Neimporio Beach (Nimborio), Andros: The Town Beach Divided by the Tourlos Rock Into Sand and Pebbles, With the Only Lighthouse in Europe Built on a Sea Rock Visible From the Shore

Greece | Andros Chora | Andros, Cyclades

The Tourlitis Lighthouse in Andros Town stands on an islet and has illuminated the route of seamanship for more than 120 years. It is visible from Neimporio beach. It is the only lighthouse in Europe built on a rock in the sea — constructed in 1887 and operating for the first time on 1 January 1897. During the Second World War, in September 1943, it was destroyed by German bombardment. In 1996 it was reconstructed at the expense of the Goulandris family. The same bombardment that destroyed the lighthouse also destroyed the Venetian Kastro at the tip of the Chora peninsula. The lighthouse and the castle fell together; the lighthouse was eventually rebuilt and the castle was not.

Standing on Neimporio beach and looking out, you can see the lighthouse on its rock, the ruined Kastro on the peninsula point, and the small chapel of Agia Thalassini on a lower rock below the old town. This view — the oldest part of Chora readable from the water, the maritime history of the island condensed into a single sightline — is the specific quality that makes Neimporio different from every other Cycladic town beach.

Neimporio was always the cosmopolitan beach of the island when access to more remote beaches was only possible by boat. No matter how the years pass, no matter how much habits change, Neimporio remains a point of reference for vacationers in the island’s capital.

In the middle of the beach stands the rock known to the locals as Tourlos, which divides it in two. On one side is sand, on the other pebbles. Tourlos, which in the morning becomes a “sunbed” for young and old. A river that originates from the village of Lamyra also flows into Neimporio Beach — after watering gardens and courtyards, it reaches the sea with water even in August.

Getting There: 5-Minute Walk From the Andros Chora Main Street, Coastal Road, Parking Difficult in Peak Season

Neimporio Beach is located on the left side of Chora just a few meters from its main shopping street. The walk from the centre of Andros Chora takes 5 to 10 minutes — down the pedestrian main street toward the eastern waterfront. The coastal road runs directly alongside the beach and continues toward Stenies, Piso Gialos, and Apoikia.

Parking can be challenging due to its popularity. Arriving on foot from Chora town is the practical approach for most visitors, and the walking distance from the main street is genuinely short. The bus service connecting Gavrio port to Chora stops within walking distance of the shore.

Andros is reached by ferry from Rafina — approximately 1 hour 20 minutes by fast ferry. This is the specific navigational distinction of Andros from most Cycladic islands, which are served from Piraeus. Rafina is 45 minutes to 1 hour from central Athens by car.

The Beach: Divided by Tourlos Rock, Sandy Nautical Club Side, Pebble East Side, River From Lamyra, Avoid Northerly Winds

The beach is divided by the Tourlos rock formation into two sections: one with sand and the other with pebbles. The sandy section near the Andros Nautical Club at the western end is the calmer and shallower part — specifically recommended for young children. The shallow sandy beach, especially near the Nautical Club, protected from the wind, is ideal for young children.

It is advisable to avoid visiting during northerly winds. Neimporio faces east, and while it has some protection from the surrounding buildings and topography, strong northerly conditions create chop. The Paraporti beach on the other side of the Chora peninsula faces south and provides an alternative on northerly days.

The Tourlos rock itself is a social gathering point — locals and visitors use it as a flat platform for sunbathing, jumping into the water, and the specific informal beach activity of a prominent mid-beach rock.

The Tourlitis Lighthouse: Only Sea-Rock Lighthouse in Europe, 1887, Destroyed 1943, Rebuilt 1996

The Tourlitis lighthouse deserves the specific description it receives. It stands opposite the Venetian castle in the capital of Andros, Chora. It was constructed in 1887 and first operated on 1 January 1897 — it has a height of 7 metres, a focal height of 36 metres, with luminescence of 11 nautical miles. It stands out for yet another reason: it is Greece’s first automatic lighthouse with technology that gave it high credibility because it did not require constant surveillance.

The rebuilding after the 1943 destruction was funded by the Goulandris family — the same shipowning family whose foundation endowed the Museum of Modern Art in Chora and the Goulandris Natural History Museum in Kifissia. The specific philanthropy of the Andrian shipowner families is woven into the physical fabric of Chora in a way that is legible from the beach.

The Andros Nautical Club: Founded 1957, Funded by Shipowners, Sailing School at the Beach’s Edge

The pier of the Andros Nautical Club stands out. Its construction was financed by shipping magnates and sailors who wanted to offer the young men of Andros the chance to learn how to sail and row. The club opened in 1957.

The connection between the Andrian shipping wealth and the sailing school is not incidental — it is the specific programme by which the island’s maritime identity was transmitted to the next generation. The club still operates from the western end of Neimporio beach, offering sailing and windsurfing lessons to visitors and residents.

The View From the Beach: Kastro, Agia Thalassini, Unknown Sailor, Tourlitis — The Whole History of Chora

From Neimporio Beach you can also see the famous chapel of Agia Thalassini, Unknown Sailor square, as well as the Tourlitis Lighthouse.

The Unknown Sailor statue in Rivas Square — a bronze figure by sculptor Mihail Tombros — is one of the most important public sculptures in the Cyclades, positioned at the peninsula point overlooking the sea. The square, the statue, the ruined Kastro above it, and the lighthouse on its rock form the specific visual ensemble of Andros Chora that is most meaningful from the water.

Paraporti: The Other Chora Beach, on the South Side of the Peninsula

Paraporti beach is on the south side of the Chora peninsula — the counterpart to Neimporio on the north. The village of Chora is built on a small peninsula, at the centre of the island’s eastern coast, between two large sandy beaches: Neimporio and Paraporti. Paraporti faces south and is more exposed to southerly swell but protected from the northerly winds that can make Neimporio choppy. The two beaches bracket the Chora peninsula and give visitors a choice based on conditions.

The Cultural Density of Chora: Two Museums, the Kastro Ruins, the Adamantia Gallery

Andros Chora has the archaeological museum with the Hermes of Andros, the Goulandris Museum of Modern Art (summer only), the Adamantia art gallery on the Neimporio beachfront, and the maritime heritage of the Kastro ruins at the peninsula tip. Very close to Neimporio Beach, the visitor will find a large number of commercial and tourist shops. The coastal zone of Neimporio has restaurants, cafes, ouzo, beach bar, and bars.

Piso Gialos Beach Andros Greece — the 120-step beach near Stenies covered in this series — is accessible by continuing along the coastal road north from Neimporio. Apothikes Beach Andros Greece on the west coast is the different character of the same island accessible by car.

Neimporio Beach (Nimborio) at Andros Chora is the town beach divided by the Tourlos rock — sand on the Nautical Club side, pebbles on the east side, the river from Lamyra village flowing into the sea with water even in August, the Tourlitis Lighthouse visible (the only sea-rock lighthouse in Europe, 1887, destroyed 1943, rebuilt 1996 at Goulandris expense), the Chapel of Agia Thalassini on its rock, the Unknown Sailor bronze and the ruined Venetian Kastro visible from the water, the Andros Nautical Club at the western end (founded 1957, funded by shipowners), 5 minutes’ walk from the Chora main street, difficult parking (walk from town), avoid northerly winds, and Paraporti on the south side of the peninsula as the wind-direction alternative.

Walk down the main street of Chora. Turn left at the water. Look for the lighthouse.