Navagio Beach, Greece

Navagio Beach, also known as Shipwreck Beach, is an exposed cove on the coast of Zakynthos in Greece's Ionian Islands. Agios Georgios was the original name for Navagio Beach. The place was extensively featured in the popular Korean drama Descendants of the Sun, sparking interest among Chinese and Korean visitors.

During heavy weather and poor visibility, the coaster MV Panagiotis ran aground on Navagio Beach on Zakynthos Island on October 2, 1980. According to certain rumors, the ship was smuggling contraband; however, official sources have not confirmed this, and the commander was not imprisoned for such offenses at the time. Recently disclosed court paperwork and images from the event support the smuggler's narrative, implying that Panagiotis was his route from Turkey with a cargo of illegal cigarettes bound for Italy. The ship went aground in the bay due to bad weather, and the crew abandoned ship to flee the following Navy.

After the skipper contacted authorities, 29 locals were convicted of plundering the ship's cargo and costly equipment. The ship was abandoned and is now buried in the limestone gravel of the beach known as Shipwreck. In 2018, the beach was voted the greatest in the world by over 1,000 travel writers and experts.

Location: Paralía Navagíou, 29091 Ionian Islands