The story of lighthouses in Greece stretches deep into antiquity. Homer himself evokes their imagery in the Iliad, likening a fire blazing on a mountain peak to a guiding light for sailors. Though he was describing signal fires rather than lighthouses as we know them, the metaphor reveals just how long humanity has sought orientation from distant flames.
Today, Greece has one of the densest and most storied lighthouse networks in the world. Around 1,400 lighthouses remain active across the Aegean and Ionian, their presence essential to navigation but also to the country’s cultural imagination. Each has its own tale, its own cliff or harbor to guard.
The network took shape in the 19th century, when Prime Minister Charilaos Trikoupis established a Lighthouse Fund in 1887, ensuring their systematic construction and maintenance. Over the decades that followed, French-built towers joined Greek ones, especially after the Balkan Wars of 1912–1913, while the remarkable service of Stylianos Lykoudis, who oversaw the Lighthouse Authority for more than half a century, left an indelible mark.
01
The Tourlitis of Andros
Perhaps the most photogenic lighthouse in Greece, the Turlitis of Andros rises directly from a narrow rock in the sea. Built in 1887 opposite the Venetian castle of Chora, its cylindrical tower—just seven meters high—has guided ships for over 120 years. It was also the first “automatic” lighthouse in Greece, operating without a resident keeper. So iconic is its silhouette that it has been immortalized on a postage stamp, carrying its light across the world.
02
Lefkada’s Sunset Sentinel
On the island of Lefkada, the Doukato lighthouse crowns a sheer 60-meter cliff with panoramic views over the Ionian. Its stark white tower has long been a landmark for sailors, but for modern visitors it is also a stage for one of Greece’s most spectacular sunsets. Just beyond lies the legendary beach of Porto Katsiki, its turquoise waters a siren call after the drama of the headland.
03
Corfu and the English Legacy
In Corfu, the Sideros lighthouse was built in 1822 on the city’s Old Fortress. One of the earliest to shine over Greek waters, it later transitioned to full automation in 1986. Its story is interwoven with the island’s years under British rule, a reminder of how these structures are also monuments to shifting powers and maritime empires.
04
Guardian of Crete
Few sights in Crete are as enduring as the lighthouse of Chania. First constructed by the Venetians in the 16th century, reshaped by the Egyptians in the early 19th with its minaret-style tower, it now rises 21 meters over the harbor. Its light reaches seven nautical miles, but it also illuminates centuries of layered history. A coffee in Chania’s old port with the lighthouse in view remains a timeless ritual.
05
At the Edge of the Peloponnese
At Cape Tainaro, the southernmost tip of mainland Greece, a lighthouse has stood since 1882, staring out over the Libyan Sea. The ancients believed this headland was a gateway to Hades, a myth that lends extra drama to its windswept isolation. Nearby, the Cape Maleas lighthouse—built in 1883—has long been dreaded by sailors for the treacherous currents and storms of its passage. Restored in 2009, it remains one of the most imposing towers in the Peloponnese.
06
Stone Towers of the Aegean
On windswept Tinos, the Papargyras lighthouse stands on the island’s eastern promontory. Built in 1910, its stone form is considered one of the finest examples of open-sea navigation lights, guarding both the Chios–Ikaria passage and the narrow strait between Mykonos and Tinos.
Santorini’s Akrotiri lighthouse, built in 1892, still marks the island’s southwestern cape. With its modest 10-meter tower, it has witnessed the volcanic drama of the caldera for over a century and continues to preside over sunsets that rival those of Oia.
07
From Nafpaktos to Loutraki
In the small harbor of Nafpaktos, a modest stone lighthouse dating to 1909 still serves as a point of reference within the medieval castle walls. By contrast, the Melagkavi lighthouse near Loutraki is grand in scale and setting. Built in 1897 beside the ruins of the Temple of Hera Akraia, it once guided ships through the Corinthian Gulf en route to the canal. Electrified in 1982 and declared a protected monument in 2001, it remains both a working light and a hauntingly beautiful landmark.
