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Zakynthos

Navagio's Shipwreck Cove and Turtle Beaches

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3 daysIdeal stay₹5,860From / night₹2,560Food / dayFreeEntry

A southern Ionian island known for Navagio (Shipwreck Beach), a white cove under sheer cliffs seen from the clifftop viewpoint or by boat, the Blue Caves at Cape Skinari, and the loggerhead turtles that nest on Laganas Bay's protected beaches (some closed at night in nesting season). Laganas is the party resort; the north and the hill villages are quieter. Flights from Athens take 50 minutes; KTEL coaches from Athens cross on the ferry from Kyllini (75 minutes) in about 5.5 hours. Resorts close in winter; the town stays open.

Highlights

  • Navagio from the clifftop viewpoint
  • Boat to the Blue Caves and Navagio
  • Turtle-spotting in Laganas Bay
  • Keri cliffs at sunset
  • Porto Limnionas swim
  • Gerakas beach

Things to do

  • Boat trip to Navagio and the Blue CavesMay–OctMorning · 5h
  • Navagio clifftop viewpoint and the north villagesAfternoon · 4h
  • Turtle-spotting boat in Laganas BayMay–OctMorning · 3h
  • Sunset at the Keri cliffsEvening · 2h
  • Swim at Porto Limnionas or GerakasAfternoon · 3h

Tours & tickets

Tours & tickets in Zakynthosvia GetYourGuideTours & tickets in Zakynthosvia Klook

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When to go

Best time: May – June, September – October

Worth knowing

Wildfire Season

From July to September hot, dry winds spread wildfires in Attica, the Peloponnese, Halkidiki and the islands; in 2023 thousands of tourists were evacuated from resorts on Rhodes. Follow the 112 emergency text alerts (sent in English), obey road closures and evacuation orders, never light a fire or barbecue outdoors, and check the fire-risk map before hiking. Travel insurance should cover cancellations.

Worth knowing

Winter: Fast Boats Stop, Many Hotels Close

From November to March the high-speed ferries stop, island-to-island boats run a few times a week, and most resort hotels, beach bars and boat tours close. The towns stay open with some hotels and tavernas, the conventional ferries and the flights from Athens keep running, and storms can still cancel sailings: keep a spare day before a flight home.

Heads up

Navagio: Beach Landings Restricted

Rockfalls from the cliffs above Navagio (Shipwreck Beach) have led the authorities to ban or limit boats landing on the beach since 2018. The clifftop viewpoint stays open, and boat tours view the cove from the water. Check the current rules before booking a tour that promises a landing.

Heads up

Turtle Nesting Beaches

Loggerhead turtles nest on Laganas Bay's beaches from May to October: parts of the National Marine Park close at night, umbrellas are allowed only in marked zones, and boats keep to speed limits. Choose licensed turtle-watching boats.

  • Orthodox Easter (Pascha) — Greece's biggest festival: candlelit Good Friday processions, the midnight Resurrection service on Saturday with fireworks and church bells, and lamb roasts on Sunday. Corfu's is the most famous, with clay pots thrown from balconies on Holy Saturday morning. Greeks travel home, so ferries, flights and hotels fill, and shops, museums and sites close or shorten hours from Good Friday to Easter Monday. Book well ahead.
  • Clean Monday and the end of Carnival — The first day of Orthodox Lent and a public holiday: families fly kites (in Athens on Filopappou Hill) and eat a meatless picnic of lagana bread, taramosalata and vegetable dishes, easy for vegetarians. The Carnival (Apokries) parades end the weekend before.
  • Dekapentavgoustos (the Assumption) — The feast of the Virgin Mary and the peak of the Greek summer holiday: village festivals (panigiria) with music and food the night before, a great pilgrimage to Paros' Church of a Hundred Doors, and every ferry and island room full in the week around it. Athens empties and many of its shops close.