Navagio Beach in Zakynthos, Greece: one of the most spectacular beaches in the world

 

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The island of Zakynthos, which is a jagged little piece of land off the southwest coast of Greece, features a number of rocky coves cut off from the mainland, and in one of these secluded bits of paradise is Navagio Beach.

Navagio Beach is a sandy little strip that would be remarkable for its beauty alone, but is made more so by the crumbling remains of a smuggler’s shipwreck.
 
 
The beautiful Navagio Beach in Zakynthos, Greece. (Credit: Thomas Cook)
 
 
(Credit: The Pinnacle List)
 
 
Also known as “Shipwreck Beach” and “Smuggler’s Cove”, the beach became a mini ship graveyard in 1982 when the shipping vessel known as the Panagiotis crashed on the scenic shore.
 
 
(Credit: Moco-Choco)
 
 
According to reports, the ship was smuggling cigarettes, booze, and maybe even humans when the authorities caught onto their trail and chased them through bad weather, right into the cove, when it ran aground.
 
 
The famous MV Panagiotis shipwreck. (Credit: GoZakynthos.gr)
 
 
Ever since the crash, the ship has simply sat on the shore slowly falling apart. However, it was far from lost. The crash site soon became a popular destination for vacationers looking not only for an untouched beach but called by the siren song of the decaying ship. As the the bulkhead of the ship rust away, the hull seems to be sinking into the sands, but most of the vessel still sits on the beach.
 
 
(Credit: Laika Tours)
 
 
Today, the beach is still a popular site for people looking to get off the beaten path, although the path is often beaten by hundreds of others at peak times.
 
 
Source: Atlas Obscura

 

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Original article here: http://www.aimhighwithvanicci.com/navagio-beach-in-zakynthos-greece-one-of-the-most-spectacular-beaches-in-the-world/
 
*Featured Image via Best Dive Holidays
 
Let me know what you guys think about the beautiful Navagio Beach in the comments below 😀👇