The island of Zakynthos boasts probably the best and most picturesque beaches in Greece and its famous landmark - the Shipwreck beach is one of the most beautiful little coves I have ever seen. The coast of Zakynthos is exceptionally picturesque and it's surprisingly cheap to get around - if you want to visit the beaches, blue caves and the coastline - the best and easiest way to do it is by boat. There are multiple agencies that offer such tours and therefore, because of competition, the prices are kept low.

Shipwreck and Blue Caves tour - The Best Beaches in Zakythos

Shipwreck beach

We booked our tour in advanced online for only 35 EUR (38 USD) per person - and we were really lucky with the company we chose! We started very early in the morning and arrived at the shipwreck beach without any other tour ships and tourists around - it's very rare to be able to set foot on the Shipwreck beach while it's empty. Although it didn't take long before the crowds arrived, we had a chance to take some beautiful photos with the shipwreck and the beach. Within the next 45 minutes, the crowds flooded the beach and it felt like a busy street in New York.

In order to get the best view of the Shipwreck beach, you must see it from above - from the top of the white limestone cliffs surrounding it. It's not possible to climb it from the sea level - the only way to get there is by land - and if you take the boat tour you will NOT see this best view.

If you want to find out about how to reach the viewing platform and why it's a bit tricky if you don't have your own car, check out my article about the Shipwreck beach. It's the most popular post on the blog!

That's the view from above - you will not see it during the boat tour - check here to find out how to get there

Blue Caves

Blue Caves are quite a popular phenomenon that can be found not only in Greece, we visited other "blue caves" in Malta, Montenegro, Albania, Brazil... Those in Zakynthos were absolutely spectacular - with limestone arches, turquoise water that seemd glowing from the bottom of the sea and abundance of colorful fish.

The boat did a few rounds - around and under the arches, eneterd some of the caves and stopped there so we could enjoy a bit of swimming and snorkeling.

Lunch at Mikro Nisi

After the very pleasant but a bit tiring (in a good sense) experience of swimming at the Shipwreck beach and Blue caves, we stopped for lunch in a charming village of Mikro Nisi with a tiny port and a rocky beach - it was a nice place to go around and admire the beautiful blue waters while having lunch.

It was Flavio's birthday and me and the other friends had notified the tour guide about it. At first, we thought they completely ignored it but, but then, during lunch, they brought a bottle of champagne - a great surprise to make this amazing day even better.

Xigia Sulphur Beach

After visiting the Shipwreck beach, the Blue caves and Mikro Nisi, you might think there's nothing else that can surprise you. And then, there's Xigia Sulphur Beach - not only does it look like a tropical paradise with the bluest possible water but also it is a natural spa - full of sulfur compounds that, supposedly, are very beneficial for the skin. Although we'd read some comments about the smell of sulfur - when were there, there was nothing - the air was as clear as on any other beach. I know Zakynthos is all about the Shipwreck, but don't miss this place!

I, personally, like only this kind of "spas" - I mean - natural. If you love such places, you must try the Blue Lagoon in Iceland - volcanic outdoor geothermal spa where you can enjoy swimming in hot, milky waters while it's snowing on your head! Take a look at my full post about this magnificent place here.

An alternative

Greece is as crowded and popular as it is beautiful. It can really be annoying sometimes - standing in a line in order to get a 1-second glimpse of the Shipwreck beach from the viewing platform.

If you want to find similar beauty, but without tours, crowds and cruise ships, try Albania - located right next to Greece, it offers some of the most amazing natural attractions: white sand beaches (which is an unusual phenomenon in Europe), Blue Eye lake so clear it seems like an artificial aquarium, canyons where you can do rafting and unbelievably amazing mountains. And the locals do enjoy meeting foreign tourists! Take a look at Related Posts section below to find out more.

Author: Tom @ adventurous-travels.com