Phare de l'Île aux Moutons

Phare de l'Île aux Moutons is a lighthouse standing on a small island at the northern edge of the Glénan archipelago, part of the commune of Fouesnant in Brittany, France. The island, also known by its Breton name Moalez or Moal Enez ("Bald Island"), lies between Bénodet and the main Glénan islands, roughly 7.5 km south of Pointe de Mousterlin.

How did the lighthouse come to be built?

The idea of placing a light on the island dates back to 1848, when shipowners, merchants, ship captains and sea pilots petitioned local authorities, worried about the number of wrecks in the area. It took another three decades before anything was built. Construction was finally awarded to the Concarneau-based firm Martineau, and work ran from 1877 to 1879. The light was first lit in 1879, and it has warned sailors away from the archipelago's rocky shoals ever since.

What will you see there?

The structure follows the classic French lighthouse design of the period: a square 17-metre tower topped with a lantern room, attached to a keeper's house. Together, tower and dwelling form a compact complex typical of third-order lighthouses — built not to project light over vast distances, but to mark reefs and shoals close by. Here, the light's main job is to outline the boundaries of the Trévarez shoal west of the island, one of the more hazardous stretches of water in this part of Brittany.

The lighthouse sits on an uninhabited, tiny island reachable essentially only by sea — there is no tourist infrastructure, no shops, no permanent residents. It's a destination for lovers of maritime scenery, sailors and sea kayakers exploring the Glénan archipelago, rather than a conventional sightseeing stop.

How do you get there?

The island has no dedicated tourist ferry service in the way the main Glénan islands do (Saint-Nicolas or Cigogne). The best way to get close to the lighthouse is to charter a boat or rent a kayak from Bénodet, Concarneau or Fouesnant — all three towns run regular trips around the archipelago, some of which pass near Île aux Moutons. Keep in mind the lighthouse stands on private land closed to visitors; you view it from the water, not from inside.

When is the best time to visit?

The best window for exploring the Glénan archipelago runs from May to September, when weather favours boat trips and the water around the islands takes on the striking turquoise colour that has earned Glénan comparisons to tropical islands. Summer also brings plenty of sailing and kayaking excursions that pass close enough to see the lighthouse clearly.

Automation and today

The lighthouse was staffed by keepers until 1983, when it was automated. It was first controlled remotely from Concarneau, then folded into the network monitored from the Créac'h lighthouse station on the island of Ouessant. Today it runs fully automatically, unmanned, standing as one of many quiet guardians of maritime safety along the Breton coast.

Frequently asked questions

Can you go inside the lighthouse? No. The lighthouse and its island are not open to visitors — it can only be viewed from a boat or kayak.

How do you get to Île aux Moutons? The best option is chartering a boat or renting a kayak from Bénodet, Concarneau or Fouesnant, all of which offer trips around the Glénan archipelago.

When was the lighthouse built? It was built between 1877 and 1879, with the light first switched on in 1879.

Is the lighthouse still operating? Yes, it has run fully automatically since 1983 and is now remotely monitored from the Créac'h lighthouse station on Ouessant.