Zakynthos
Photo: Greece Field Guide
The Verdict
An island of two halves: the white cliffs and turtle beaches of the south and west, and an east-coast resort strip that most people see first.
Why go
Zakynthos is the shipwreck — Navagio, a rusting coaster in a cove walled by white cliffs — and it is the turtles, because Laganas Bay is the most important loggerhead nesting beach in the Mediterranean. Between them they have made the east coast one long strip of hotels and bars, which is not the whole island. Away from it the west coast drops away in cliffs from Keri to Cape Skinari, with the blue caves at the northern end, the interior is green with vineyards and hill villages, and Zakynthos Town, rebuilt in an unlikely Venetian style after the 1953 earthquake, has the best food and the only winter life.
Understand the place
The southern Ionian island known for the shipwreck cove and the turtles that nest on its beaches, with a green interior few visitors bother with.
Where to swim
Beaches
Beyond the built
Outdoors & nature
Laganas Bay
Laganas Bay on the south coast of Zakynthos, the main loggerhead nesting site in the Mediterranean, with a long shallow sandy beach.
“A wide sandy bay where loggerhead turtles nest every summer — the most important nesting beach in the Mediterranean, with a party strip at one end.”
The Blue Caves
The sea caves and arches at Cape Skinari on the north coast of Zakynthos, where light reflected off pale rock colours the water blue.
“Arches and caves in the cliffs at the north end of Zakynthos where the water turns an electric blue.”
Towns & villages
Easy to combine with
Logically reachable by transport. Confirm current ferry/flight schedules before booking.
Nearby
Related
Sources
Booking links
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