A popular tourist destination in Greece will undergo restoration work in a bid to save its iconic beach.
Navagio Beach, or Shipwreck Beach, is an exposed cove, sometimes referred to as “Smugglers Cove”, on the coast of Zakynthos, in the Ionian Islands of Greece.
The popular beach and its 43-year-old shipwreck are one of the island’s most photographed and visited attractions on the island.
The shipwreck beach is surrounded by pristine white sands surrounded by dramatic limestone bluffs, making the bay one of the island’s most infamous spots.
The restoration project, among many others, is in a bid to improve the island of Zakynthos.
Greek government officials announced recently a major restoration project will commence in a bid to save the iconic spot, once voted the best beach in the world.
The beach is famed for the wreck of MV Panagiotis that ran aground in 1980.
Rumours added to the shipwreck’s infancy include the crew abandoning it during a severe weather incident to escape a pursuing navy while carrying contraband onboard.
The rusted wreckage has remained on the beach since then and has suffered serious damage from weather elements and landslides over the years.
As such, the beach has been closed to the public since September 2022 after huge rocks fell into the bay after a 5.4 magnitude earthquake hit the island in 2018.
Work to restore this spot and protect the beach will begin in early 2025, with the Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund (HRADF) leading the effort as part of a £308,376,500.00 (370 million Euros) investment package for the island’s infrastructure.
According to the Deputy Minister to the Prime Minister, Thanassis Kontogiorgis, the shipwreck restoration project has already begun and includes all the necessary licensing required.
Once completed, the management of the once-popular tourist spot will be handed over to the government of the Municipality of Zakynthos.
The shipwreck restoration project is one among many other major initiatives introduced to help improve Zakynthos.
Other projects on the horizon include the construction of a floating marina, a port deepening project, improvement in waste management and other essential developments to improve the island’s infrastructure.
Revenue generated from the tourist development of Zakynthos will be returned to the municipality.
Another small part of this revenue will be paid to the Natural Enviromnent and Climate Change Agency (OFYPEKA) and the National Economy and Finance Ministry.