Some years ago, those lighthouses had the meaning of good news for the sailormen, because when they were seeing their light they understood that the land was near. Now these beautiful lighthouses are standing alone in the sharpest edges of the Greek coast.
Lighthouses had always an atmosphere of mystery around them. Maybe because they were showing that this was the end of the sea or maybe because they were located in high spots and during sunset they look exactly like the towers of the fairy tales.
Unfortunately, lighthouses have no use in the modern civilization, at least not in the way that they used to, a century ago. These lighthouses are one of the most important modern monuments of Greece and show the position of the in the World Naval history. Now, those lighthouses are fading out due to the ravages of time and abandonment. The lighthouse network of Greece has today 120 traditional lighthouses aged about two centuries. Only 20 are in good condition and 30 are in medium condition.
Below we are presenting the top 10 lighthouses in Greece:
The lighthouse of Tourlitis
This lighthouse is located on the island of Andros. It was built in 1887 on a cliff inside the sea. It is the only lighthouse that was built inside the sea. The scenery is magic.
The lighthouse of Anteros
In the place of Chiliomili in Maliakos Gulf, stands the lighthouse Anteros. The name of the location (Chioliomili) in Greek means “a thousand miles”. The name of this location was given because this spot is a thousand miles away from Konstantinoupolis (Instabul). This lighthouse is 122 years old.
The lighthouse of Antikithyra
This particular lighthouse was built in the southern part of the island, in the Cape Apolytares, about 85 years ago. This was one of the largest oil lighthouses and could be reached only by boat.
The lighthouse of Kefalonia
The lighthouse of Kefalonia was build when the island was under the British Administration, some years after the Greek Revolution. The location has the name Agioi Theodoroi and the lighthouse has the height of 8 meters. In the mid-20th century it was destroyed by an earthquake, but was rebuilt exactly as it was.
The lighthouse of Chania
This is one of the oldest lighthouses in Greece that was built nearly half a millennium ago, in the Middle Ages when the Venetians ruled Crete. The lighthouse changed form over the years as the island was changing hands. Eventually, Egyptians repair the lighthouse in the 19th century and gave it the form of a minaret with a staircase inside and a glass tower.
The lighthouse of Lefkada
In another corner of the Ionian Sea, specifically in the last most southern coast of Lefkada, Cape Duchy is boasting about a lighthouse that looks towards Kefalonia and Ithaka. This lighthouse is hosted on the surface of large white cliffs that have witnessed tragic stories, because in 1200 BC sacrifices where made there to appease the gods. Later, in 400 BC, convicts were thrown from there with their bodies tied to birds and feathers. If the convict manage to survive the fall from the rocks, then they let him live.
The lighthouse of Cavo Maleas
This lighthouse is located in Cavo Maleas in Lakonia. It operated for the first time in 1883. Today is an automatic lighthouse powered by the sun. Its height is 15 meters above the surface of the land and 40 meters above the surface of the sea. It is characterized as a Monument of National Heritage.
The lighthouse of Patras
The lighthouse of Patras is the symbol of the city. It is located in Patra’s harbor and it was built totally by stones. In 1999, in the area of Agios Andreas the new lighthouse was constructed because the old one was ruined in 1972. The new lighthouse is exactly the same as the old one, which was built in 1878.
The lighthouse of Rodos
This lighthouse was built in 1863 from the French Lighthouse Company. It is located in the harbor of the capital of the island, above the castle. In 1947 the lighthouse of Rodos was connected to the Greek lighthouse network after the annexation of the Dodecanese.
The lighthouse of Tainaro
The lighthouse of Tainaro was built in 1882 by the French. Its height is 20 meters over the surface of the sea. The lighthouse started its operation in 1887. Until 1984 the lighthouse needed 3 people to live in, in order to operate but from that year and later the lighthouse has automatic mechanism powered by the sun.