What Is Zakynthos Known For?

Zakynthos holds one of the most photographed beaches anywhere in the world, and the shipwreck that gave it that reputation only ran aground there by accident in 1980.

Zakynthos is known first for Navagio, originally called Agios Georgios Beach, which took its current name, meaning shipwreck in Greek, after the MV Panagiotis washed up there while reportedly being pursued by authorities for smuggling contraband cigarettes. The rusted hull remains on the sand today, and while landslide risk has closed the beach itself to visitors since 2022, the clifftop viewpoint roughly 200 meters above continues to draw travelers for the view down onto the cove. Following past accidents at the viewpoint, security personnel are now stationed there during peak season as a safety precaution.

The island is equally known for its role protecting loggerhead sea turtles, since Gerakas Beach, on Zakynthos's southeastern tip, ranks as the most important nesting site for the species anywhere in the Mediterranean. The beach sits within the National Marine Park of Zakynthos, and strict rules, including a nightly closure from May through October and a ban on umbrellas, sunbeds, and getting closer than five meters to the waterline, protect nesting turtles throughout the breeding season.

Zakynthos also carries a long, layered history of outside rule, passing through Roman, Crusader, Venetian, French, and British control before eventually uniting with Greece, and the island endured the Second World War as well, adding real depth beneath its modern reputation for beaches and boat tours. The rugged west coast, largely accessible only by water, holds the Blue Caves and additional coves alongside Navagio itself, connecting Zakynthos's coastline to Kefalonia nearby.