Bel-Air Lighthouse

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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The Bel-Air lighthouse, located on the east coast of Réunion Island, was built between 1844 and 1846 under the direction of architect Eugene Diomat. It is 20.25 metres high, perched on a basalt cliff and has been designed to prevent shipwrecks on the nearby hazardous reefs of Marianne and Cousin. The first and only lighthouse on the island played a crucial role for the ships pushed by the trade winds, allowing them to spot the northern tip of the island at night or in bad weather.

The lighthouse was listed at the Historic Monuments in 1997, then ranked in 2012. It operated with guards until 1984 when it was automated. Jean Baillif was the last guardian. Today, the lighthouse houses the intercommunal tourist office of Sainte-Suzanne, while the former guardians' house hosts exhibitions and visits. Its architecture, in the form of a Tuscan truncated column, and its electrified lantern make it an emblematic monument.

In 2013, Réunion artist Patrick Singaïny erected the lighthouse as a monument to the National Fraternity and the Réunion Personality, an appropriationist work recognized in the educational community. In 2020, La Poste honoured the lighthouse by including it in a series of stamps entitled Repères de nos ribes. The site, which overlooks a railway tunnel transformed into a pedestrian crossing, remains a symbol of La Réunion's maritime and historical heritage.

The Bel-Air Lighthouse is the only one of its kind still standing on the island. Its construction in stone masonry, with cutting stone details, and its helical staircase (initially made of wood, today metallic) reflect the techniques of the time. The adjacent building, enlarged and modified, as well as the old kitchen in corrugated sheet metal, complete this protected architectural ensemble.

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