Hi guys! Since most of us will be traveling close to home this summer, I decided to make a series about Greece, my favorite European country. First is the Zakynthos Travel Guide, an Ionian island also known as Zante. Here’s what you can’t miss when you go there and where to eat.
Where to stay and how to get around?
Zakynthos is known for Shipwreck Beach and is a famous party island. We stayed in the small Achillion hotel in Ammoudi away from the crowds and with its own pool and calm beach. Next to it is Panorama Studios & apartments, where you can use the same pool. We rented a car and a cheap boat to get around the island.
What to see?
You can visit Shipwreck Beach (Navagio Beach) only by boat or you can go to the viewpoint. Rent your own boat or join an excursion, but I really recommend renting a boat if you’re 2 to 4 people. It’ll cost you less than €50/person fuel included for an entire day. This way you can beat the crowds as well, but make sure you stay until the bay is out of the shadow and the water turns the most amazing color. We started in Agia Nikolaos and passed by the famous caves and amazing deserted white beaches. Take your snorkel equipment with you and make a wondeful day out of it.
In Agios Sostis you can cross the bridge to Cameo island. You can join an excursion to Turtle Island and the most spectacular so-called Blue Caves. Inside, the bright blue sea reflects the color of the sky, which is mirrored off the walls of the caves. You can swim through them, so don’t forget your bathing suit. We took the last one of the day, which I really recommend! It also included turtle spotting from the boat. Check out these excursions including Cameo Island of Turtle Island.
If you see 10 boats pulling up alongside one turtle with hundreds of people jumping in at once, you should tell the guide that you don’t approve. This stresses out the animals and can cause harm to the ecosystems.
With crystal-clear, blue-green water set against a backdrop of cliffs and caves, Porto Limnionas is one of the top secluded swimming spots on the island. Great for a day of relaxing, cliff jumping and snorkeling.
National Marine Park in Laganás Bay is the breeding ground for the loggerhead sea turtle, which is an endangered species. If you see them hatch, like we did, make sure you do they following:
- stay at a distance
- don’t pick them up to bring them to the ocean
- keep silent
- don’t create a path for them
- stay out of their sunlight
- tell others to do the same
Just let them be and watch them reach the water from a distance. To learn more, visit the park’s exhibition center.
Xigia Sulfur Beach is another incredibly scenic beach on the island of Zakynthos. There’s even a sulfur hot spring here, which creates the strange smell.
Where to eat?
Zákynthos or Zante Town is a great place to shop and go out. I recommend having dinner in Movida restaurant in Bohali, which looks over the city and has incredible food. It’s also close to the ruins of the old Venetian palace.
Το Στέκι Της Γεύσης / To Stéki Tis Géfsis Grill House (The Hangout of Taste) is the place to be for meat lovers and all things grilled and Greek, we went back multiple times because it was SO good.
Make sure you have a delicious dinner at Lofos Restaurant so you can watch a beautiful sunset with an amazing view.
If you want to watch my Zakynthos Travel Guide in video format, here it is:
I hope you found this Zakynthos Travel Guide handy. Thank you for reading it. Let me know if you have any questions in the comments. If you’re interested in travel in Greece, you might also like my Crete Travel Guide or my Peloponessos Travel Guide.