Skinari Lighthouse

Μετάφραση Greek Version

Skinari Lighthouse 2010

The Skinari Lighthouse is situated on a clifftop on the northern tip of Zante Island. From the top you can enjoy amazing views of the Ionian Sea and the horizon beyond. It is also a great place to take boat trips to both the Blue Caves and the famous shipwreck on Navagio beach. Nearby are also two windmills and a taverna providing visitors with a place to go and relax after a day of sightseeing.

The lighthouse was built in 1897 to make sure boats passing between Zante and Kefalonia do so safely. During World War II, the machinery was stolen and the light was extinguished until 1945. The lighthouse originally produced a white flash every 1.5 seconds, projected up to 21 nautical miles. Until recently, it still exhibited its Fresnel lens, but today a modern beacon has been installed. The lighthouse consists of a stone-built round tower rising from a keeper's house. The 9.5-meter-high tower is stone-made both internally and externally and has an internal diameter of 1.60 meters. This lighthouse is still active and one of the finest examples of Greek architecture that can be found in Zante.

The Skinari Lighthouse is located at a focal height of 66 meters, about 40 kilometers from the port of Zakynthos and can be accessed from Korithi on a paved road that travels along Skinari Headland. There is a car park area to park up your car but then you will have to make your way down the road in the direction of the lighthouse. The lighthouse is not open to the public; there is a chain across the road leading up to it and a locked gate so you cannot get up to the lighthouse and you can only view it from a bit away. The building has been designated a monument and is protected by the Ministry of Culture.