Phare de Chassiron, Charente-Maritime

This morning we drove to the northern tip of the island to the Phare (lighthouse) de Chassiron.
The lighthouse allowed sailors to enter the waters of the Antioch sluice, a place strewn with reefs and renowned for its numerous shipwrecks.
It is the second oldest lighthouse in France still in operation (the oldest is the Cardouan lighthouse which we could see from our next stop).
On the coast here we saw fish locks which are part of the heritage of L'Île d'Oléron. They are stone constructions from the foreshore in the shape of a convex crescent facing the ocean. A grid in the middle of the crescent lets tidal water in and out. The fish remain trapped in the crescent (the foue) , lower than the level of the grid.
This is a popular place and quite a lot of visitors here today , there are nice walks in the area and lots to see.Read more