CHARMING KORAKONISSI – A secluded natural pool between the islands of Zakynthos and Korakonissi. Greece
Korakonissi Island is located in the South-West of the Greek island of Zakynthos. This side of the island is known for its steep rocky shores, unusual dizzying landscapes and fabulously beautiful bays of the Ionian Sea. These bays are ideal for relaxing, swimming and enjoying nature, but, as a rule, there are no gentle slopes to the sea on this side of the island. Therefore, this direction is not very developed. There are almost no hotels there. There is no public transport going there. And even independent tourists traveling around the island in rented cars rarely get there.
In this regard, the road towards Korakonisi is almost deserted. With every kilometer, there are fewer and fewer cars, and after a while they completely cease to meet on a winding road.
Throughout the journey, we did not meet a single sign indicating that the road leads to Korakonissi Bay. Although, perhaps, he was somewhere, but we, distracted by the surrounding landscapes, simply missed him.
Closer to the destination, the road began to narrow, the asphalt ended, and instead a carelessly poured concrete pavement appeared, with small pebbles scattered on it. This greatly increased the angle of descent. We slowed down, drove through part of the section at a leisurely pace, and then stopped altogether to get out of the car, look around and assess the situation. We had to decide what to do next. In our experience, on the island of Zakynthos, the presence of such dubious slopes leading to the sea at a steep angle does not always mean that a car can pass them, or rather, climb up on the way back, especially if it is not an SUV, like ours, and with a negligibly weak engine. Another question worried us how much further the path would narrow down, and whether this narrowing would allow us to turn around later on the way back, given that there could be dangerous mountain cliffs around.
Looking around, we decided to drive a little lower. After 100 meters a wooden gazebo appeared. It offers a general view of the island of Korakonissi, but the bay itself is not completely visible, or rather, that narrow part where it is possible to move from one island to another. From the pavilion there was a continuation of the path down, steeper and more unpredictable, but we did not take risks and continue the descent by car. We turned around on a patch near the gazebo, and parked as tightly as possible with our left side to the mountain wall, just in case, so as not to block the already narrow passage, all of a sudden someone would drive here and decide to go down by car even lower.
Then we continued the descent on foot, sometimes stopping, admiring the nature.
At the very end of the path there are two benches, one on the left side and the other right on the mountainside. There is a cliff in front of the bench. A beautiful and at the same time dangerous place, one unfortunate step forward from the bench and head over heels down. It really will be - the very last bench on the island of Zakynthos, both literally and figuratively.
But the views from here are amazing!
Further behind the benches there is a steep descent leading along the stone ledges of the rock to the sea and the neighboring island of Korakonissi.
Gusts of warm wind can appear in the gorge, because of which the hair from the head continually strives to fly away.
The descent is fenced with railings, but everywhere, and in some places the railings are broken and stagger. In addition, sometimes you have to walk on high natural steps (stone ledges) about 1 meter high. Therefore, I would like to warn everyone who is going here that the descent and ascent will be very difficult and dangerous for the elderly, as well as families with children.
The last steps are gigantic. I help my daughter down, and we are already there.
Here it is - the sea border between the island of Zakynthos and the island of Korakonissi.
The distance between the two islands in this place is so small that in order to be on the neighboring island of Korakonissi, you just need to step over the sea. Yes, yes, step over.
And now we are on the island of Korakonissi. Beauties!
On our arrival, the wind was blowing here, and therefore there were ripples on the water. But when there is no wind here, just imagine, the water would be like in a pool - and so transparent, just incredible! No wonder this place is also called the natural natural pool Korakonissi.
At the foot of the island Korakonissi there is a large hill in the form of a heap of black sharp stones. In the photo it looks like a mound of stones, but in fact it is not. All these black stones are tightly glued together. We are not experts in the field of volcanology, but it seems that many years ago there was some kind of strong thermal process, probably a marine volcano, squeezing out molten lava from its depths, the cooled traces of which we now see.
Stone ledges, in some places sticking out of the water, also consist of the same rock.
Climbing the rock of Korakonissi Island, you can admire the rocky wild landscape, or get to the stone arch that covers a small enclosed bay. From the arch you can jump into the water from a height of 3 to 20 meters. But such jumps are not suitable for everyone, but only for lovers of extreme sports. We are not one of those people.
Inside, the water is cool and dark blue, and the depth in this place is from 20 to 30 meters.
On the opposite side, Korakonisi Bay has a side of the open and more stormy sea. This place is deep. And getting in and out of the water can be dangerous, especially when the wind is raging and the waves are driving, breaking them on the sharp stones of the shore.
And even in our example, as soon as we stepped there, our daughter's cap was immediately blown away by a strong wind and carried into the sea.
Is it possible to swim in Korakonissi? - Yes, you can, but only in the bay itself, where the water is calmer. Please note that due to sharp stones, entering the water is problematic, so you need to swim in special rubberized shoes that do not jump off your feet.
The day we arrived here, we were all alone here. Such beauty and only for us! Not a soul around. But on a third-party photo of a more recent date (see below), by the number of people swimming in the water, it is clear that this place has begun to gain, albeit modest, but popularity.
It is also worth noting that there is practically nowhere to hide from the sun and you can easily get burned. Therefore, if you plan to relax in Korakonissi bay, be sure to bring some shelter with you, such as large towels. Lie down and lie down here will also not be easy, because. there are almost no horizontal planes for these purposes. And before descending here, do not forget to take drinking water with you, otherwise climbing back uphill for water is another adventure.
But now a small summer cafe Taverna Snackbar Korakonissi has appeared above the bay, built on the mountain slope of the island of Zakynthos, with a panoramic view of the Ionian Sea and the island of Korakonissi. The cafe is made from natural building materials such as stone, logs and straw, and therefore fits well into the surrounding mountain landscape without disturbing the natural appearance of the area.
• a unique geographical location with a natural pool and fabulous views
• crystal clear water in the sea bay, the fish can be seen as in an aquarium
• almost no people, almost wild place
Flaws:
• Difficult, if not impossible, descent and ascent for the elderly and families with small children.
Korakonissi coordinates on interactive map • Get directions
Is it worth it to visit? – To be honest, if fate once again threw us to the island of Zakynthos, then we would definitely visit Korakonissi again.
Recommended!
In this regard, the road towards Korakonisi is almost deserted. With every kilometer, there are fewer and fewer cars, and after a while they completely cease to meet on a winding road.
 |  |
Closer to the destination, the road began to narrow, the asphalt ended, and instead a carelessly poured concrete pavement appeared, with small pebbles scattered on it. This greatly increased the angle of descent. We slowed down, drove through part of the section at a leisurely pace, and then stopped altogether to get out of the car, look around and assess the situation. We had to decide what to do next. In our experience, on the island of Zakynthos, the presence of such dubious slopes leading to the sea at a steep angle does not always mean that a car can pass them, or rather, climb up on the way back, especially if it is not an SUV, like ours, and with a negligibly weak engine. Another question worried us how much further the path would narrow down, and whether this narrowing would allow us to turn around later on the way back, given that there could be dangerous mountain cliffs around.
Looking around, we decided to drive a little lower. After 100 meters a wooden gazebo appeared. It offers a general view of the island of Korakonissi, but the bay itself is not completely visible, or rather, that narrow part where it is possible to move from one island to another. From the pavilion there was a continuation of the path down, steeper and more unpredictable, but we did not take risks and continue the descent by car. We turned around on a patch near the gazebo, and parked as tightly as possible with our left side to the mountain wall, just in case, so as not to block the already narrow passage, all of a sudden someone would drive here and decide to go down by car even lower.
Then we continued the descent on foot, sometimes stopping, admiring the nature.
At the very end of the path there are two benches, one on the left side and the other right on the mountainside. There is a cliff in front of the bench. A beautiful and at the same time dangerous place, one unfortunate step forward from the bench and head over heels down. It really will be - the very last bench on the island of Zakynthos, both literally and figuratively.But the views from here are amazing!
 |  |  |
Gusts of warm wind can appear in the gorge, because of which the hair from the head continually strives to fly away.
 |  |
The last steps are gigantic. I help my daughter down, and we are already there.
Here it is - the sea border between the island of Zakynthos and the island of Korakonissi.
 |  |  |
And now we are on the island of Korakonissi. Beauties!
On our arrival, the wind was blowing here, and therefore there were ripples on the water. But when there is no wind here, just imagine, the water would be like in a pool - and so transparent, just incredible! No wonder this place is also called the natural natural pool Korakonissi.
 |  |
Stone ledges, in some places sticking out of the water, also consist of the same rock.
Climbing the rock of Korakonissi Island, you can admire the rocky wild landscape, or get to the stone arch that covers a small enclosed bay. From the arch you can jump into the water from a height of 3 to 20 meters. But such jumps are not suitable for everyone, but only for lovers of extreme sports. We are not one of those people.
Inside, the water is cool and dark blue, and the depth in this place is from 20 to 30 meters.
On the opposite side, Korakonisi Bay has a side of the open and more stormy sea. This place is deep. And getting in and out of the water can be dangerous, especially when the wind is raging and the waves are driving, breaking them on the sharp stones of the shore.And even in our example, as soon as we stepped there, our daughter's cap was immediately blown away by a strong wind and carried into the sea.
 |  |
Is it possible to swim in Korakonissi? - Yes, you can, but only in the bay itself, where the water is calmer. Please note that due to sharp stones, entering the water is problematic, so you need to swim in special rubberized shoes that do not jump off your feet.
The day we arrived here, we were all alone here. Such beauty and only for us! Not a soul around. But on a third-party photo of a more recent date (see below), by the number of people swimming in the water, it is clear that this place has begun to gain, albeit modest, but popularity.
It is also worth noting that there is practically nowhere to hide from the sun and you can easily get burned. Therefore, if you plan to relax in Korakonissi bay, be sure to bring some shelter with you, such as large towels. Lie down and lie down here will also not be easy, because. there are almost no horizontal planes for these purposes. And before descending here, do not forget to take drinking water with you, otherwise climbing back uphill for water is another adventure.VIDEO: We are in Korakonissi bay
Cafe nearby
Taverna Snackbar Korakonissi
More recently, in the area of the Korakonissi bay, within a radius of 4 km from it, which along a winding mountain road, there was a distance of about 7 km from the bay, there was not a single cafe and no other building, not a soul around. And that was the case during our visit.But now a small summer cafe Taverna Snackbar Korakonissi has appeared above the bay, built on the mountain slope of the island of Zakynthos, with a panoramic view of the Ionian Sea and the island of Korakonissi. The cafe is made from natural building materials such as stone, logs and straw, and therefore fits well into the surrounding mountain landscape without disturbing the natural appearance of the area.
 |  |
Advantages and disadvantages of Korakonissi bay
Advantages:• a unique geographical location with a natural pool and fabulous views
• crystal clear water in the sea bay, the fish can be seen as in an aquarium
• almost no people, almost wild place
Flaws:
• Difficult, if not impossible, descent and ascent for the elderly and families with small children.
Korakonissi coordinates on interactive map • Get directions
Summary
What is Korakonissi? - This is the name of the island, and the name of the bay, and even the name of a stone beach, albeit wild, but where you can swim in the amazingly clear waters of the Ionian Sea, and at the same time be one step away from the island of Zakynthos.Is it worth it to visit? – To be honest, if fate once again threw us to the island of Zakynthos, then we would definitely visit Korakonissi again.
Recommended!
