Navagio Beach (Shipwreak)

Admirable Shipwreck Beach Zakynthos and the Mystery of an Abandoned Ship

Zakynthos is one of the numerous islands in Greece. It is highly popular among tourists. Its nature is so picturesque that everyone, who has even been there, fell in love with its breathtaking landscapes… fell in love once and forever.

Green pines, blue sky, emerald water, golden sand beaches, cozy bays are waiting for visitors. One cannot but agree with the definition given to this corner of the world. One called the place “a luxurious flower of the Mediterranean”. It is not for nothing that Artemis and Apollo, the great connoisseurs of beauty, were fascinated by Zakynthos, and postcards with its admirable views were distributed all over the world.

Photos of Navagio Bay or Shipwreck Beach (i.e. a shipwreck in Greek – is “navagio”) are some of the most famous images from Zakynthos Island.

The History of a Famous Bay

The bay got its name relatively recently, at the end of the 20^th century after a pirate ship run aground the coast of Agios Georgios.

The accident happened in 1983. Illegal cigarette traders transported goods on a ship called “Panayotis”. On their way from Turkey to Italy, they were noticed by the Greek coastal police.

Smugglers tried to escape, but they failed. The ship ran aground. Sailors left “Panayotis” in boats, and after a while, a strong wave threw the ship on the beach of the bay.

The local authorities decided not to remove the ship from the beach because it drew tourists to Zakynthos, and the ship itself became a symbol of the entire island.

A corroded wreck of a smuggling ship contrasts sharply with the splendor of the surrounding nature. However, tourists like to take photos right against its background.

Many visitors climb inside and leave inscriptions on the rusted sides. Some of them use chalk or pebbles while others bring paint cans especially for this purpose. Bay keepers do not mind such actions.

Admirable and breathtaking landscapes make Navagio Bay a place of pilgrimage for numerous travelers, as well as filmmakers, clip-makers, and photographers. You won’t find such picturesque views anywhere on the planet.

The water here is deep blue due to a great amount of chalk deposits at the bottom of the sea. The bay is surrounded by steep limestone cliffs of almost white color on all sides. Some of them are up to 100m high, which makes it one of the most secret corners of the globe since it is not easy to get here.

How to Get the Bay?

The only possible way to visit Shipwreck Beach is to sail by sea.

However, you can reach this place by car. A small village called Anafonitria is located 30 km from the capital of the island, the city of Zakynthos. The village is famous for its ancient monastery and the miraculous icon of the Virgin Mary. But you won’t be able to get to Navagio Beach from there since the road passes only along the top of the cliff surrounding the bay, and there is no descent down. You’ll only be able to admire it from a bird’s eye view; a well-equipped observation deck is located there.

It is impossible to swim in the sea and touch the smugglers’ ship without a sea voyage.

One of the options to get to the Bay is to take a cruise around the island. One of the points of the program is a visit to Navagio. Tickets are sold directly in the port of Zakynthos; the cost of the excursion is around 20 euros.

Moreover, excursion ships (not even motor ships, but real pirate ships!) depart in the morning from the port of Agios Nikolaos, which is located in the north of the island, (30 km from Zakynthos and 4 km from Navagio Bay). Tourist ships leave the pier every day and stop in the bay for an hour and a half, so tourists will have enough time to swim and take photos.

Visitors can shoot videos and take photos not only from the ground but also from a bird’s eye view; there is an observation deck on top of the cliff. However, getting there won’t be an easy task, but the result is worth it. You’ll get awesome photos that will not leave anyone indifferent, especially, if you manage to take them before lunch when the sun illuminates the bay.

In addition to Navagio Bay, excursion ships also visit other equally interesting places. During the trip, you can see Blue grottoes located near Cape Skinari in the Aspros Vrachos area. The grottoes got this name because of the color of the water that washes them; it has such a deep blue shade that it seems unreal.

The color changes from pale blue to bright emerald, and in one of the caves, as guides assure, you can see a formidable face of Poseidon, the ruler of all seas. Tourists can clearly see the image of a man on one of the rocks, which is the result of long exposure to water and wind.

Navagio Beach (Shipwreak) (Ioanian Islands) is located outside the Anafonitria settlement, which may cause some difficulties for travelers who stay far from the coast. However, the remoteness from the village is not always a bad thing. Lovers of quiet rest know, the farther the beach, the fewer crowds.

The beach stretches on the coast of the Zakynthos island and the correct question is not how to get to Navagio Beach (Shipwreak), but what mode of transport can be used to get to it, because this part of the coast is inaccessible by land. The beach can only be reached by water and you have to rent a boat to get there.