When it comes to beautiful beaches, Zakynthos is one of the islands that ranks high on the list. With Shipwreck Bay being one of the most photographed beaches of the world, the island sure made a name for itself. Thousands of curious tourists travel there every year to see the charm the island has to offer. Discovering Zakynthos on a rental scooter, was one of the best decisions I ever made. I created a top 5 of the beaches in Zakynthos that took my breath away.
1. Xigia beach
On my way to the famous Shipwreck Bay, a weird scent suddenly caught my attention, it wasn’t long until I realized I was getting close to Xigia Caves. I read beforehand that the water at this beach has a funny smell to it, this is caused by the high levels of collagen and Sulphur. The information sign in front of the beach told me, and I quote, that the water’s got cosmetic indices and it also heals dermatological pathology. Sounds like a natural spa to me, I love it. If you’re able to ignore the smell, this beach seriously is phenomenal. It’s located in between 2 big cliffs, which makes for an amazing view. The pictures I took here are one of my favorite photos I’ve taken on my trip to Zakynthos, I love the whole look of it. The beach is pretty tiny and there isn’t that much space to lay down, there are a few sunbeds with parasols though and I think if you get there early in the morning, you can claim a nice spot. I went there in the late afternoon, when most people were gone already, which made the scenery look even more fairylike, an incredible photo spot. There’s one restaurant/beach bar next to the beach, I haven’t personally been there, but I’ve read some good reviews about it.
2. Porto Zoro
If you’re planning on spending the whole day at the beach and enjoy some
luxurious facilities while you’re at it, this is hands down the best beach for
you. It’s beautiful, not too small, not too big and it’s less crowded than
Tsilivi beach, which I’ll talk about in a bit. The beach is sandy and well
known for the big rocks coming up from the sea, I looks really pretty and
there’s a relaxing vibe. Don’t be too surprised when you see people walking
around with smothered mud all over their bodies, there’s actually a natural spa
at Porto Zoro. When you walk towards the very end of the beach, you’ll find a
big rock covered with grey mud, you can scrape it off and use it as a body and
face mask. Let it dry, wash it off in the sea and there you go, skin as soft as
silk. At the end of the beach you can rent luxurious sunbeds and parasols, I
really recommend this, since they come with a little mattress which makes
laying down very comfortable, the price of these are 12 euros, for 2 sunbeds
and 1 parasol. They also have normal sunbeds for rent, they cost 6 to 7 euros.
There are 2 big and also good restaurants, the prices are a little cheap and if
you’re a vegetarian like me, there isn’t much choice, but the food is very
tasty. I’ve came to this beach 3 days and literally every day, no joke, there
was a wedding! Very romantic!
3. Dafni beach
The thing I love most about Dafni Beach is the fact they are very protective over the Caretta Caretta (loggerhead) sea turtle. This is one of the beaches the turtles return to every year to leave their eggs in the sand. When I arrived at Dafni beach a lady kindly instructed me about where I could and couldn’t go and she explained that the turtle nests are marked with sticks. By scooter this beach is a very hard place to reach, the path is very bumpy and there’s no asphalt, so that’s kind of tricky. I think this is the main reason why the beach isn’t too crowded, which I personally really like. The restaurant attached to Dafni beach offers a few good lunch and dinner options, the salad I ate there was one of the best ones I had in Zakynthos. The prices on the other hand, are higher than most restaurants in Zakynthos, but I do think the delicious food makes up for that.4. Navagio (Shipwreck) bay
Navagio beach, also called shipwreck bay, is the most famous hotspot of Zakynthos and that’s for a reason, of course. The water at this bay is really and I mean really, blue. There are several bus tours you can attend to drive up the high cliffs and enjoy the breathtaking view of this beach. The shipwreck that leads many tourists to this beach was stranded in 1982, rumor has is the ship was being used for smuggling cigarettes, this is what my captain told me too. Anyways, I looked it up and I read somewhere that this is a false statement, so I’m not entirely sure about the history behind the ship. The sand is made out of small pebbles and isn’t very easy to walk on, but it does look amazing! The sea is phenomenal and it’s the most amazing place to take a swim. Be careful though, there are a lot of boats, bringing people to the bay and back, since the cove is only reachable by boat. I highly recommend going on a boat trip, or rent your own boat. At St. Nicholas port you can find plenty parking facilities and lots of boat trips you can choose from. I took a trip that included pausing at the blue caves and going for a swim inside of the caves, which was really amazing! Because of the way the light hits the caves, the water appears to be bright blue, seriously fascinating.
5.Tsilivi beach
Tsilivi beach is very big and very crowded, it’s a great place to enjoy watersports, multiple restaurants and fancy beach bars. There are a lot of sunbeds with parasols available, so no need to get up early and claim a spot, since it’s that big. The beach is sandy and perfect for a beach walk, be aware of the heat though, the sand can get pretty hot in summer. It’s a popular place for young adults, since there are a lot of nightclubs and bars in the center of Tsilivi. You can get some amazing smoothies at the beach bars while you enjoy your view of the sea, glittering in the sun. If you’re into a more crowded, but really fun beach, Tsilivi beach is the perfect spot.
The red dots on the map of Zakynthos show you where the beaches I talked about can be found!
(The pictures shown in this post are taken by me, except the map, its from Greeka.com, but I edited it)
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