Bad news for tourists. The famous beach will be closed
One of Greece's biggest attractions will not be open to tourists this summer. If you are going to the popular island of Zakynthos, this information applies to you.
The famous Navagio beach in Zakynthos, Greece, will remain closed this summer. This is where the famous Shipwreck Bay is located, which is actually the showcase of the southern European island. Unfortunately, this year, tourists will not be able to admire it for safety reasons.
Shipwreck Bay will be closed during the summer
The famous Shipwreck Bay, located on Navagio Beach in Zakynthos, Greece, will remain closed to tourists for the second summer in a row. All because of fear of landslides that occur in the area.
The beach was recently voted the best in the world and is a popular tourist destination famous for its iconic shipwreck.
The decision to ban access to Navagio beach was recommended by a team of experts from the Organization for Anti-Seismic Planning and Protection (OASP) after an on-site visit. This was part of a regular security check. The OASP team concluded that there is a significant risk of landslides due to erosion of the surrounding cliffs. There are also doubts about the integrity of the damaged wreckage.
Popular tourist attraction
The wreck of the Panagiotis ship has been lying on the beach since October 1980, when it ran aground. Currently, the ship is half buried in the sand, its hull is severely damaged, and several other parts have been washed away by the sea.
Navagio has been inaccessible to residents and tourists since September 2022 after an earthquake with a magnitude of 5.4 on the Richter scale caused large rocks to fall into the bay from the surrounding cliffs.
In 2018, seven people were injured in a landslide on the same beach. The Greek authorities then closed the beach and it remained closed to tourists until April 2019. Beach safety will be reassessed twice a year.
Where does the name Navagio beach in Zakynthos, Greece come from?
The remote beach received a new name in October 1980, when a powerful storm forced the Panagiotis ship to run aground there. Previously, the beach was known as Agios Georgios.
There were rumors that cigarettes and alcohol were smuggled on the ship. It was abandoned and the captain and some crew members were arrested. Locals then feared that the shipwreck would ruin the reputation of the beach and the island itself. Since then, millions of people have visited the shipwreck and just as many have photographed it.
