Xigia Sulfur beaches in Zakynthos

How to get there

It takes about 30 minutes by car from Zakynthos town to any of the beaches. The road running from north to south is perfectly paved, however, as you approach the north, it becomes somewhat narrower.

In Xigia 1, there is a parking lot (here) where you can leave the car (4€ for 2h, 5€ all day). During high season, there are usually a lot of people, so you may have to park on the side of the main road.

Xigia Pelagaki and Xigia 2 are close to Xigia 1, even so, we recommend going by car to avoid walking up and down the mountain. There are fewer parking spots, so we recommend going early in the morning. You can leave the car along the dirt road or in some open area you find (here or here).

Xigia Sulfur beach 1

Once you have parked, it will take about 2 minutes to get there. It is a small beach with stones and sand protected by a vertical cliff on the right side. This causes natural shade to begin around 2:00 PM.

The color of the water is very beautiful, however, marine life is almost nonexistent. If you go for a swim, water shoes will help you walk on the stones. You should know that this is the smelliest of the three beaches, the boiled egg smell is quite strong. Around the beach, there are several caves (source of the sulfurs).

Before going down to the beach, you will see a shop selling souvenirs and a cantina with a terrace very cool terrace where you can have some typical dish and a drink (tourist price). You will also find toilets and a changing room. Additionally, during the high season, they have a cart (kind of cable car) to bring orders down to the beach. They also offer 2 sunbeds and 1 umbrella for 10€/hour.

The beach is quite small. Moreover, the presence of sunbeds and umbrellas further reduces the space. During the high season, it gets crowded, so we recommend going before 10:30 AM, otherwise, it is a place that completely loses its charm.

Xigia Pelagaki beach

It is the most remote of the three beaches and the one with the most difficult access. You can get there by swimming or climbing over some rocks from Xigia 2. We do not recommend trying to descend the sand slope next to the bar.

The beach is made up of  pebbles, due to its location there is no shade except in the afternoons. It is the most extensive of the three and also the least touristy, although several times a day boat tours stop here for about 15-20 minutes.

The color of the water is also quite beautiful, and similarly, marine life is almost nonexistent. It should be noted that the sulfur smell is not as notorious as in Xigia 1.

At the top, there is a food truck where you can get something to eat or a drink. 

Xigia Sulfur beach 2

This cove is next to Xigia Pelagaki, going down some stairs past the cantina. It is not very big, in fact, the strip of sand is quite narrow, so in summer it tends to get crowded.

It is quite beautiful, and like the other two, the beach is made of sand and pebbles. Underwater, similarly, marine life is almost nonexistent.

Due to the layout of the beach, there is shade in the afternoons. Additionally, there are umbrellas and sunbeds for rent (20€ per set). If you feel like having something, the food truck above serves food via a cart, just like in Xigia 1.

If there are too many people, you can continue walking along the rocks to the south and reach another somewhat more remote beach (Xigia Pigadi beach, here).