — electricity finally reached the light in 1946.

Since 1976, Feu de Kerjean has operated as a directional light (feu directionnel), flashing sector-based occulting groups of 2+1 every 12 seconds — a signal that helps sailors identify the correct approach course. The light is fully automated today and remotely managed from the lighthouse subdivision at Lézardrieux, with no permanent staff on site.

When should you visit?

The lighthouse can be seen year-round, but spring, summer and early autumn offer the best conditions for walking the coastal path and watching the light against the sea, since weather on this stretch of Brittany tends to be more stable then. After dark, you can watch the characteristic occulting rhythm of the directional light.

Frequently asked questions

Can you go inside Feu de Kerjean? No — it's a fully automated, remotely managed technical structure, not open to visitors inside. You can, however, view it freely from outside and from the nearby coastal path.

What is the Kerjean light for? It's one of four lights marking the entrances to the Perros-Guirec roadstead, helping sailors identify the safe approach course as they near the coast.

How tall is the tower? The tower itself is 15.50 metres, but because it stands on elevated ground, the light sits 79 metres above the highest tide level.

Is it worth combining with a walk in the area? Yes — the lighthouse sits on the coastal footpath linking Louannec with Perros-Guirec and the Pink Granite Coast, making it easy to plan a longer scenic walk around it.