LIGHTHOUSE KRANAE

The lighthouse of Githeio is situated on the small islet of Kranae, to the east of Gythio town. The lighthouse is a whitewashed octagonal construction. It is made of white marble and is 25m high. The height of its focal plane is about 78m. It was built in 1873 and in 1989 it was turned into a Maritime Museum that hosts items and exhibits to display the long nautical history of Gythio town and the area of Mani in general. At the first period of its construction, the lighthouse used to work with petroleum and its luminosity extended for over 15 nautical miles. However, during the 2nd World War, it fell in disuse until 1945, when the Hellenic Navy decided to reconstruct the lighthouse network. Four years later, it started to use acetylene. Today, it flashes every 18 seconds and has a range of 9 nautical miles. The lighthouse of Gythio is open to the public and constitutes a famous sight of the town.