The 3 Xigia Beaches on Zakynthos Island: everything you need to know

Xigia is a complex of 3 beaches, as can be seen from the image above, and is located on the northeastern coast of Zakynthos Island. Xigia’s most unique feature is the milky color of the sea, due to the presence of sulphurous springs flowing from nearby karst marine caves. This area can only be reached with a rental vehicle or by participating in our van excursion tour to Shipwreck Beach, which includes a one-hour stop in Xigia. Tourists generally only visit the most famous Xigia, which is the one located near a kanteen, but there are actually two other beaches that are worth visiting: let’s see them in detail.

1) Northern Xigia

This is the most famous Xigia beach of the three (see its position on Google Maps). Located a few hundred meters north of the other two, it is characterized by two karst marine caves located at the base of the cliff to the right of the beach, from where sulphureous water flows out. Because of this, the water temperature is colder on the surface at around 20°C. To walk down to the beach, you can use the path to the left of the parking lot or go down the stairs to the tavern. Since there are only 10 umbrellas on the beach, we recommend arriving early. The price for 2 deck chairs and an umbrella is € 10. Through an interesting pulley system, the tavern provides visitors with drinks and snacks without having to walk up and down the stairs to get them.

Where to park

Since it is a very busy beach, especially in high season, tourists often park on the street, but sometimes end up receiving a ticket of around € 40. The alternative is to use the tavern’s parking lot or the private lot “Xigia Parking“: the price for the whole day is € 3 in low season and € 5 in high season.

2) Middle Xigia

This Xigia beach is located just south of its most famous counterpart and is the most difficult to reach due a rugged access path. There is less sulfur in the water, sometimes making the “milky” effect not as noticeable. There are neither umbrellas nor deck chairs here, but the cliffs do provide some shelter during the hottest hours.

3) Southern Xigia

This is the southernmost Xigia beach (here its location on Google Maps). Here too the “milky” effect is not as noticeable, but instead its most distinguishing feature are the geese strolling on the shore. Since there are only 10 umbrellas on the beach, we recommend arriving early. The price for 2 deckchairs and an umbrella is € 8. Through an interesting pulley system, the local tavern provides visitors with drinks and snacks without having to walk up and down the stairs to get them.