A WEEK IN ZAKYNTHOS
Zakynthos or Zante as it’s also known (a ‘souvenir’ from the Italian occupation) is one of the largest Greek islands and is the southern most of the Ionian island. Like most of the islands and mainland there is a treasure trove of history on the island, however we are not here to give you a history lesson but we will mention things as we go around and you can research them before your trip.
Your flight will land you close to Zante town so we will head north after a visit to the town, working our way around the island in an anti-clockwise direction.
Zante town is on the east side of the island and is the capital of Zakynthos. Zakynthos was rebuilt after a wildfire destroyed everything that had been left by the catastrophic earthquake in 1953. So, as Greek cities go, it’s actually quite modern. Definitely not the most scenic city in all of Greece, and It may not immediately charm visitors, but it does have its own local flare. There are numerous restaurants here, a few pedestrians only streets and a beautiful seafront promenade that faces a natural harbour filled with parked ferries, fishing boats and sailboats.
The coast road, known also as Santa Marina Street leads to Dionysios Solomos Square which is the largest on the island. There you will see the statue of Dionysios Solomos (the national poet who wrote the national anthem). You will find it in front of the Byzantine Museum and 2km away from Zakynthos Town you will find Strani’s Hill. This hill is famous as Dionysios Solomos wrote the the national anthem there. IN addition to the stunning, panoramic view of Zante Town, this place is worth visiting for the famous poet’s monument and bust surrounded by pines and olive trees.
Another famous square of Zante is the Saint Marcus square. During the 18th century it was the center of social and political debating among the prominent figures of the island. The Museum of Dionysios Solomos, Andreas Kalvos and other Eminent Personalities of Zakynthos is housed in a Neoclassical building at the square of Saint Marcus. Portrait of prominent figures of Zakynthos, personal items of Dionysios Solomos and many of his handwriting are displayed.
The Church of St Dionysios stands at the southern end of the waterfront, near the ferry jetty, is devoted to the patron saint of Zakynthos, Saint Dionysios. Inside has incredible works in gilt and well worth a visit.
The Byzantine Museum is the largest on the island and is located on the central waterfront plaza. This magnificent museum of ecclesiastical art is mostly a collection of items rescued by volunteer sailors in the aftermath of the earthquake that destroyed much of Zante in 1953. Inside you will see how they have captured how the island was prior to the earthquake some dating back as far as the 15th century.
Katro, the ruins of a 15th Century Venetian fortress sits atop the wooded slope that looms over the town centre. You can reach this by a steep but enjoyable 15 minute hike or a 2.5 km drive. It is now essentially a peaceful forest park. The exact date of construction is unknown but it was destroyed by the invading Turks in 1480, then restored in 1515. It stands as a testament to the former glory of Zakynthos as a Venetian military stronghold.
Due mostly to the geographic location, the Ionian islands were occupied over time by the Turks, French, British, Venetians and Russians (one at a time of course!) and the Venetians left behind some of the most imposing sites – you will have seen them on Corfu, and you will also see them on Kefalonia if you go there.
Last but not least we urge you to visit Bohali. It is located on a hill above Zakynthos Town. You will find many restaurants and cafe-bars with a magnificent view over the city and the port. During night or day, having a cup of coffee or a drink it is definitely worth a visit. Try also “frigania”, a delicious local dessert.
You really should experience a traditional Greek night in Pigadakia Village – Kaki Rahi Taverna, with Spiros the owner. He even runs a tractor road train transfer from Alykanas and Alykes, so you don’t to have to drink and drive. Greek music, bouzouki, dancing .. typical Greek village food and drink … put on your dancing shoes and get ready to dance to ‘play bouzouka’ and ‘Zorba the Greek’ … just to name a few. Not many places now do the plate smashing but you might see Spiro do some of his fire throwing and table lifting. Great night out to let your hair down and join in the party!
Xigia beach, is THE beach for a natural sulphur spa! Another incredibly scenic beach on the island of Zakynthos. Xiogia beach is located in the Koroni region on the north-eastern coast. This secluded cove is guarded on three sides by large cliffs, the water is beautiful and there’s a sulphur hot spring there. Xigia Beach is located on the eastern coast of the northern part of the island and you can only get there by car, The beaches in this part of the island are small bays, mostly pebble, as is the sulfuric beach. In the water in this region of the island sulphur is being mined, so the water contains large amounts of it. When swimming by the beach you can see the characteristic turbidity in the water – between a small crack in the jagged rock walls that surround Xigia Beach is a sulphur spring that oozes a smelly, milky white substance into the water, turning the sea around it a little bit cloudy.
It’s the sulphur that gives the beach its name, but before you get too deterred by the smell, be mindful that sulphur is known to help muscle and bone pain, as well as skin problems. You’re basically swimming in a fountain of youth, so if you must, plug your nose until you get used to the smell, jump in and enjoy the health benefits of this breathtaking beach. The water can be cold and also be ware that not too far from the beach the water gets very deep very quickly.
The only disadvantage of the bath -and for about one day after bath, you will have the distinct smell of sulphur no matter how hard to try to wash it off! There are 2 sulfuric beaches; one more wild, away from the road (about a 10-15 minute walk from the road) and the other by the road. Cars mostly stop by the second beach (so if you are looking for a nice quiet spa, go to the first one! There is a tavern, it’s not cheap but because the beach is placed much lower (at the very bottom of the cliff), the tavern invented a novel mechanism for transporting food to the beach – in the form of a ‘rollercoaster’ There is a basket carrying orders from the tavern on the cliff to the reception on the beach – so you are paying for the novelty not the quality of the food! But you have to try it, so depending on your budget, you could just order an ice-cream once you are on the beach!
Skinari – the north tip of the island. The natural surroundings are not only spectacular but are also important environmentally – there is a rare plant that is found only here in Skinari and nowhere else in the world.
The Blue Caves are one of the most popular attractions of the island of Zakynthos. Discovered in 1897 by Antonio Komouto, the caves, or rather remnants of caves, attract thousands of visitors every year. The Blue Caves, which start around Agios Nikolaos and stretch to Skinari Cape, are a series of geological formations created naturally by erosion. The area, a hot spot for scuba diving aficionados, features a succession of limestone arches through which small boats can travel. It’s possible to visit some of the caves, including the biggest one, Kianon (from the word cyan), where you can admire stalactites hanging like chandeliers from the top of the cave.
What is most spectacular about these natural wonders is the unique colour of the water found inside. As light reflects onto the water, it gives an eerie and ethereal blue colour to anything that touches it, including you. If you want to admire this natural phenomenon, it is best to visit the caves in the morning when the light is abundant. It is also a perfect time to admire the whole coast and swim in the translucent turquoise waters. However, if you can’t make it in the morning, a later afternoon visit is equally inviting, when the sea takes on a reddish hue, due to the setting sun.
Accessible by boat, the Blue Caves are usually part of an organised boat tour that also includes the Shipwreck Beach, which is a bit further away. You can find boats departing for the caves in the little harbour of Agios Nikolaos, only 10 minutes away, or Porto Vromi on the western coast. And if you are looking for something more adventurous, you can drive by car until you reach the small mill near Skinari Cape. From there, you can go down to the sea by way of steps, and at the bottom, you will find some rocks from where you can dive and swim and start exploring the caves.
Shipwreck Cove – on the north west coast you will find Shipwreck Cove or Smugglers Cove also called Navagio Beach, which is probably the most famous beach in Greece and recognised worldwide. It can only be accessed by boat but is well worth the trip. This stunning stretch of white sand and impossibly blue water is protected by a natural harbour with terrifyingly tall 200 metre high cliffs on 3 sides.
Bang slap in the middle of the beach is a decaying ship. A myth has it that this was a tobacco smuggler’s ship that crashed into the beach during a storm, when seemingly it’s just a cargo boat that ran ashore. Whether you believe the romantic story or not doesn’t matter, the massive ship resting on the sand definitely adds to the charm and allure of this spectacular sight.
There are two ways to see Navagio Beach, either by sea or from the top of the cliffs. There are no roads leading directly to the sand, so to swim in the water and see the shipwreck up close, you’ll have to take a boat tour – either an organised tour or you can hired one. If we have not said this already, one of the best ways to see any of the Greek islands is from the water, and boat tours and rentals are available from most towns on the islands. The cheapest option however would be to drive to the closest cove to Navagio Beach and hop on a boat from there.
In Porto Vromi (just south of Navagio) you can take a boat tour to Shipwreck Cove, to see it from above (highly recommended), you’ll have to drive your car to the viewing platform at the north end of the bay. It’s really easy to get here by car as there are signs everywhere and it’s well-marked on Google Maps. The parking lot is right next to the platform, so you can drive right up, get out of your car, snap a few photos and then drive off. Please don’t be tempted to walk to the cliff edge to get better views, there have been some horrible accidents.
Porto Limionas is definitely one of the most scenic coves on the island, and on an island blessed with countless picturesque bays, that’s really saying a lot. Limnionas is a deep natural harbour surrounded by multicoloured cliffs and some of the clearest water you’ll see. The green rocks reflect the sun from below and light the sea up like an aquarium.
You can relax at the Limnionas Tavern and choose from dozens of sunbeds (€4 each) hanging over the edge of the rocks looking down towards the sea. The tavern here serves up reasonably priced food, cold beer and tasty drinks. Despite the crowds, this breathtaking secluded cove surrounded by jagged cliffs is one of the most picturesque beaches on the island , rivalled perhaps only by the world famous Navagio Beach. Perhaps most famous for the dazzling colours of the sea here and the calm, secluded waters are great for swimming. There is not really much of a beach as such but one the popular past times if you are up for it is jumping off the nearby cliffs into the sea below.
Keri Village, Caves and Cliffs – the area of Keri perfectly combines the green of the vegetation and the olive trees and the blue of the sea. You can literally swim while looking at the olive trees that cover the area of the lake of Keri and the hill where the village is built. This place on the southwest end of the island is all about the views. You can park your car right next to the cliffs and walk out on the rocks for gorgeous views out over the impossibly blue sea and (sometimes) turtles and lighthouse down below. Keri cliffs are one of the best places on the island to watch the sunset, you can watch the sun on the horizon as it disappears into the sea taking with it all the oranges, reds and purples. You can get a boat tour (or hire) to go into the Keri Caves, as well as turtle spotting. The village has a lot of character, so worth having breakfast or lunch there in Greek style.
The small island of Marathonisi lies in the bay of Laganas and is under the protection of National Marine Park of Zakynthos, due to it being being a habitat of the logger head turtles. You may heard it called Turtle Island. Apart from the turtles the island is uninhabited, and it is home to two beautiful beaches, one sandy and one pebbly. The pebbly one is smaller and water deeper but there are several sea caves to explore.
Caretta-caretta turtles – logger head turtles. If you’re in Zakynthos during mating season (May to October) you might be able to see them on Laganas Bay.. You won’t just see Turtles in the Ionian Sea either! There are plenty of soft and hard corals, as well as fish and crustacean life that find a home in the rocky underwater topography near Zakynthos.
There are 6 beaches, approximately 4 kms in length, in the bay of Laganas that used to host between 800 – 1800 nests. The females come ashore between June and August, at night, and drag their bodies (up to 100kg) up to the dry sand where they dig a chamber between 40-60cm deep and deposit over 100 eggs where they leave them to incubate. Their job done they make their way back to the sea.
The surviving hatchlings emerge about 2 months later and return to the sea. 20 -30 yrs later, the female adults will return to their natal beach to reproduce. Over recent years the numbers have seriously reduced and access to the beach is prohibited after sunset in order to leave the turtles undisturbed. A fully grown turtle can grow up to 1.3 mtrs in length and weight 100 kg. Why not sponsor a turtle and do you bit for the future of the caretta-caretta turtles: stps@archelon.gr
Laganas is also a very busy popular resort if you are looking for a good night out!
From here you will be heading back toward Zante town to then turn ‘right’ and head south again to Argassi Bridge, Porto Azzuro and Gerakas beach – you can visit going down the ‘peninsula’ or on the way back up.
Gerakas – pronounced (Yer-ak-as), this beautiful stretch of sand in the far south eastern end of the island is the perfect place to relax. The sand here is a reddish colour and so are the surrounding cliffs, but the water is crystal clear and it’s relatively quiet here. You are almost at the most southern point of the island, if you go any further you will end up on the nudist beach – don’t say we didn’t warn you! Lol!
You can rent reclining beach chairs for approx €4 each, but there is no food or drinks served on the beach as it’s a marine protected area (turtles come here to nest from time to time). If you want any snacks or refreshments, it’s best to buy them from the shops at the top of the hill before walking down the stairs to the beach.
The water here is very shallow but gets deep enough to swim about 100 meters out from shore. Chilling out on beach chairs here is one of the most relaxing things to do in Zante.
Porto Azzuro – Yet another breathtaking cove (yes there are a lot but this one is named after the clear blue water), Porto Azzuro is a great place to chill out for the afternoon. There is a cluster of rocks in the water at the south end of the beach that makes for great snorkelling and excellent photos. The water here takes on a greenish-blue hue and there’s a decent beach bar here called Porto Azzuro Beach Bar, but expensive so if you are on a budget, use the foam esky you bought earlier to stock up with some drinks and snacks.
There are sunbeds for rent if you choose, or just lay/sit on your towel on the sand and enjoy looking out at the stunning view over the bay. Porto Azzuro is perhaps most famous for its light-coloured sand and dramatic stone mounts that jut out from the crystal-clear Ionian water. It’s also known for being one of the best beaches to visit that’s close to the Capital of Zakynthos, Zante Town.
Argassi Bridge is located in In Argassi (a town close to Zakynthos Town. The Venetian bridge dates back to 1885, consists of 3 arches and used to be part of the main road. Half of it sits on the shore and half is emersed in the sea due to many years of erosion from seawater and wind.
This now brings you back up towards Zante town for your flight back home. Along the way you will have also seen many monasteries, beautiful little Greek villages with beautiful Greek people happy to chat to you and show you their village and way of life. If you are looking for a holiday that has a happy blend of rest, fun, history, culture, food and drink, Greece definitely ticks all those boxes!
Sources include::
greeka.com
feelgreece.com
theculturetrip.com
goatsontheroad.com
google!
