Zakynthos, Greece: Navagio, Turtles, Zakynthos Town and the Blue Caves

Zakynthos, also known as Zante, is the southernmost of the main Ionian Islands of Greece and the third largest after Corfu and Kefalonia. The Venetians called it Fiore di Levante, the Flower of the East, for its many wild flowers. Today it is known for Navagio, the shipwreck cove on its west coast, but the island also has turtle-nesting beaches, sea caves, a handsome harbour town and a proud musical and literary tradition.

Navagio, the Shipwreck Beach of Zakynthos

Navagio sits in a small cove on the northwest coast, enclosed by sheer white limestone cliffs above turquoise water. The cove was originally called Agios Georgios. The rusting ship on the sand is the coaster Panagiotis, which ran aground in a storm on 5 October 1980 and was abandoned; since then the beach has been known as Navagio, Greek for “shipwreck”, and it is one of the most photographed beaches in Greece. The cliffs are also a famous BASE-jumping spot, as in the photo of Hubert Schober and Kedley Oliveti leaping over the cove.

The cove can only be reached by sea. After a cliff collapse in 2018, swimming and anchoring were banned, and a further landslide in September 2022 closed the beach to visitors for the 2023 season, with boats allowed to approach but no swimming. The rules can change from year to year, so check the current Hellenic Coast Guard notices and ask your boat operator exactly what the trip includes. The famous view looking down on the wreck is from the clifftop above the cove.

Zakynthos Town, Solomos and the island’s music

Zakynthos Town (Chora) rises in an amphitheatre above the harbour and Laganas Bay. The 1953 earthquake caused enormous damage across the island, and the town was rebuilt in keeping with its Venetian-era character. Start on Solomos Square, with its statue of the poet, stroll the arcaded streets and finish with the view from Bochali, the hill above town crowned by a small Venetian castle.

The island is the birthplace of Dionysios Solomos (1798–1857), the national poet of Greece. His Hymn to Liberty, written in 1823 and set to music by Nikolaos Mantzaros, became the national anthem of Greece in 1865 and of Cyprus in 1966. The Museum of Solomos and Eminent Zakynthians on St Mark’s Square tells his story. The poet Ugo Foscolo was also born on Zakynthos.

Music runs deep here. Serenades are part of the island’s identity, and the first philharmonic orchestra in Greece was founded on Zakynthos, playing in the streets at Christmas, Easter and other celebrations. If a concert or serenade evening is advertised during your stay, it is a lovely way to spend a night in town.

Loggerhead turtles and the National Marine Park

The Bay of Laganas in the south is one of the most important nesting areas in the Mediterranean for the loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta). The National Marine Park of Zakynthos, established in December 1999 as the first national marine park in Greece, covers about 135 km² of sea and coast. Its six nesting beaches, Gerakas, Daphni, Sekania, Kalamaki, East Laganas and the islet of Marathonisi, add up to only about 5 km of sand. Females come ashore at night from May to August to lay their eggs. The island’s coasts are also home to the rare Mediterranean monk seal.

The park has fishing restrictions in its marine zones, a ban on boats off the nesting beaches and a code of conduct for boat trips and walks. On the beaches, follow the signs and wardens’ instructions and keep clear of marked nests. At sea, choose boat operators who keep their distance from turtles and never chase or feed them.

Beaches, Blue Caves and getting there

• Blue Caves: sea caves around Cape Skinari on the northern tip, reachable only by small boat.
• Keri: a mountain village in the south with a lighthouse; from here to Skinari the west coast is a line of cliffs and rock formations.
• Marathonisi: the uninhabited “Turtle Island” in Laganas Bay, one of the protected nesting beaches.
• Gerakas: a sandy turtle-nesting beach inside the marine park.

Zakynthos Airport has flights from Athens of about an hour, and ferries connect the main port with Kyllini on the Peloponnese coast. Summer is the main season, and the turtle-nesting months of May to August are the best time for wildlife. A car is the easiest way to explore the inland villages and the quieter west coast.

More Greek coastlines

For another Ionian classic, read our Myrtos Beach guide on neighbouring Kefalonia. In the northern Aegean, Giola on Thassos is a natural rock pool beside the sea.

Related reading:

• Giola on Thassos: A Rock Basin Beside the Aegean

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