PHARE DU CAMARAT
Camarat, France
Cap Camarat was the last lighthouse I saw on my first day. Well, I saw the St-Tropez light before this one, but I couldn't find a place to park, so I headed on down here, then photographed St-Tropez on my return. Nice country kinda drive almost as soon as you leave St-Tropez. You can see the tower up on the Cape as you come south on D93. There is a sign at the turn off. The road winds forever up through a pine forest. The views of Golfe de St-Tropez are spectacular. Even in October, it was like a warm summer day in southern California. I used to live down near LA until I realized what that meant.
The grounds were closed due to remodeling the restaurant, so I assume that it is generally open to the public. For being closed, there were a lot of cars parked when I drove up and I noticed very few standing around looking at the light. In fact no one else was. Everyone had been going up to walk out and around the lighthouse and then down to a lookout point where the views were even more spectacular. The water is this beautiful azure blue and almost as clear as the Caribbean waters I so love to go diving in.
There is a radar station to the right of the lighthouse. I believe they are called semaphores in France. Signals. Cap Dramont has one also as does Cap Ferrat and Juan-les-Pins.
Here's how I
saw it:
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OF THE MOUNTAINS
John B Caddell
Copyright 2001