Today, I invite you to board a ship and sail towards one of the beaches that has become a symbol of the island, the most photographed, the most publicized, and, although I don't like the expression at all, a must-see in Zakynthos, Navagio.
It is said that you learn from your own mistakes and build a career from others' mistakes. I haven't built a career, but I have learned from the many mistakes I made, one of which was buying optional excursions from the agency I traveled with, preferably on the first day, when I was still a zombie from the journey.
Honestly, I don't recommend this to anyone, except maybe to those who don't speak a foreign language and are dependent on a Romanian-speaking guide. With lessons learned over time, somewhere in the middle of the stay, I bought a cruise around the island from one of the agencies in Alykanas.
Besides the fact that it was cheaper, 20 euros per person, we also benefited from a private transfer Alykanas-Zante-Town and back. After breakfast, around 8:30 AM, the owner of the agency, Dionissios, also known as Billy, came to the hotel where we were staying, picked us up in a car with an open back, as I like to call it, a Suzuki Jimny convertible, and took us to the port.
There, he entrusted us to the captain who received clear instructions regarding the treatment we were to benefit from during the trip. He led us to the upper deck and offered us shaded seats on the left side of the ship so that we could see the jagged coast all the way.
The first stop was at the Blue Caves, where for a fee of 7 euros per person, we were taken by small boats and given a tour of all the grottoes, ending with a swim in one of them. I won’t tell you that no sunlight penetrates these grottoes and the water was freezing, and when we returned to the ship, we all had a violet tint.
However, the sensation is so pleasant that I told myself that besides the other attractions in Zakynthos, this is a must-try. Those who did not want to ride the small boats stayed to splash around near the ship, and the bravest ones practiced their diving.
We then circled the island from the north, past Cape Skinari where the largest flag in Greece is located, but since there was no wind at all, the banner was practically stuck to the pole, and we couldn’t take a decent photo.
Soon, we arrived at the bay where the smugglers’ ship from the '80s met its end, giving the beach its name, Navagio (shipwreck). I had seen dozens of photos, and I had seen it live from above a few days earlier, but the view from the entrance to the bay exceeded all imagination.
For a long time, I was convinced that the photos on the internet had gone through extensive editing and that it was impossible for the sea to have such a color in reality as I saw in the snapshots. Moreover, the anchored boats seemed to be placed on the water with tweezers, and you could even see their shadow underneath. Well, it does exist.
But I still like how it looks from above. Disembarking was the funniest moment of the trip. Our ship, being medium-sized, couldn’t dock very close to the shore, but neither could it dock too far away for us to be transferred by inflatable boats.
Moreover, no one told us that the bottom of the water is made of tiny marble pebbles (hence the neon-like color of the water) in which you sink up to your knees and which behave like quicksand. If someone had been inspired to film the scene, they would have surely won an Oscar and dethroned all the Laurel and Hardy productions and the Gendarme series.
I had the noblest intentions, but my camera (no longer) had... batteries ☹️ The scene unfolded something like this: babies passed from hand to hand, backpacks tossed to catchers and leaps that would make any goalkeeper envious, cameras held above heads more triumphantly than an Europa League or Grand Slam trophy, and, of course, dozens of pairs of flip-flops "planted" deep in the Zakynthian gravel in a desperate attempt to maintain balance.
After everyone safely reached the shore, we received a "permission slip" for two hours of beach time, splashing around, snorkeling, and photo sessions with the wreck. The beach is not organized, and lunch is not included in the price.
So, a packed meal from home is the most practical solution, along with sandwiches from the ship's onboard café. If you don't have a thermos to keep your drinks cold throughout the trip, the onboard bar is your saving grace.
The prices are quite high, but at least you won't be drinking lukewarm water. The two hours passed quickly, and the siren announced it was time to board. As a friendly tip, don't ignore the sound signal, lightly hoping that "they won't leave without us."
The Greeks will leave you stranded without remorse. The scene from the disembarkation somewhat repeated itself, while the captain yelled at the top of his lungs, "take off your shoes!" Too late. Those who still had their shoes held onto them like sacred treasures.
The next stop was at Keri Caves where we had a great time splashing around, followed by another one on Marathonisi Island, the turtle-shaped island, where we were supposed to see the famous Caretta-Caretta turtles, but we weren't lucky. We saw from the sea the Porto Zorro resort and the Banana and Gerakas beaches, the place where the turtles lay their eggs and access is forbidden after 6:00 PM.
What I liked most was the Marathias resort, whose hotels are built in the shape of ships that look amazing from the sea.
We returned to Zante Town at 6:00 PM, where Billy was waiting to take us back to Alykanas, and we spent the entire ride talking about the wonders we had seen. If I have piqued your curiosity, I wholeheartedly recommend you enjoy such an experience.
And to make the joy complete, you should have with you a backpack (preferably waterproof), bath towels, a swimsuit (and a change if possible), a cap or sun hat, sunglasses, a long-sleeved shirt, or at least a scarf to cover your shoulders if you are sensitive, even something to cover your knees because the wind is very tricky and you don’t know when you'll get sunburned, sunscreen lotion with SPF (preferably 30%), snacks and water, snorkel gear, camera (video), spare batteries and memory cards, and money for any drinks at the bar.
If you are worried about seasickness, you can combat it either with Emetostop or candied ginger, but be cautious if giving ginger to children as it is very spicy.
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