The Idiot MedTrekked almost 40 kilometers on the Ionian island of Zakynthos yesterday to reach Shipwreck Bay, which the Michelin Guide contends is “probably Greece’s most famous natural landmark.”

Why didn’t he simply take one of the many boat trips around the island to arrive at sandy Shipwreck beach, which the Michelin also claims is “the most famous in Greece”? After all, a relaxing sea jaunt would have even included a diving excursion in the Blue Caves at the northern tip of the island. Or he could have just plunked down fifty euros for an air-conditioned taxi ride to the dizzying viewing platform above the inaccessible-by-land bay.

The Idiot MedTrekked not only because he is conscientiously gathering anecdotes for the sequel to “The Idiot and the Odyssey: Walking the Mediterranean.” But also because he’s a firm believer in The Idiot’s Theory of Aesthetic Appreciation. This dictates that the level of appreciation of an object increases in the eye of the beholder in proportion to the distance, time and struggle involved in MedTrekking to see it (AA = D + T + S).

Consequently The Idiot patiently strolled along the coast and cautiously climbed over the limestone peaks from Zakynthos Town (contemporary habitués call the place Zakney but the Venetians, who ran Zakynthos from 1489 to 1797, called it the “Flower of the Levant”) to Shipwreck Bay @

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The daylong MedTrek, which was dedicated to The Idiot’s deceased brother Lars who would have celebrated a birthday on September 9, definitely reconfirmed the accuracy of The Idiot’s Theory of Aesthetic Appreciation. Although the Michelin got a little carried away, there’s no denying the beauty of Shipwreck Bay after a long walk to get there.

Wonder why they call it Shipwreck Bay?

Zakynthos is short a sail from Ithaca, the island home of Odysseus and his son Telémakhos. Odysseus almost certainly saw Zakynthos on the way to Troy while Telémakhos floated by two decades later when he was heading out to visit some of his dad’s pals from the Trojan War in the Peloponnese.

They both might have seen what is now called Shipwreck Bay but they definitely did not see the shipwreck, which dates from only three decades ago when the Panayotis was beached here (before the shipwreck, the bay was called Agios Georgios after a nearby village). However, they both would have noticed that the bay is accessible only by sea because of steep limestone walls on either side.

These limestone cliffs make Shipwreck Bay accessible only from the sea.

The Idiot’s MedTrek to Shipwreck Bay passed through some delightfully named mountain villages — including Orthonies, Anafonitria and aforementioned Agios Georgios – but even visitors who came by car were treated to the same dizzying view of the beach, the towering white limestone cliffs and the turquoise blue water.

No bum view for tourists who didn’t Follow the Idiot.

Shipwreck Bay seen from a suspended viewing platform.

However only one person yesterday benefited from the thrill of MedTrekking to Shipwreck Bay to fully experience The Idiot’s Theory of Aesthetic Appreciation. The Idiot’s still so excited about it that he’s taking a day off to shave, do his laundry and visit a Greek Orthodox monastery near Kylini.

Text and Photos: Joel Stratte-McClure

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About Joel

Joel Stratte-McClure has been a global trekker since the 1970s. He lived in France for over 30 years, working as a journalist, before he turned his attention to a unique life-time-project of walking the shores of the Mediterranean. The first 4,401 kilometers are explored in his inspirational and entertaining first book "The Idiot and the Odyssey: Walking the Mediterranean." The next 4,401 kilometers are covered in the gods-filled sequel, "The Idiot and the Odyssey II: Myth, Madness and Magic on the Mediterranean,” published on Valentine's Day 2013. The last 4,401 kilometers will be discussed in the last book of the trilogy currently entitled "The Idiot and the Odyssey III: Alexander the Great Walks the Mediterranean."