Tourlitis lighthouse which emerges from the water like a strange sea creature is one of the most famous spots in the Aegean island of Andros.
It is located at the northernmost extreme of the Cyclades archipelago, just outside the capital city, Chora.
This lighthouse was built on a stone column opposite the Venetian Castle of Andros in 1897.
It was built at a time when Andros had already become a major center of Greek shipping.
After the War of Independence, several refugees from the island of Psara arrived there and their experience in shipping and trade from Central and Eastern Europe made them wealthy and famous worldwide.
The lighthouse was destroyed during World War II and was never restored in its original form, until 1994, when it was rebuilt with funding coming from the Goulandris family, one of the most prominent families of the island.
It became the first automated lighthouse in Greece, so there was no further need for an onsite keeper to supervise its function.
Since it was renovated, it has been one of the area’s tourist attractions. It also became the first Greek lighthouse to be imprinted on a stamp.
Today, the cylindric tower is 7 metres tall and the height of the focal plane is 36 metres.