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Drakano Tower – Ikaria’s Hellenistic Watchtower, Greece

We parked our car once the road got too rough to drive on, and walked the rest of the way.  The road wound past bee boxes, two beaches, with the blue Aegean flanking your right field of vision the entire way.  The road turned around a bend and that was when we saw it.  The Drakano Tower stood out starkly against the bright blue sky.  We finally made it!

Drakano Tower

Located on the eastern tip of the Greek island of Ikaria, the Tower of Drakano is an ancient round tower that was once part of the old settlement of Drakano.

Decide Your Adventure - Drakano Tower
The sign points the way to Drakano. From here, you must go by foot.

Its construction dates back to around 330 BC, during Alexander’s reign and Hellenistic Greece.  With three stories, it stands at approximately 40 feet tall and is around 25 feet in diameter.  It is constructed out of limestone, as are many archaeological architectural remains of the area.  The Drakano Tower was a watchtower and part of a larger military fortification, or acropolis.  In person, you can see why the location was chosen for the tower.  You can see Samos in the distance and the Aegean Sea on three sides. It is a breathtaking view!

Decide Your Adventure - Drakano Tower
The old tower looks out over Samos, but do you see the face in the cloud? It looks as if the cloud is looking out over the Tower of Drakano!

In 1827, this tower was unfortunately used as target practice by the Greek navy.  But today, the tower, which has been recently restored, is the best preserved remnant of the ancient Drakano complex.  The Tower of Drakano is, in fact, one of the best preserved surviving Hellenistic watchtowers still in existence.

Decide Your Adventure - Drakano Tower
The road winding up to the Tower of Drakano. If you look really close, you can see the tower in the distance.

The archaeological ruins are gated off from public access except during specific visitation times.  During our visit, the tower was no accessible, but the official Visit Ikaria website says that it is open Tuesday through Saturday from 8:30 am to 3:00 pm.

Drakano

Drakano was an ancient town that served as an important Athenian military outpost.  Its proximity to the tip of the island and the vantage point that it provided allowed observation of the nearby island of Samos and the ships that sailed in between them.

Decide Your Adventure - Drakano Tower
Approaching the old tower.

Church of Agios Georgis

The Church of Agios Georgis (or the Church of Saint George) is located right nearby.  Small trails provide access between the Woer of Drakano, the Church of Agios Georgis, and the trail that leads to the road. This little church has the best view from the island.

Decide Your Adventure - Drakano Tower
The Church of Agios Georgis is just a short walk from the tower of Drakano.

Ikaria’s Archaeological Museum

There is a wonderful Archaeological Museum regarding the history of Ikaria in Agios Kirykos, the municipality seat and capital of Ikaria.  This museum provides an in depth look at Drakano including a large 3-D model of what the town looked like during its prime and a lot of wonderful background information.

Where is it located?

Drakano Tower is located near Faros on the eastern end of Ikaria, Greece.  It is just east of the airport.  Not all of the roads in Ikaria have names yet, but it is easy to spot on an aerial image!

We really love Ikaria, and not just because I am half Ikarian!  The island is so beautiful, as you can see from this post and from my Traipsing Along Seychelles Beach post.  ♥

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