#1 Dafni

Dafni beach is every insider’s favorite getaway. Especially popular with the alternative crowd, it is a rambling beach of drama and variety. With a magical aura, incredible cliffs on both sides, fascinating secrets and the sacred protection that goes with being an essential loggerhead turtle nesting beach, Dafni is the definition of adventure and escape. Be warned: the drive through the mountains to get there is steep and bumpy, though beautiful. Once you are there, though, you can make a day of it with the excellent taverna and exploring the rocks and coves. Night swimming is prohibited, though tempting, in the summer.

👉Local tips:

• Take caution while driving through the steep and bumpy mountain road to reach the beach.
• Respect the nesting area for loggerhead turtles and do not disturb their nests.
• Enjoy a delicious meal at the excellent taverna near the beach.

Get your photo featured in our guides! Tag @eoniongr on social.

#2 Porto Roxa

Porto Roxa is blessed with special waters. A great place to feel alive, jumping from a high point into deep water, and to be invigorated by the mineral coolness of natural springs from within the island. The deep waters and small caves you can swim into make this an amazing place for snorkeling. This spot has a dramatic view out to the west, making for incredible sunset viewing. Compared to nearby Limionas, similarly situated in a deep cove cutting into the land, Roxa is smaller and more low-key, with fewer but better sunbeds, wide and comfortable on the rocky shore. Here you will feel the wilderness where the sea meets the land, but still be able to grab a good meal and find easy paths to walk down into the water.

👉Local tips:

• Experience the thrill of jumping from a high point into the deep waters (Remember that this is dangerous).
• Explore the small caves for an amazing snorkeling experience.
• Don’t miss the breathtaking sunset views from this spot.

Get your photo featured in our guides! Tag @eoniongr on social.

#3 Porto Roma

A less-known (and crowded) lovely beach in the beautiful Vasilikos area. It’s a narrow, pebbly beach (with a sandy area) favored by sailboats looking for a nice place to anchor. It is tranquil and pleasant, with a great restaurant offering sunbeds and a pier to walk over the pebbles and reach the sand. With interesting rocky areas on both ends there is plenty for adventurous spirits to explore, and people have been known to find lumps of clay here which can be spread on the skin, baked in the sun, and washed off in the sea.

👉Local tips:

• Anchor your sailboat and enjoy the tranquil atmosphere of this narrow beach.
• Try the restaurant’s sunbeds and take a stroll on the pier.
• Discover the interesting rocky areas on both ends of the beach.

Get your photo featured in our guides! Tag @eoniongr on social.

#4 Marathias Beach

This remote beach has a number of complaints about a gasoline smell on google maps. It is actually the result of a tar well in the area, mythically known as the place where Odysseus tarred his ships for the Trojan War. This brings a slight risk that your swim will leave you with tar spots on your feet, but have no fear! They are harmless and come off easily with a bit of oil. Just be careful not to stain your clothes or towels. For adventurous spirits, Marathias is well worth all this. Being more remote, you have the feeling of a private moment with majestic nature here, cradled by the larger Laganas bay, directly facing Turtle island. There are big white boulders you can climb on, large shiny agate pebbles on the beach, and though the path from the road is quite steep and tricky, there are stairs cutting bridging most of the way from the nearby popular taverna.

👉Local tip:

• Be aware of the slight gasoline smell in the area, which comes from the tar well.
• Don’t worry if you get tar spots on your feet while swimming; they can be easily removed with oil.
• Climb the big white boulders and collect shiny agate pebbles on the beach.

Get your photo featured in our guides! Tag @eoniongr on social.

#5 Xigia Beach (Xygia)

This pretty little beach in the north of the island can get pretty crowded in the high season. Its special attraction is the cool sulphur springs which lend an unusual opaque turquoise color as well as healing properties to the multi-hued waters. With steps down the steep cliffs to the beach and fine pebbles to walk on, it is a comfortable beach from which one can also explore a variety of caves. If in the high season you find it too crowded, the area is definitely still worth exploring, with boat trips offering access to innumerable caves and secret paradise spots as well as lesser known walkable beaches, such as 10, Vathi Lagathi with their own mineral springs and unique appeal.

👉Local tip:

• Visit during less crowded times to fully enjoy the beach’s beauty and the cool sulphur springs.
• Explore the variety of caves in the area by boat or on foot.
• Consider visiting other nearby beaches accessible by boat for a unique experience.

Get your photo featured in our guides! Tag @eoniongr on social.

#6 Korakonisi

Korakonissi (which means crow island in Greek) is less a beach and more a natural wonder. Not quite an island, it is a spectacularly formed rocky outcropping attached by a land bridge to the western side of Zakynthos island. Both lush and desert-like, wild, dark, and twisted, with a magical aura, Korakonissi is a true insider’s spot, a secret gem well worth making a special excursion for. Also a great place to explore the depths with snorkelling gear, though sea-shoes might be better for navigating the rocky ground than flippers.

👉Local tip:

• Take a special excursion to witness the natural wonder of this rocky outcropping.
• Bring snorkeling gear to explore the depths around Korakonisi.
• Wear sea shoes for better navigation on the rocky ground.

Get your photo featured in our guides! Tag @eoniongr on social.

#7 Crystal Beach Kalamaki

Crystal beach deserves its name for more than one reason. There’s the crystalline water which laps softly on the gently sloping sandy beach, set against a gorgeous vista of forested hillside, but there is also the beautiful crystal-rich cliff and massive sparkling boulders which a bit of climbing allow you to freely explore. As a protected turtle nesting beach, where sand and rock are receding every year, it is asked that no one takes rocks or seashells, but only admires them while they are there. Truly the best of both worlds, Crystal beach has a touch of the wild, but is an easy comfortable beach, smooth, shallow and sandy. It is popular in the summer but not as crowded as Kalamaki and nearby Laganas.

👉Local tip:

• Admire the crystal-clear water and sandy beach against the beautiful forested hillside.
• Refrain from taking rocks or seashells as the beach is a protected turtle nesting area.
• Enjoy the calm and relaxed atmosphere, away from the busier beaches in the area.

Get your photo featured in our guides! Tag @eoniongr on social.

#8 Plakaki Beach

An excellent place to get a closer look at Zakynthos’ iconic white cliffs, plakaki offers a remote and exciting way to experience the remaining natural beauty of the over-developed Laganas area. With a climb down to the deep blue waters of the rocky cove and a clear view out to the horizon, this is an essential destination, especially for snorkelers.

👉Local tip:

• Experience the remaining natural beauty of the Laganas area from this remote beach.
• Take a closer look at the iconic white cliffs and enjoy the deep blue waters.
• Consider snorkeling to discover the underwater wonders of Plakaki Beach.

Get your photo featured in our guides! Tag @eoniongr on social.

#9 Porto Vromi

A humble, but dreamy little pebbled beach, Porto Vromi is a great example of the beauties of the west side of the island, as well as a nearby access point to the famous shipwreck beach. Boat trips leave from nearby, but there is always a quiet corner in this bright cove to enjoy the echo of the waves against the hilly background.

👉Local tip:

• Relax on this peaceful pebbled beach and enjoy its dreamy atmosphere.
• Use Porto Vromi as a convenient access point for boat trips to the famous Shipwreck Beach.
• Find a quiet corner in the bright cove to enjoy the sounds of the waves.

Get your photo featured in our guides! Tag @eoniongr on social.

#10 Vathi Lagadi Beach

This secluded little beach combines many of the special traits of Zakynthos beaches: large, smooth, pale pebbles, white-rock caves, pristine crystal waters, and landscapes you could stare at for hours. With a steep climb and a narrow path to access it, this beach is not for everyone, but in the midst of a long day driving amongst the mountain villages of Zakynthos, when you need to escape the crowds, or to capture the feeling of stumbling upon an oasis in the desert, Vathi Lagathi could be a special destination. Needless to say, this isolated spot will have more of the interesting wildlife chased away by crowds and is thus a great place to snorkel, explore, and spot sea life.

👉Local tip:

• Be prepared for a steep climb and narrow path to access this secluded beach.
• Escape the crowds and enjoy the pristine crystal waters and white-rock caves.
• Bring snorkeling gear to explore the underwater world and spot sea life.

Get your photo featured in our guides! Tag @eoniongr on social.

View on map 🗺️

More Guides: