Greece · Ionian Islands
Yacht Charter Zakynthos
Navagio, the blue caves, and a turtle nesting beach the island shares with the loggerheads.
Zakynthos — Zante to the Venetians, who held it for three centuries — is the southernmost of the main Ionian islands and the one with the most dramatic coast. The west side is a wall of white cliff with caves cut into the base of it; the south is a shallow gulf where loggerhead turtles have nested since long before anybody was watching, and still do.
The west coast
Navagio is the cove with the wrecked freighter on the sand, enclosed by two-hundred-metre cliffs with no way in except from the water. The ship went aground in 1980 and the beach took its name from it. Access is by sea only and depends entirely on swell.
North of it the Blue Caves run along the cliff base at Cape Skinari: sea arches where the water throws its colour up onto the rock above, best in the first two hours of light and entered by tender.
Laganas and the turtles
The gulf of Laganas is a national marine park and the most important loggerhead nesting site in the Mediterranean. Speed limits apply across the whole bay from May to October, anchoring is restricted in parts of it, and the crew hold the current zoning.
It is not a restriction to work around: the turtles are the reason the water there is still what it is, and a boat that respects the limits sees more of them than one that does not.
Practical notes
- Navagio is reachable only from the sea and depends on swell — the crew judge it on the morning
- The Blue Caves at Cape Skinari are best in the first two hours of light
- The gulf of Laganas is a marine park: speed limits May to October and restricted anchoring
- Kefalonia is two hours north; Zakynthos airport is twenty minutes from the town harbour
Reached from: Corfu and Athens
Where to dine
A table by the water
Prosilio
Zakynthos TownIn the town behind the harbour, cooking Zakynthian recipes with produce from the island's own valleys.
Nobelos
Agios NikolaosOn the rocks at the northern end near the Blue Caves, with the catch landed a few metres away.
Porto Limnionas
Porto LimnionasOn a rock terrace above a narrow inlet on the west coast, reached most easily by tender.
What to do
Anchorages & excursions
Navagio
A cove with a wrecked freighter on the sand, enclosed by two-hundred-metre cliffs and reachable only from the sea.
The Blue Caves
Sea arches at the base of Cape Skinari where the water throws its colour onto the rock above.
The gulf of Laganas
A national marine park and the most important loggerhead nesting site in the Mediterranean.
Porto Limnionas
A narrow rock inlet on the west coast with water deep and clear right up to the stone.
The fleet
Yachts available for Zakynthos
Vessels that operate here, from flagship motor yachts to smaller crewed boats. Every rate is quoted on enquiry.
Good to know
Questions we are asked about Zakynthos
- Can you reach Navagio by land?
- No. It is enclosed by two-hundred-metre cliffs and there is no path down — the only access is by sea, and whether it is possible depends on the swell that morning.
- What are the rules in the gulf of Laganas?
- It is a national marine park and the most important loggerhead nesting site in the Mediterranean: speed limits across the bay from May to October and restricted anchoring in parts. The crew hold the current zoning.
- What does a yacht charter to Zakynthos cost?
- It depends on the yacht, the season and the crew, so we quote on enquiry rather than publish a figure that would be wrong for most weeks.
Destinations
Nearby destinations
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Enquire about a charter on Zakynthos
Tell us your dates and how many of you there are, and we will come back with the right yacht and a full quotation.