Zakynthos Travel Guide

Shipwreck Bay is one of the most famous and most beautiful beaches in Greece and the world—a hidden cove embraced by towering white cliffs, with a rusty shipwreck and dreamy blue water, the most longed-for picture of Zakynthos and all of Greece. Shipwreck Bay (Navagio, Greek for 'shipwreck,' also called Shipwreck Beach) sits on Zakynthos's northwest coast, a world-famous beautiful cove in the Ionian Sea, almost the symbol and name card of Zakynthos. The bay's beauty and uniqueness are breathtaking: a fine white sandy beach tightly embraced by three sides of towering, steep white limestone cliffs, open to the sea only on the seaside—inside the cliffs lies a shallow, clear, dreamily colored water that shows rich layers of jade-green and azure under the sun (transparent, gem-like), set against the white sand, snow-white cliffs and deep-blue sky, forming a stunningly beautiful picture. The bay is named Shipwreck Bay because on this beach rests a rusty ancient shipwreck (said to be a vessel that wrecked and ran aground decades ago)—this weathered wreck adds a unique, legendary touch to the dreamy bay, making its picture one-of-a-kind and deeply memorable. Since the bay is embraced by cliffs on three sides with no land access, visitors can only take a boat trip from the sea into this hidden cove, land on the sand and witness the beauty; on the cliff top opposite the bay is a famous viewpoint overlooking the whole stunning panorama of Shipwreck Bay. Visiting Zakynthos, reaching the world-famous Shipwreck Bay and experiencing the stunning cove is Zakynthos's deserved number-one sight.