Zakynthos · Beaches
Zakynthos has two coasts that could be different islands. The south and east have long, shallow, sandy beaches, many of them turtle nesting beaches inside the National Marine Park, with rules that keep them dark and empty at night. The west is a wall of white cliffs, with only a few coves you can reach, most of them by boat. In the north, the cliffs are hollowed into sea caves.
Our favourites
SandOrganised
A long, gently shelving sandy beach in front of the party resort, with sunbeds, bars and watersports at its western end. Its eastern part is a nesting beach of the marine park, marked with signs and nest cages.
On foot from anywhere in Laganas
Use the sunbeds back from the waterline, keep clear of the cages, and leave the sand by dusk: from May to October it is a turtle nursery at night.
Laganas Bay & the southStay in Laganas
SandEasy-going
The calm eastern end of Laganas Bay, a wide sandy beach with low dunes and a protected nesting zone. Quieter than Laganas, with tavernas a short walk inland.
Road to Kalamaki, then a short walk
The planes landing at the airport pass very low over the beach on summer afternoons.
Laganas Bay & the southStay in Kalamaki
Pick your kind of day
SandWild
Turtle Island, a green islet in Laganas Bay with a small sandy beach on its eastern side, which is a nesting beach of the marine park, and sea caves on the other.
Licensed boats from Limni Keri and Laganas, or a hired small boat
Stay near the water's edge and away from the back of the beach, where the turtles nest, and follow the park's rules for boats in the bay.
Laganas Bay & the southStay in Keri
SandEasy-going
A curve of fine sand under pale clay cliffs at the tip of the Vasilikos peninsula, one of the most important nesting beaches of the park. There are no bars on the sand and parts of the beach are fenced off for the nests.
Road to the car park at the top, then a short path down
The beach closes at dusk in summer. Come in the morning, bring what you need, and keep within the open area.
The Vasilikos peninsulaStay in Vasilikos and Gerakas
PebblesWild
The cove of white cliffs and blue water where the ship Panagiotis ran aground in 1980. Rockfalls in 2018 and a landslide after the 2022 earthquake led to bans, and the beach was closed for the 2023 season. At our last check, in 2026, landing, swimming and access to the shore were still prohibited. You can still see it from a boat in the bay or from the viewpoint on the cliffs above.
View only: boat trips from Agios Nikolaos, Porto Vromi or Zakynthos Town, or the clifftop viewpoint near Anafonitria
Check the current rules with the port authority before you book a boat. The clifftop viewpoint has also been closed at times for safety work. When it is open, go early in the morning, before the coaches, and stay behind the railings.
The northStay in Volimes and the north
RocksEasy-going
A narrow inlet in the limestone cliffs of the west coast, with clear turquoise water, a taverna and ladders down from the rocks. There is no sand, only sea.
Road from Agios Leon down to the taverna
Bring water shoes. In the afternoon the sun moves off the inlet and the water turns deep blue.
The west coastStay in Kampi and the west coast
PebblesEasy-going
A small cove between high cliffs on the north-east coast, where sulphur springs well up into the sea and turn the water milky and cool.
Steps down from the coast road north of Tsilivi
The smell of sulphur is strongest near the springs on the north side of the cove.
Zakynthos Town & the east coastStay in Tsilivi
SandOrganised
A long sandy beach a few kilometres north of town, with sunbeds, watersports and hotels behind it, and water that is usually calmest in the morning.
Road from Zakynthos Town, about 15 minutes
Zakynthos Town & the east coastStay in Tsilivi
Wind and sea change by the day. On windy days swim on the sheltered side of the island, and watch for red flags.
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