Navagio
Navagio is not just a beach, it is a symbol of Zakynthos. It is also called Shipwreck beach. You can see photos of it in the top rankings of unique beaches in Greece, the Mediterranean and even worldwide. The uniqueness of Navagio is due to its location, the amazing blue color of the sea around it, and to the rusty shipwreck rising up on the sand.
Navagio (the Greek word for shipwreck) is on the northwest coast of the island and accessible only by sea as it is surrounded by high white cliffs. Around the shore the beach has small white pebbles which contribute to the peculiar blue color of the sea and transparency of water. Many boat trips to Navagio are organized daily and in high season the beach gets really crowded. There are also speed boats from the port of Agios Nikolaos which can take you to the beach and pick you up in a few hours. There are no beach facilities. The ship has been on the beach since 1983 and there are many theories about how it got there but the most common of them is about shipwreck during smuggling.
NB: In 2023 Navagio will remain closed for the public because of a potential landslide danger. No boats can access the beach.
The view to Navagio from above is even more spectacular (and most photos of the beach are taken this way). There is a road close to the village of Volimes which ends at the cliffs above Navagio. Protected platform is available for taking photos but people usually walk on the edge of the cliffs in order to capture the beach from another point of view, all at their responsibility. The tops of the cliffs are covered by stones and grass and walking is relatively safe, as long as you keep enough distance from the edge. The cliffs slope down vertically and there is no fence or other protection. Suitable shoes are recommended, and people with acrophobia are not advised to go.
Photos
highlights: emblematic beach with shipwreck and blue water, beach in Zakynthos, Ionian Islands, Greece