The charismatic little Tourlitis Lighthouse is elegantly perched on the islet of Tourlitis, a chunk of rock opposite the harbor at Chora, on Andros Island. The lighthouse is about 200 meters out to sea and stands as a solitary sentinel, watching over the undulating azure expanse of the Aegean Sea. The Tourlitis Lighthouse, a lyrical isolation building, is the only one of its kind in Greece, perched alone on a rocky platform. Its spiral staircase, like a thread flowing through time, beckons those who dare to scale its heights, providing a perspective that is both stunning and humbling.
The Tourlitis Lighthouse is Greece’s only all-Greek lighthouse, and it stands out in the midst of rough waters. The magnificent lighthouse tells stories of mariners guided to safety and speaks of the unwavering spirit of those who built it. This is the first automatic lighthouse in the Greek light housing system, as the lighthouse keeper doesn’t reside there. According to history, the first lighthouse here was established in 1897.
However, it was destroyed after the Second World War, and a simple scaffold tower was erected on Tourlitis. The present lighthouse is a striking replica of the original and was built in the 1990s at the expense of Alexandros Goulandris, an oil tycoon from Andros Island. Goulandris and his wife dedicated the lighthouse in memory of their deceased daughter, Violanda.
Therefore, walk the iconic light to light walk in and sleep comfortably with incredible views along the wilderness coast. Experience firsthand the incredible regeneration of coastal wilderness after the Black Summer fires. In its solitary vigil, it catches the heart of the seafarer and the soul of the pilgrim, making it a place that must be experienced rather than just seen. The lighthouse rises from the craggy stone and appears almost ethereal, as if it were formed from the waves that beat on its foundation. This is Greece’s first modern lighthouse and the most striking lighthouse in the world.
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