Zakynthos: Navagio, the Blue Caves and Laganas Bay turtles

Route description

Zakynthos is an island, so you need a ferry or a flight to get there; if you bring a campervan, book the vehicle crossing ahead and check the current timetable, as services are thinner outside summer. Base yourself near the north-west, where the island’s most famous cove, Navagio, lies beneath high limestone cliffs near Volimes.

Navagio, or Shipwreck Beach, holds the wreck of the MV Panagiotis, which ran aground in 1980, and is often called one of the most photographed beaches in the world. Landslides have led to restrictions on swimming and landing, so check the current rules before you go and be prepared for a view from above only.

Head to the northern tip at Cape Skinari for the Blue Caves, sea caves and rock arches in white cliffs, named for their turquoise water. Small boats leave from Agios Nikolaos. One guide says the light is strongest early in the morning and in the late afternoon, so plan around that, and check sea conditions.

Spend the last day on the south coast at Laganas Bay, a wide, shallow bay that is a prime Mediterranean nesting area for loggerhead turtles and a national marine park since 1999. Turtles nest at night from May to August; fishing is banned and speedboats are barred from nesting beaches. Follow the park rules and check local rules before camping.