Zakynthos Shipwreck or Navagio Bay: The beach of Navagio or Shipwreck cove is the most famous beach of Zakynthos lying on the western side of the Ionian island.
The Shipwreck is one of the most photographed landscapes in Greece. It is considered as one of the best beaches in Greece. It was initially called Agios Georgios but owes its new name to the shipwreck of a boat that transported illegal cigarettes, in 1983.
You would be hard pressed to find anyone who would argue that Navagio beach is not one of the best beaches of Greece, and that's because it is that spectacular of a place.
The shipwreck is an old coaster named "Panagiotis". Legend has it that it was a smuggling ship that capsized on the beach in 1980 while unloading its cargo of contraband cigarettes - apparently a regular activity on the isolated beach -, or while being pursued by the Hellenic Coast Guard depending on the story you read. That's how the beach has acquired the nickname "smugglers cove".
Today, the shipwreck's badly corroded shell is embedded firmly in the center of the beach and it's a popular tourist attraction.
It's so perfectly placed at the center of the beach that there is a rumor that the Hellenic Ministry of Culture (overseeing tourism) planted it tere.Besides, planting a boat in the middle of a beach is not exactly a quiet, simple, or cheap operation to go unnoticed, and no Greek politician would be able to resist boasting about conceiving such a plan.The boat has been there for over thirty years and the iron haul will continue to biodegrade as part of the natural recycling process. It will probably be visible for another thirty years above the sand so many more visitors will get to enjoy it.
Visiting the beach on boat trip is also quite breath-taking and well worth a day of your holiday. Approaching the beach is a once in-a-lifetime experience – the huge cliffs surrounding the bay, combined with the stranded ship in the middle, ensure that this is an awe-inspiring moment.The subtle beauty of Shipwreck beach is how it transcends our own human time into grander geological proportions in a very succinct and clear manner. The limestone cliffs erode to transform into an inviting white beach, and the decaying shipwreck is there to make the whole process visible.
Mentally, the isolation and the shipwreck emanate feelings of adventure and romance. It has this "deserted island adventure" sort of feeling, in a safe kind of way.
A photograph can barely approximate the visual harmony of the landscape; it's only a facsimile of the real sunlight that bathes everything, and it doesn't even get close to transmitting the sensation of sun rays on the skin, the cool breeze, and the play of hues between turquoise and azure.You can reach the beach by boat from Zakynthos town, or from Alykes where you can book a day-cruise. The cruises include a larger tour around the island, the highlight of which is a one-hour stop at Shipwreck beach. These boats are large and comfortable, although they do get packed with passengers, so your space would be limited. Get to the boat early and find a good place for your company to sit, knowing that most of the land will be to port-side pretty much the entire trip.
Another option that's highly recommended, is to drive to Cape Skinari, at the very top of the island. There is a nice lighthouse and and a restaurant there, and you can get a smaller boat to sail to the Blue Caves and to the Shipwreck beach. On this trip you can also visit the earthcache Blue Caves http://coord.info/GC1B8WF
There are tthree advantages to choosing a boat at Cape Skinari instead of the larger cruise boats from Zakynthos town or Alykes: you have a short five-minute ride to the blue caves that are just around the corner, and a much shorter ride to Navagio Beach,/p> Also, their smaller boats can fit right into the caves and sail closer to the shore. Spending time at the shipwreck beach you will be able to swim in the cool turquoise waters and explore the wreckage of the boat, which has been engraved with hundreds of names of visitors since the ship washed up here in 1983. If you go that route, remember to bring your own water and food for the day because the trip to the caves and wreck takes at least 3 hours. And do not forget swimming clothes
The only drawback is that you have to drive to Cape Skinari from where you are.
But is also an advantage because you can also visit my other cache Zakynthos Shipwreck 2 (Up) http://coord.info/GC5VP1E where you see the wreck from above.
The cache itself is not very impressive. It is an yoghurt container from 1 liter. Behind some stones. Be carefull so you will not damage the container and every thing keeps dry. There is only a big logbook.It is in a straight line from the mast of the boat if you have a bad reception with the gps.
Zakynthos Shipwreck or Navagio Bay: The beach of Navagio or Shipwreck cove is the most famous beach of Zakynthos lying on the western side of the Ionian island.
The Shipwreck is one of the most photographed landscapes in Greece. It is considered as one of the best beaches in Greece. It was initially called Agios Georgios but owes its new name to the shipwreck of a boat that transported illegal cigarettes, in 1983.
You would be hard pressed to find anyone who would argue that Navagio beach is not one of the best beaches of Greece, and that's because it is that spectacular of a place.
The shipwreck is an old coaster named "Panagiotis". Legend has it that it was a smuggling ship that capsized on the beach in 1980 while unloading its cargo of contraband cigarettes - apparently a regular activity on the isolated beach -, or while being pursued by the Hellenic Coast Guard depending on the story you read. That's how the beach has acquired the nickname "smugglers cove".
Today, the shipwreck's badly corroded shell is embedded firmly in the center of the beach and it's a popular tourist attraction.
It's so perfectly placed at the center of the beach that there is a rumor that the Hellenic Ministry of Culture (overseeing tourism) planted it tere.Besides, planting a boat in the middle of a beach is not exactly a quiet, simple, or cheap operation to go unnoticed, and no Greek politician would be able to resist boasting about conceiving such a plan.The boat has been there for over thirty years and the iron haul will continue to biodegrade as part of the natural recycling process. It will probably be visible for another thirty years above the sand so many more visitors will get to enjoy it.
Visiting the beach on boat trip is also quite breath-taking and well worth a day of your holiday. Approaching the beach is a once in-a-lifetime experience – the huge cliffs surrounding the bay, combined with the stranded ship in the middle, ensure that this is an awe-inspiring moment.The subtle beauty of Shipwreck beach is how it transcends our own human time into grander geological proportions in a very succinct and clear manner. The limestone cliffs erode to transform into an inviting white beach, and the decaying shipwreck is there to make the whole process visible.
Mentally, the isolation and the shipwreck emanate feelings of adventure and romance. It has this "deserted island adventure" sort of feeling, in a safe kind of way.
A photograph can barely approximate the visual harmony of the landscape; it's only a facsimile of the real sunlight that bathes everything, and it doesn't even get close to transmitting the sensation of sun rays on the skin, the cool breeze, and the play of hues between turquoise and azure.You can reach the beach by boat from Zakynthos town, or from Alykes where you can book a day-cruise. The cruises include a larger tour around the island, the highlight of which is a one-hour stop at Shipwreck beach. These boats are large and comfortable, although they do get packed with passengers, so your space would be limited. Get to the boat early and find a good place for your company to sit, knowing that most of the land will be to port-side pretty much the entire trip.
Another option that's highly recommended, is to drive to Cape Skinari, at the very top of the island. There is a nice lighthouse and and a restaurant there, and you can get a smaller boat to sail to the Blue Caves and to the Shipwreck beach. On this trip you can also visit the earthcache Blue Caves http://coord.info/GC1B8WF
There are tthree advantages to choosing a boat at Cape Skinari instead of the larger cruise boats from Zakynthos town or Alykes: you have a short five-minute ride to the blue caves that are just around the corner, and a much shorter ride to Navagio Beach,/p> Also, their smaller boats can fit right into the caves and sail closer to the shore. Spending time at the shipwreck beach you will be able to swim in the cool turquoise waters and explore the wreckage of the boat, which has been engraved with hundreds of names of visitors since the ship washed up here in 1983. If you go that route, remember to bring your own water and food for the day because the trip to the caves and wreck takes at least 3 hours. And do not forget swimming clothes
The only drawback is that you have to drive to Cape Skinari from where you are.
But is also an advantage because you can also visit my other cache Zakynthos Shipwreck 2 (Up) http://coord.info/GC5VP1E where you see the wreck from above.
The cache itself is not very impressive AND IS PLACED IN A FORBIDDEN areA.
SO NORMAL LOGGING I NOT POSSIBLE
TAKE INSTEAD A FOTO FROM THE BEACH OR WHEN THE WETTER IS ROUGH (so reaching the beach is not possible) TAKE A FOTO FROM THE SHIO