Tourlitis Lighthouse

A vision out of another world and time, the Tourlitis Lighthouse is credited both for its fantastical appearance and for advancing Greece’s maritime navigation.

First built in the final years of the nineteenth century, it required ten years of work to complete, seemingly by an amphibious team who created a carved stone staircase atop a rock formation 200 meters from the shore. On New Year’s Day, it was ready to illuminate the Mediterranean.

Situated across from one of the captivating Venetian castles of Andros, the lighthouse conjures wonder and a hint of sorcery…perhaps the work of a cunning sea architect, swimming like an eel around the stone base though its natural curve is reportedly due to thousands of years of erosion.

The lighthouse successfully lit the way for traveling ships for nearly fifty years before it met an untimely fate. Neither a dueling wizard nor hottempered sea dragon destroyed it…rather it was German bombs, which left few remnants of the tower other than rubble and remembrances.

Half a century later, Greek oil tycoon Alexandros Goulandris wielded his own brand of magic. Seeking to commemorate the life of his deceased daughter, he funded the rebuilding of the lighthouse and dedicated it in her name. Today’s Tourlitis Lighthouse is a stunning replica, while also serving as a bright token of a father’s love.

The enchanted beacon was reopened in 1994 as the country’s first automated lighthouse, so no keeper is required—nor is one present to report on any twisted magic that may be occurring within

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