If Greece is famous for anything during the summer tourist season, these are definitely the wonderful islands and the countless beaches of all kinds, that cover and satisfy all tastes.
With golden beach or white pebbles, organized or not, accessible by car or only by sea, whatever one asks for on the Greek beaches will surely find it. Until shipwrecks can find. Rusty trunks of ships, washed up next to or on the shore, which stand proudly in time, have been assimilated by the landscape around them and are now a point of reference but also a popular attraction of each destination.
Here are the five most popular of them all, which not only captivate with their impressive scenery, but also arouse curiosity with the stories and myths that follow them.
Shipwreck "Panagiotis", Zakynthos
Its most photographed and award-winning beach Zakynthos, maybe the whole country, is located in the northwestern part of the island, in the wider area of Volima, at a distance of 22 km from the city center of Zakynthos.
Its name is due to the shipwreck of the ship "Panagiotis" in 1983. The merchant ship, which was carrying smuggled cigarettes, was sailing off the Ionian Sea when it was pursued by the authorities, as it was considered suspected of smuggling. Unable to escape from them and due to the bad weather conditions the master was forced to run aground on the white sand of the beach, where it is found to this day.
The impressive landscape of Navagio beach is enchanting with the rusty trunk of the ship being "lying" on the golden beach, which is surrounded by the turquoise waters of the Ionian Sea, while on the back of the bay rise imposing, steep cliffs.
If you want to enjoy the magnificent image of the Shipwreck from above, you will reach it by road to the monastery of Agios Georgios of Gremna. From the iron platform just below the monastery you will have the opportunity to take panoramic photos.
The beach is reached by sea by boat from the port of Agios Nikolaos Volimon, as well as by a tourist boat from the port of the city of Zakynthos and the beach of Laganas.
Shipwreck "Olympia", Amorgos
One of its most interesting and impressive sights Amorgos It is found in Liveros bay in the area of Kalotaritissa, in the western part of the island.
The scenery you get when you get here is so impressive that it is not surprising that this point inspired director Luc Besson to make part of the shooting of the famous film "Infinite Blue", announcing the beauties of Amorgos around the world. .
The ship "Olympia" that sank here, was built in 1950 under the name "Island", while in 1979 it was renamed "Strymon". At some point in February 1980 he was found sailing as "Olympia", now in the waters of the Aegean when he found himself in a storm during which north winds were blowing 10 Beaufort. "Olympia" remained ungovernable - the whole crew managed to escape and go ashore - with the sea "washing" it in the bay of Livero.
According to various accounts, his crew were modern pirates, who were heading from Cyprus to Greece.
Since then, remaining half submerged in this quiet bay in the southwestern part of Amorgos, it is one of its most impressive sights. The image one sees with the rusty, now, ship looks quite melancholic one would say.
Shipwreck "Dimitrios", Gythio
On the beach of Selinitsa, in Laconia and at a distance of only 4 km from Gythio, the wreck of the ship "Dimitrios", built in 1950, is a reference point for the area and a top tourist attraction. Also known as a ghost ship, the stories and myths that follow it from December 1981 whenever it was found immobilized in the area many. One of them talks about an illegal cigarette shop, the second wants to smuggle between Turkey and Italy, while the third of them talks about a ghost ship with an unknown owner.
The most prevalent, however, and according to local witnesses, wants the 67-meter ship Dimitrios (formerly named Klintholm) to be abandoned by its owners due to financial difficulties. "Dimitrios" had run aground due to the illness of the captain in Gythio in December 1980 and until June of the same year remained in the same dangerous place for the public, as the port authorities had warned the owners, because it had been tilted from the inflow of water into its hull.
The non-response of the shipowners resulted in the ship being still at the same location until November 1981. Ermeio, now, due to the unfavorable weather conditions, was swept away from his anchorage and washed by the sea on the beach of Selinitsa, northeast of Gythio, in December of the same year. The beach with the golden sand and the crystal clear sea is also known as the breeding ground of the loggerhead sea turtle.
Shipwreck "Dimitrios P.", Gramvousa - Crete
An integral part of the landscape of Gramvousa, the shipwreck "Dimitrios P." It has been rusty in the dreamy turquoise waters of the area since 1968. A characteristic element of the tiny island, it is also a pole for spearfishers, as it is an interesting fishing spot.
The ship sailed from the port of Chalkida in December 1967 bound for North Africa and a cargo of 440 tons of cement. Adverse weather conditions forced it to moor in Diakofti bay in Kythira until January 6, 1968. Sailing to its destination, it encountered bad weather again and, thus, changed course and headed to the northwest coast. Crete. There, he anchored with both his anchors in the southern part of the island of Imeri Gramvousa at a distance of about 200 meters from the coast.
The bad weather on January 8 broke the chain of an anchor, the captain failed to hold the ship and so the engine room filled with water, forcing the crew to evacuate the ship and disembark safely on the island of Gramvousa. The Navy destroyer "Ierax" transported the crew to Souda, leaving behind the wrecked ship, which today is a reference point for the area, which is accessible only by sea with tourist boats departing from Kissamos.
Shipwreck "Nordland", Kythira
Particularly popular for the impressive seabed that has developed around it, the shipwreck "Nordland" is located just opposite the seaside village of Diakofti, in the port of Kythera, in the eastern part of the island.
The Russian cargo ship collided with the islet of Dragonares in August 2000, as according to the stories that have been created around this crew, it had drunk a little more, as a result of which it flooded its engine room and sank halfway to the stern at a depth of about 30 meters. .
This particular shipwreck is one of the most recognizable images of the island, as over time, it is now an integrated and integral part of the relief of the overall landscape of the area, while at the same time it is a popular diving spot for both Greek and foreign divers.