On our way on this winding street, we could already catch a glimpse of the sea and of the amazing landscape which surrounds this bay, but we didn’t see the bay yet. I was excited like a little kid on her first school day. To be honest, the picture from Navagio beach or Shipwreck beach actually made me go to Zakynthos, a Greek Island which I didn’t know before. And of course I wanted to get the best pic of me and this amazing view. But it was a bit tricky to find the correct spot, so let me pass you my best tips on how to get to the viewpoint of Navagio beach and where the best picture spot is.
Update 2023: Some readers of this blog have reported that it is not possible at all anymore to get to the famous picture spot. However, you can still go to the official viewpoint which is directly at the parking lot. See below for more information.
Update 2021: Some readers of this blog have reported that you can’t get to the viewpoint anymore. Apparently, there are guards that block the way.
You might be lucky in low season though. Please let me know if you have been there and the viewpoint is accessible again in the comments on the bottom of this page. So that I can share this information with everybody who is reading this blog post.
Thanks & enjoy your time in Zakynthos!
How to get to the viewpoint of Navagio beach and how to find the best picture spot
In order to find the best picture spot of shipwreck beach, you have to choose the right viewpoint. There is an official viewpoint north of the actual beach. At this viewpoint is a little balcony where you can sneak a view of the beach and the shipwreck. However, this is not the perfect picture spot. We also jumped over the wall which was built there for security reasons in order to get a better view – but this is not really worth it and it is a bit dangerous, so don’t do it. Then the view looks like this:
But the best view you can get is when you walk more to the right (to north) along with a little path through a field of rocks and bushes to a headland which gives you the best view at Navagio beach from above. From the viewpoint balcony, we didn’t believe that this headland on the right would give us a better view of the beach, but it does! So if you think you are heading to the wrong spot, it is the right one and it this is how to get to the viewpoint of Navagio beach – the good one I mean.
Arriving there, you have a wide range of places to choose from. Don’t go all the way to the end of the headland, you won’t have a good view there. The best spot is right in the beginning when you start seeing the beach from the headland, like here:
Or kind of in the middle of the stretch:
Alright, so this was the first tip on How to get the best selfie of Navagio beach.. But the timing is crucial.
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How to get to the viewpoint of Navagio beach: The perfect time
If you head to the viewpoint in the morning there will be shadow in the whole bay.
If you head there at midday there will be sun and the sea will sparkle in many shades of turquoise, but there will be plenty of boats and people at the beach and the bay which will distract your pic.
If you go to the viewpoint of shipwreck beach in the afternoon there will be shadow again in the bay plus hundreds of people.
Thus, go there in the evening, at around 6 p.m. We were there in June, arrived there at 5:30 p.m. It took us more or less half an hour to find the perfect picture spot and then we spent another half an hour there catching the perfect shot.
In July or August, it might be better to go a bit later, because there is no shadow and the sun is burning in the sky on good days.
Another tip on how to get the best selfie of Navagio beach: Only go there when the sky is clear because only then you will get to see the beauty of the clear and turquoise water.
What about a boat tour to Navagio beach?
The boat tours to Navagio beach don’t give you the possibility to get to this viewpoint I was speaking about. You can’t climb up to any viewpoint from Navagio beach itself. Nor is a stop at the viewpoint included in the standard boat tours.
How to get to the viewpoint of Navagio beach? Walk from the beach or by car?
The only way to get there is by car or by cab. In general, I recommend to rent a car when staying in Zakynthos as the island is pretty compact and in every direction of the island are beautiful spots. It would be a pity if you only stay at the location of your hotel.
This is the address of the viewpoint of Navagio beach:
Navagio Beach view
Elation 290 91, Greece
How to find the best picture spot & which camera to use?
The bay of Navagio beach stretches quiet long. Therefore a wide-angle lens is recommended. However, if you only have a standard lens for your DSRL 20 mm work as well. Most (newer) smartphones are also suitable because they have a wide angle in general as well.
The coolest shots and most flexible would be a drone. I decided to leave my drone at home due to the strict drone laws in Greece. Even for small drones (like my DJI Phantom Standard 3 I would have needed one). But a license is not enough, you have to authorize it at the town hall of Zakynthos and probably some more paperwork. So if you want to take your drone to make sure to know about the latest drone laws and fulfil them.
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Is the boat tour to Navagio beach worth it?
For me, clearly NOT. We were at the viewpoint first and were so amazed by this view and this stunning beach. It is true it is one of the most impressing beaches I’ve ever seen.
The day after we went on a boat tour to the beach and it was just horrible. Plenty of boats, hundreds of people, you can’t even swim because boats are leaving and arriving non-stop.
I read this negative opinions before we went to Zakynthos but due to the cheap price of the tour (15 Euros), we still decided to do it. It was NOT WORTH IT AT ALL and destroyed a bit the image we had when we were at the viewpoint. SO PLEASE LISTEN TO ME AND DON’T GO TO THE BEACH. Better visit these beautiful beaches of Zakynthos which I am describing in another article.
What else is left to say about how to get to the viewpoint of Navagio beach?
The sunset at the viewpoint of Navagio beach is breathtaking. The sun is not setting in the bay of Navagio beach but next to it and it dips the whole see in red colour. Very magical and big, big recommendation to take a bottle of wine and sit on the wall of the viewpoint balcony and enjoy the sun setting into the sea.
I hope this tips about how to get to the viewpoint of Navagio beach and the best picture spot will help you! And after you took your perfect shot, put away your phone and your camera, sit down and actually enjoy this beautiful scenery 😉
Zakynthos may be famous for this beach, but there are so many more pretty beaches, paradise bays, romantic restaurants to discover. So don’t focus too much on Navagio beach and rather discover the rest of the wild west coast of the island – very worth it and not touristy. Read all my insider tips about Zakynthos in this blog article.
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We loved our time in Zakynthos- in particular visiting Navagio beach!
Many often wonder if you can just do the boat trip and skip the view from the top…. The short answer is NO! You will thank me for it when you see it for yourself.
I thought I would share a post from our perspective as well… hope that’s okay 🙂
https://thewelltravelledfamily.com/2016/05/01/a-day-at-navagio-beach-zakynthos-greece/
Yes I totally agree. The view is even better than the beach. I will check out your blog as well 😉 maybe I can find some Zakynthos tips for next time 🙂
great post
Thanks VERY MUCH!! Will definitely follow your recommandations this summer!!
You’re welcome! Hope you will have a great time in Zakynthos!
wow amazing tips, i will definitley follow them . i was just about to book the boat trip thatr now is even more expensive on (get your guid€)
Hi Angela, so happy that the tips were useful! And thanks for the price update, I’m sure other readers are happy to have this information! Best, Maria
It’s close now. They have security watching.
Hi Ron, thanks for sharing this update with me and all readers. Too bad that you can’t get to this viewpoint anymore. I will update my blog post accordingly. Thanks & hope you still enjoyed Zakynthos! Best, Maria
They have blocked off every path with a view. The guards are pretty aggressive. I’m pretty sad about it.
Hi Amber, thanks for sharing this update! I will update this blog post accordingly. Too bad that you can’t get there anymore 🙁