Things to do in Zakynthos

Navagio, and the honest position

Navagio - the shipwreck cove - is a beach enclosed by cliffs on the west coast, reachable only by boat, with a viewing platform on the clifftop above it.

Two things to know before you build a day around it:

• Access arrangements have changed in recent years on safety grounds, affecting both the clifftop viewpoint and landings on the beach itself. The cliffs are unstable and there have been rockfalls.
• Because of that, check the current position locally rather than trusting a photograph or an older article - including ours. Operators and the local authority are the source.

It has its own guide. Treat it as something to confirm on the ground.

The Blue Caves

At the far northern tip, near Cape Skinari, the limestone is undercut into a series of sea arches where light reflects off the pale seabed and turns the water intensely blue.

They are a boat trip, they are best in the morning, and the size of the boat matters - the small ones can go inside the arches and the big ones often cannot. The Blue Caves guide covers how to do it properly.

The marine park, and the turtles

The National Marine Park of Zakynthos covers Laganas Bay and several beaches, and it exists because this is one of the most important loggerhead turtle nesting areas in the Mediterranean.

That has real consequences for visitors:

• Certain beaches, including Gerakas, close between dusk and dawn in the nesting season
• Parts of the sand are fenced where nests are marked
• There are restrictions on umbrellas, vehicles and lights on protected beaches
• Boat speeds and access are regulated inside the bay

The rules come from the park authority and are posted locally. Follow the signage. We do not give wildlife instruction in our own voice, and we would treat any operator promising guaranteed turtle sightings with suspicion.

The interior, which nobody drives into

Zakynthos is green and hilly away from the coast, and the mountain villages are almost entirely untouched by the resort economy.

Keri in the south sits above cliffs and a lighthouse with a long view up the west coast. Bochali and Strani above Zakynthos Town give you the bay and the town laid out below. The Venetian castle above Bochali is a ruin in pine woods and is usually empty.

An afternoon driving the hills is the cheapest way to see a different island from the one in the brochure.

Zakynthos Town

Rebuilt after the 1953 earthquake, so not a picturesque old town - but a real one, with a long waterfront, a large square, and the Byzantine Museum, which holds icons and screens rescued from churches destroyed in the earthquake. It is a better museum than the island’s reputation suggests.

Where to start

With a week: one boat day for the Blue Caves and the west coast, one day in the south around Keri and the protected beaches, an afternoon in the hills, and the rest on the sand. Where to stay in Zakynthos explains why the choice of resort matters more here than on most islands.

Common questions

What is Zakynthos known for?

Navagio, the shipwreck cove on the west coast; the Blue Caves at the northern tip; and the National Marine Park protecting one of the Mediterranean’s most important loggerhead turtle nesting areas.

Can you visit Navagio beach?

Access has changed in recent years on safety grounds, affecting both the clifftop viewpoint and landings on the beach. Check the current arrangements locally before planning around it.

What are the Blue Caves?

Sea arches in the white cliffs at the island’s northern tip, where reflected light turns the water vivid blue. Best seen from a small boat in the morning.

Where can you see turtles in Zakynthos?

The marine park in Laganas Bay is the nesting area, and access rules exist to protect it. Follow the park authority’s signage, and be sceptical of any trip guaranteeing sightings.

Is there anything to do in Zakynthos besides beaches?

Yes - the hill villages and the Venetian castle above Zakynthos Town, the Byzantine Museum in the town, and the cliffs and lighthouse at Keri in the south.

Do you need a car in Zakynthos?

For the resorts, no. For the south-east coves, the west-coast cliffs and the interior, yes.

Next

Read the Blue Caves, Gerakas beach, Zakynthos beaches or where to stay in Zakynthos.