Plakaki beach in Zakynthos

Plakaki beach in Zakynthos

Zakynthos, Greece

Plakaki Beach is a virgin and little-touristed spot located on the Greek island of Zakynthos. It is a rocky cape with access to the sea, notable for its impressive white rock formations and crystal-clear waters, offering a unique and isolated experience for the adventurers who dare to visit. If you are looking for a sandy beach, this is not the place for you.

How to get there

It’s located on the southwest coast of Zakynthos, about 40 minutes by car from Zakynthos town. From Agalas, the roads become narrower and more winding. However, they are perfectly paved, so driving with a bit of caution should not pose any problems.

There is an area where you can leave the car (here). It is not large, so despite being a little-touristed spot, if you go in the summer season there might be no parking space.

Before reaching the parking area, we recommend stopping for a moment at Plakaki Viewpoint (here). This viewpoint offers an impressive panorama of the surroundings. If there is no space in the lower parking area, you can always leave your car here.

Once parked, you will need to descend by walking along a path on the edge of the cliff. Although there are handrails to help you, it is somewhat tricky because it is quite narrow, steep, and with irregular steps, so be patient. It should take you about 15 minutes to reach the bathing area.

Plakaki beach

Upon reaching the lower area, you will find an expanse of white rock. If you continue to the left (2 minutes), you will reach the end of the cape, where you will find several flat rocks that you can use to relax (again, there is no sand).

On the left side, there is a slope you can use to go down to the sea (again, be careful) and swim in a bay with several caves. Although marine life is practically nonexistent, we recommend bringing a snorkel to explore the rock formations of the caves and see the light contrasts underwater. Water shoes will also be useful for getting in and out of the water as well as in the caves.

You can do cliff diving cliff diving from some rocks. The swimming area is quite deep, but there are places with large protruding rocks, so you should check the jumping area beforehand.

On the right side, you can go down to a natural pool, although this area is not as protected as the previous one and could be dangerous on windy and wavy days.

The area lacks shade for most of the day, so don't forget to apply sunscreen.

It is a very little-touristed and completely virgin place. Apart from a food truck in the parking lot that only opens during the summer season, you won't find any bars or restaurants.

You can watch the sunset from Plakaki. You should have enough time to get back to your car before it gets dark.

Despite the difficult access, it is completely worth it.