Phare du Sein

Brittany accounts for more than a third of all French Lighthouses,  Île de Sein hosts two. The major Light ‘Grand Phare’ was originally constructed and brought into service in 1839. During the second world war Île de Sein was occupied by the Germans, they laid charges in the lighthouse and subsequently destroyed it (some say after the end of the war) in 1944.

The nature of the sea off the coast of Finisterre meant a great danger to shipping existed with the loss of this lghthouse and a temporary steel structure was erected with an oil lantern.  The new Lighthouse was completed in 1951 and brought into service.  The light house has it’s own electricy generation plant which also provides electricity to the islanders homes. The plant also operates a large desalination plant providing fresh water for the Islanders.

This is a great trip to make, just four miles off the french coast, but requiring a passage past the largest overfalls in France, the Raz du Sein