Castle of Kythira, castle on Kythira, Greece

Castle of Kythira is a stone hilltop fortress in Chora, the main town of the island, looking south over the sea. Its thick walls, narrow passages, and small towers follow the natural rock, forming a large open-air compound that still feels solid and watchful.

The present castle was built by the Venetians in the 16th century; it was reconstructed and expanded in 1503, and they held it until 1797. Some sources place a Byzantine fortress on the same site from the 13th century. It was called the "Eye of Crete" for watching the Ionian, Aegean and Cretan seas. It later passed to the Ottomans (1715–1718), the French, Russo-Turkish troops, the Septinsular Republic and the British until 1864.

The lion of Saint Mark once carved near the entrance marked the Venetian claim over the island, though later rulers removed those symbols. Today local life around the fortress continues in Mesa Vourgo, the old quarter of narrow lanes and stone houses that sits right below the walls.

Wear shoes with good grip because the paths inside are uneven and made of old stone. The exposed hilltop offers little shade, so a hat and water are useful during the warmer hours.

The fortress was called "the eye of Crete" or "the eye of the Greek seas" because it controlled shipping in the Ionian, Aegean and Cretan seas and the route between Kythira and Antikythira. Several cannons from the Venetian, Russo-Turkish and British periods still stand inside the walls.