Lighthouses are modern monuments that highlight the position of Greece in world naval history. On the shores of Crete there are some masterpieces of lighthouse architecture, unfortunately abandoned by local government, fading out due to salt and sea.
The most important lighthouses of the island are the lighthouses of Aforesmenos (Agios Ioannis cape), Gavdos, Elafonisi, Cape Drapanos, Cape Sidero and the lighthouses in the Venetian harbours of Chania and Rethymnon.
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Agios Sozon Lighthouse at Stavros Cape 
The church and lighthouse of Agios Sozon is located on a steep site, at the tip of Cape Stavros, at the northernmost point of the entire central Crete. The Cape of Zeus (Dios Akron) of the Venetian maps is believed to have hosted a sanctuary dedicated to Zeus in the ancient past.
At the middle of the southeast shores of Lefki or Koufonissi island, at 75m altitude, we meet the ruined lighthouse of the island. There was found a temple, which unfortunately has suffered from predatory looting from the authorities (in 1920) in order to build the huge lighthouse, only 5m from the eastern short side of the temple where the entrance would have been, even though another stepped entrance was found on the north side.
At the west part of Chrissi islet you will meet the small lighthouse, powered by photovoltaic panel. The lighthouse is located close to the small chapel of Agios Nikolaos (Saint Nicholas) and the dried lake of the island.
The Lighthouse of Agii Pantes is located in the small island Mikronisi or Fanari opposite the town of Agios Nikolaos, Lassithi. Next to the modern lighthouse there are the buildings used by the scouts of Agios Nikolaos in the past and today they are deserted.
The Lighthouse of Sitia, also known as Exo Fanari, is located on the cape Vamvakia north of Sitia airport. It belongs to the network of lighthouses built by the French Lighthouse Company at the end of the 19th century throughout Crete and was put into operation in 1892.
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