Sleeping In A Lighthouse: An Unusual Accommodation That Is On The Rise

After yurts, trailers and tree houses, the new trendy unusual accommodation is lighthouses! All over the French coast, lighthouses that no longer have a keeper are being converted to welcome tourists looking for an unforgettable experience.

Lighthouses for rent

If you dreamed, as a child, of living like Robinson on an island or of working as a lighthouse keeper overlooking the sea from a height of several dozen meters, you will love the new unusual accommodations that are currently in vogue.

Just about everywhere in France and Europe, the lighthouses that no longer have a keeper are being converted to welcome travelers in search of an unusual accommodation.

It is possible, depending on the case, to sleep at the very top of the lighthouse or, more often, in the keepers' house. In all cases, the places are renovated with the concern to preserve their authenticity and the surrounding nature.

These unusual accommodations are also intended to be ecological. Their energy autonomy is ensured by renewable energies such as small windmills and solar panels.

An emerging trend

The conversion of lighthouses into tourist accommodations is a relatively recent trend. This explains why only a handful of lighthouses and keeper's houses are already ready to welcome you.

Even if the demand is strong, the majority of lighthouses that are no longer in service have not yet been fitted out for this second life.

The National Society for the Heritage of Lighthouses and Beacons, which works to save these buildings, has no Shortage of ideas for transforming these buildings into accommodations for tourists or artists in residence.

In addition, the Conservatoire du littoral, which owns these lighthouses, has launched a rehabilitation program to transform a dozen French lighthouses into heritage lodging.

In total, the Conservatoire du littoral plans to renovate no less than 19 coastal sites that are not only lighthouses, but also fortifications or other emblematic monuments.

For whom?

Sleeping in a lighthouse is the new fashion in the field of exotic, unusual and natural vacations.

This out of the ordinary accommodation is of course for sea lovers and all those who are fascinated by lighthouses, their architecture and/or their isolation.

On the other hand, if you are phobic of water or storms, or if you have vertigo better abstain and turn instead to a cabin in the forest or another kind of unusual experience.

In what places?

If you are tempted by the adventure of sleeping in a lighthouse, you should know that the small lighthouse of Ile Vierge located in Brittany, on the northern coast of Finistère is open for rent since 2021.

This old lighthouse, which dates back to 1845 and was used as accommodation for the keepers who succeeded each other on the spot until 2010, has been fitted out so that you can spend a night or two there with all the necessary comfort.

In this eco-lodge, which has been completely renovated, you will find a kitchen, a bathroom, a living room and a dining room.

This exceptional place can accommodate up to 9 people who will have the privilege of accessing the top of the tower at 33 meters high to enjoy an extraordinary panorama of the coast, the sea and the great lighthouse. An unforgettable experience from 350 € per night.

In the Bay of Morlaix, the lighthouse keepers' house on Louët Island can accommodate up to 10 people.

The comfort is more basic, but the decor is magical, with a breathtaking view of the entire bay (see link below).

Finally, if you dream of sleeping on top of a lighthouse, the Kerbel Lighthouse in Morbihan is the only one in France where you can sleep on top.

An air-conditioned studio, with bathroom and kitchenette has been arranged at 25 meters high, at the level of the lantern that once guided sailors.

In practice, the rental of these unusual accommodations is generally provided by local tourist offices.