Pointe Saint-Gildas Light: history, visit and practical information

A 14.80 m light set on the former signal station of Préfailles, with a 14-mile range, six coloured sectors and a maritime museum open to visitors.

Suggested time: 1 to 2 hours with the museum and a walk on the headland.
Type of place: Lighthouse
Atmosphere: Museum, maritime and panoramic.
Getting there: By road to the Pointe Saint-Gildas in Préfailles. Museum in the former signal station.

Who this place suits

With family: 10/10
As a couple: 9/10
With friends: 9/10
Solo: 9/10
With a dog: 7/10
Reduced mobility: 7/10

These scores are calculated from what the page records: official rating, facilities, difficulty, duration and location. They are a guide, not a substitute for contacting the venue, especially about accessibility.

About

The Pointe Saint-Gildas combines several layers of maritime history. The building was built as a signal station in 1861. After the Navy left it in 1949, a temporary light was installed in 1954, then moved into the former signal station in 1958. In 1993, the light took its current form on a pylon. The 2025 DIRM handbook gives a height of 14.80 m and a range of 14 nautical miles. The former signal station is now a museum open to visitors, with a panoramic terrace on the second floor.

What you will see

Location: Préfailles.
Status: automated working light; museum open according to its opening hours.
Visit: the former signal station can be visited as a museum; the technical light is not visited like a classic tower.
Height: 14.80 m for the light according to the DIRM.
Steps: museum stairs up to the terrace.
Range: 14 nautical miles.

Show 8 more points

Light: continuous quick flashing, with six sectors in white, red and green.
Construction: signal station built in 1861; temporary light in 1954, moved into the signal station in 1958; current setup since 1993; automated and remotely monitored.
Heritage: local maritime heritage within a regional nature reserve.
Prices 2026: temporary exhibitions can be free; the museum trail is paid, check the 2026 prices.
Children: an excellent, educational family site.
History: the site has been a lookout post, a signal station, a lighthouse and a museum; the Navy stopped working there in 1949.
The demonstration semaphore mast is 12 m tall.
The museum’s second floor opens onto a panoramic terrace, and the museum also covers the great shipwrecks of the Loire estuary.

Practical information

Getting there: By road to the Pointe Saint-Gildas in Préfailles. Museum in the former signal station
Public transport: By road or bike; check the local bus network
Services: Museum, toilets or headland services depending on the season, food in Préfailles
Opening: The museum follows the Préfailles calendar; check the hours on the day
Parking: Near the headland, very busy in season
Pets: Follow the nature reserve rules
Accessibility: Check access to the natural site and to each floor of the museum
Pushchair: Possible on the site; check access to the museum floors
Safety: Stay on the reserve paths, especially near the cliffs
Best time: During the day for the museum, late in the day for the panorama
Photography: A very good panorama over the bay of Bourgneuf and the Loire estuary
Ideal for: Families, the museum, maritime heritage, the panorama, naturalists
Nearby: The regional nature reserve, the Roche Percée, Préfailles, the bay of Bourgneuf, the Côte de Jade

Tips on the spot

Check the visit status on the day before you travel, and do not confuse access to the site, the foot of the lighthouse and the inside of the tower.
For a lighthouse open to visitors, check the time of the last climb, not just the closing time.
For a lighthouse at sea, only watch it from a boat run by a professional or from a safe viewpoint on land.
Bring a windproof layer, even in summer; stairs and galleries can be slippery with rain or spray.
With children, check the number of steps and any minimum age; with vertigo, the climb to the gallery is not for everyone.

Show 7 more tips

Working lighthouses are maritime safety equipment: respect all restricted technical areas.
For photos, use a wide angle at the foot of the lighthouse and a telephoto lens for lighthouses seen from a distance.
On an island, check the last boat back before starting the visit.
On cliffs, stay behind the barriers and on the paths; keep dogs on a lead in nature reserves.
Visits can be cancelled at the last minute for safety reasons.
Allow at least an hour if you want to enjoy the museum.
Read the section on the wreck of the Saint-Philibert to place the site in local maritime history.

Frequently asked questions

What kind of lighthouse is it?

A light on a former signal station that has become a museum.

Is the lighthouse still in service?

Yes, it is an automated working light; the museum opens according to its hours.

Can I visit the inside?

The former signal station can be visited as a museum; the technical light is not visited like a classic tower.

How tall is it?

14.80 m for the light, according to the DIRM.

What is its light range?

14 nautical miles.

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Photograph: Oblomov2 · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons