One provision in a recently tabled draft bill that mostly included tax breaks and business incentives foresees the transfer of the maintenance, protection and exploitation of the famous Navagio beach on the Ionian Island of Zakynthos (Zante) from the central government to the isle’s municipality.
The “exploitation” portion of the wording in the draft bill refers to an admission fee that will now be required to visit the site, and which will be collected by the municipality.
Navagio in Greek means “shipwreck”, an apropos name for the secluded cove on the island where the rusting hulk of an alleged smuggling vessel remains beached since 1980.
Recent reports cite a danger that the remaining skeleton of the small motorship is at risk of disappearing entirely.
Over the past four and a half decades the cliff-surrounded beach, also called “Smuggler’s Cove”, has gained international notoriety, with Chinese and Korean television series, among others, even filming at the location.
