Phare des Îles Lavezzi

The Phare des Îles Lavezzi stands at the south-eastern tip of the Lavezzi archipelago, on the Capu di u Beccu headland, right in the middle of the Bonifacio Strait (Bouches de Bonifacio) that separates Corsica from Sardinia. It's one of the landmarks boat trips out of Bonifacio (Bunifaziu) circle back to — a white tower guarding waters long considered among the trickiest to navigate anywhere in the Mediterranean.

Why was a lighthouse built here in the first place?

The Bonifacio Strait has always been notorious for strong currents, unpredictable winds and granite reefs lying just below the surface. The event that pushed France to install permanent navigation lights here was the wreck of the frigate Sémillante on 15 February 1855: carrying troops bound for the Crimean War, the ship struck rocks near the islands and went down with everyone aboard. Almost twenty years later, in 1874, the French lighthouse authority raised the first tower on Capu di u Beccu to warn sailors away from the same danger.

How has the lighthouse changed since then?

The original 1874 structure didn't survive unaltered. In 1911 the lighthouse was rebuilt into the form still visible today: a white, square tower rising above a rectangular technical building, its eastern facade marked by horizontal red bands. The light itself shows white, red and green sectors, letting sailors read their position relative to the surrounding shoals at a glance. Since 1986 the station has run fully automatically on solar power — there's no resident keeper anymore, unlike the isolated postings that once defined life at lighthouses like this one.

What will you actually see?

The lighthouse sits inside protected land: the Lavezzi islands themselves were designated a nature reserve in 1982, and since 1999 they've formed part of the wider Bouches de Bonifacio Nature Reserve. Together with Italy's La Maddalena archipelago park on the other side of the strait, they make up the International Marine Park of the Bouches de Bonifacio — one of the few protected areas straddling a maritime border between two countries. The islands also host a botanical garden showcasing native archipelago plant life: more than 240 species grow here, roughly 40 of them protected, rare or found nowhere else in the Mediterranean.

Visually, the islands are dominated by smooth granite boulders worn down by wind and water, with small coves of turquoise water tucked between them. The lighthouse itself is best seen from the water — most excursion boats round the headland it stands on as a fixed stop on the tour.

How do you get there?

Lavezzi has no permanent residents and no conventional passenger harbor — the only way in is by sea, on an excursion boat or private vessel departing from the port of Bonifacio. Crossings typically take a few dozen minutes each way, and most trips combine a run along the coast, a pass by the lighthouse from the water, and time to swim in one of the archipelago's coves.

When's the best time to visit?

Because of the reserve status, tourist access to the islands can be seasonally regulated, and conditions for boat trips and swimming are best in the summer months, when the sea is calmer. Even so, the strait keeps its reputation as a demanding stretch of water year-round, so commercial crossings are always planned around the weather forecast.

Frequently asked questions

Can you go inside the lighthouse? No. It's a fully automated technical installation, unmanned since 1986, and isn't set up as a visitable viewpoint — you view it from the outside, usually from the deck of a boat.

Why was this particular lighthouse built? The direct trigger was the loss of the frigate Sémillante near the islands in 1855, while carrying troops to the Crimean War. The lighthouse itself went up almost two decades later, in 1874.

Are the Lavezzi islands inhabited? No, the archipelago has no permanent residents. It has held nature reserve status since 1982 and has been part of the Bouches de Bonifacio Nature Reserve since 1999.

How do you reach the lighthouse from Bonifacio? Only by boat — an excursion trip or a private vessel from the port of Bonifacio. There's no land route or regular ferry line serving the site on its own.