Phare de la Potence

Phare de la Potence is a small lighthouse in Les Sables-d'Olonne, in France's Vendée region, standing on a dune southeast of the town's harbour. It is less famous than the seafront Remblai promenade, but for more than a century and a half it has played a key role in guiding ships safely into the port channel.

Where does the lighthouse stand and how do I find it?

The lighthouse sits at the end of Rue des Deux Phares, on a dune set back from the coastal buildings, some distance from the main beach and the Remblai promenade. This matters for visitors, because it is easy to confuse it with a different, far more visible lighthouse standing right on the Remblai promenade. The two are separate structures that work together as a navigational alignment for boats entering the harbour.

When was it built and what is it for?

Phare de la Potence was built in 1874. From the start, its purpose was to mark a safe entrance to the port channel of Les Sables-d'Olonne. Together with the light on the Remblai promenade, it forms what is known as an alignment: two lights positioned in a single line that sailors use to hold a course that clears the underwater shoals known locally as le Nouch and la Noura. When both lights line up from the deck of an incoming vessel, the skipper knows the boat is on the safe channel.

What does the lighthouse look like?

It is a so-called "house-lighthouse" (phare-maison): a square tower rising directly out of a house that once held the offices of the local Subdivision of the Lighthouse and Buoy Service. The structure is built of smooth cut stone, with a corniced top and pronounced stone corners. The tower stands 20.20 metres tall in total.

What are its light specifications, and can it be visited?

The light is powered by a 1000 W halogen lamp with a range of 16 nautical miles, roughly 30 kilometres. The lighthouse was automated in 1965, meaning it has operated without on-site staff ever since. As a working technical installation, the tower and house are not open to the public — Phare de la Potence can only be admired from the outside.

What else is worth knowing about the site's history?

The ground beneath today's lighthouse has a layered past. On the nearby dune once stood a windmill called the moulin de la Potence, bought around the turn of the 20th century by the headmaster of the town's municipal school. On 14 July 1900, the site saw the opening of the so-called Eden Tower, billed as the "Popular Observatory of Sables-d'Olonne," a tourist attraction of its era. The Eden Tower stood until the spring of 1939, when it was torn down to make way for the Clemenceau school complex. The lighthouse itself survived these changes and still performs its navigational role today.

Frequently asked questions

Is Phare de la Potence the same lighthouse as the one on the Remblai promenade? No. They are two separate lighthouses in Les Sables-d'Olonne. Phare de la Potence stands on a dune further inland, on Rue des Deux Phares, while the other lighthouse sits on the Remblai promenade right by the beach. Together they form an alignment that helps ships enter the harbour.

Can visitors go inside the lighthouse? No. The lighthouse has been automated since 1965 and is not open to the public. It can, however, be freely viewed and photographed from the outside.

How tall is the lighthouse and how far does its light reach? The tower is 20.20 metres tall, and its light, powered by a 1000 W halogen lamp, is visible from up to 16 nautical miles away, around 30 kilometres.

What is the alignment with the Remblai light used for? The two lights, seen in a single line, help ships entering the port of Les Sables-d'Olonne hold a safe course and avoid the shoals of le Nouch and la Noura near the channel entrance.