The shipwreck of Zakynthos, is the most photographed and award-winning beach, not only on the island, but in the whole country and gathers many visitors every day, during the summer.

It is located in the northwestern part of the island, 22 km from the center of Zakynthos.

The famous shipwreck of Zakynthos is located on a beach that has been included in the global lists of international destinations and top beaches in the world. The beach is accessible by boat by the sea, both from the port of Agios Nikolaos Volimon, and by tourist boat from the port of Zakynthos and Laganas beach. If you want to enjoy the magnificent view of the shipwreck from above, you can reach it by taking the road to the monastery of Agios Georgios of Gremna. From below the monastery, you have the opportunity to take panoramic photos.

Shipwreck of Zakynthos: The merchant ship "Panagiotis" with smuggled cigarettes worth 30 million drachmas

So it all started in the early 80s. Sometime in the mid-80s, the merchant ship "Panagiotis" ran aground on the sandy coast of Agios Georgios after a "battle" with the stormy seas and without fuel, loaded with thousands of boxes of smuggled cigarettes - the value of which was later estimated at 30 million drachmas, according to Maritime Economic Police patrol boat that detected the smugglers.

The ship, owned by a Kefalonian named Charalambos Kompoteklas, was smuggling cigarettes into Italy. The crew picked up the goods in the ports of Albania and Yugoslavia and after reloading in smaller boats, the goods were transported to the neighboring country.

Both the captain and the crew of the ship were originally from Kefalonia, and during the delivery of the illegal cargo they were always supervised by two Italian smugglers.

Specifically, the "Panagiotis" had departed from the port of Argostoli in Kefalonia on the night of September 12, heading for Piraeus, eventually heading for Malta, where, according to thebfindings of the Maritime Accident Investigation Council, it was loaded with 2,000 packets of cigarettes, which was transporting off the coast of Naples on behalf of the Camorra.

However, things did not go as originally planned, as the Mafiosi refused to pay the agreed money to the shipowner and the captain was forced to wait off Zakynthos for new instructions. So, after the arrest of the two Italians, the crew (seven people in total plus two representatives of the Italian mafia who were supervising the cargo) decided to sell the cargo on their own account. The two hostages remained locked in a cabin for 13 days (they drew lines on a sheet of metal so as not to lose the days), while the captain ran the ship aground in Spyrilis Bay to wait for new ones.

In time, not to be their ally, the "Panagiotis" runs aground in the bay of Spyrilis and the ship's crew begins to unload the cargo on the small sandy beach of Agios Georgios to try to get rid of the boat.