Alykes: Navagio, the Blue Caves and Xigia in 3h15
The north-east resort port most visitors miss — boat only, no bus leg, 3h15 to Navagio, the Blue Caves and Xigia's sulphur springs. Times, boats and prices.
Alykes barely appears in the search results for Navagio, and that is the only thing wrong with it. It is a resort town on the north-east coast with its own pier, its own boats, and a three-hour-fifteen-minute run that takes in the wreck, the Blue Caves and Xigia’s sulphur springs without a bus leg anywhere in it.
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Why this port gets overlooked
Search behaviour, mostly. Visitors search for “Navagio boat trip” or “Porto Vromi”, and the operators here are small and market locally rather than competing for the island-wide terms. The result is a departure with a fraction of the search visibility of its neighbours despite doing the same job.
If you are staying in Alykes, Alikanas or Tsilivi, this is very likely the most convenient Navagio trip available to you — and the pier is reachable by local bus, which is more than can be said for Porto Vromi.
The route, and why the order matters
The boat runs straight to Navagio first, before working back along the coast. That is a deliberate and genuinely useful piece of scheduling: you reach the bay earlier in the morning, when the light is still coming in from the east and before the day boats from four harbours converge on the same stretch of water.
Coming back, it stops twice — a wild bay or Porto Sellinas for the first swim, then the Blue Caves for the second — before a final call at Xigia. Xigia is a small sulphur-spring beach whose mineral content turns the water a pale milky green and gives it a distinct smell; the springs run noticeably cold where they meet the sea. A lot of people rate it the most memorable stop of the day after the wreck itself.
The boats
Xigia, Navagio Shipwreck and Blue Caves Boat Tour at $46 is the established option here — 292 reviews at 4.5, three hours fifteen minutes, departing 09:30 daily with an extra 13:30 sailing from 10 June. It must be booked at least 24 hours ahead. Our breakdown →
It runs two vessels, and the choice matters more than the price difference:
- The 19-seat speedboat is quicker and can push deeper into the Blue Caves.
- The 60-seat boat has a toilet and a snack bar and is a steadier ride — the better call with children, or if you are prone to seasickness.
Beyond that, this coast leans toward private hire: a private boat tour at $292, a self-drive boat from Tsilivi at $321 for those confident enough to skipper themselves, and a Xigia and Blue Caves run at $70.
Self-drive: read this first
Self-drive boat hire is a real option on this coast and an appealing one, but the licence rules are worth checking rather than assuming. Greek regulations generally allow a licence-free boat up to 30 horsepower, with a coastal limit of about three nautical miles. Rental firms on Zakynthos quote different figures — some as high as 60 hp — and we could not locate the primary regulation text to settle it. Confirm the limit with the operator before booking, and note that Navagio is an exposed west-coast run in a small boat.
What you won’t get
No landing and no swimming in the bay: prohibited through 31 October 2026, boats holding about 50 metres offshore (current status). No cliff-top viewpoint — that is a road trip, covered under land and sea. And on the boat-only departures, no food or drinks.
Who should leave from here
Alykes is the obvious choice if you are staying on the north-east coast, if you want the Blue Caves and Xigia bundled with the wreck, or if you want a boat-only trip that still covers the north coast properly — three hours fifteen with no minibus, which is a very different day from the eight-to-nine-hour land-and-sea tours.
Look elsewhere if you are based in the south with no car, or if the shortest possible crossing is what you are after — that is Porto Vromi, an hour’s drive away.
Frequently asked questions
Where is Alykes and how do I get to the pier?
Alykes is a resort town on the north-east coast of Zakynthos, about 25 minutes by road from Zakynthos Town. The pier is in the town itself and is reachable by local bus from Alykes and Alikanas — unusual among Navagio departure points.
How long is the Alykes boat trip to Navagio?
Three hours fifteen minutes, covering Navagio, a swim stop at a wild bay or Porto Sellinas, the Blue Caves and Xigia beach.
What time do the boats leave?
09:30 daily, with an additional 13:30 departure from 10 June. Booking is required at least 24 hours in advance and seat numbers are limited on both vessels.
Speedboat or the big boat?
The 19-seat speedboat is faster and gets further into the caves. The 60-seat boat has a toilet and a snack bar and rides more steadily — better for families and anyone who gets seasick.
What is Xigia beach like?
A small sulphur-spring beach on the north-east coast. The minerals turn the water milky green and carry a strong smell, and the springs are cold where they enter the sea. It is a genuinely distinctive stop, and unique to the northern departures.
Pick Your Port, Then Book
Porto Vromi is the shortest crossing at about 25 minutes each way. Agios Nikolaos pairs the wreck with the Blue Caves. Zakynthos Town makes a full day of it. Free cancellation on most departures.
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