Holidays in Zakynthos GREECE
Sunshine and a friendly welcome are a hallmark of this island. Called the "Flower of the East" centuries ago, Zakynthos offers an island of contrasts; stunning scenery, white cliffs, sleepy olive groves and dusky mountains.
Tsilivi is situated just up the coast from Zakynthos Town and has a mile-long crescent of golden sand. This picturesque, charming island has a distinctly village atmosphere with friendly tavernas, shops and bars. Laganas has possibly the best beach on the island, where the endangered loggerhead turtles nest, and you've the chance to venture to famous Smugler's Cove. Off the coast of the Peloponnese, where the Ionian Sea meets the Med, lies Zakynthos, yet another Greek island paradise. Holidays to Zante (or
Zakinthos) are perfect for those looking for great beaches framed by an even more stunning coastline. Clubbers and night owls are well catered for on a holiday to Zante with Laganas being the focus of all the fun. A Holiday to Zakynthos can also encompass those looking for peace and quiet and families too - Argassi and Tsilivi are the contenders here. Cheap holidays to Zakynthos? No problem. Try a self catering holiday away from school holidays or keep a beady eye on our lates pages. Talking of lates, those looking for a last minute Greek get away would be wise to consider Zakynthos, an island that has something for everyone. Once again, keep an eye on our last minute, late booking pages for the best deals.
Zakynthos is a wonderful place to go riding, and whether you're a Zara Phillips or a complete beginner you'll love the experience of taking your horse along trails and onto sandy beaches and through crystal blue waters. And don't worry, you'll have an experienced rider with you every step of the way. For watersports, head for St Nikolas beach in Vassilikos. You'll find jet-skis for hire as well as a whole host of novelty watersports such as bananas. Zakynthos is also a great island for scuba diving so you might be able to get close to the loggerhead turtles. Facilities are available in a number of locations. Not everyone is into sun, sea and sand, so an exciting alternative is to hire a mountain bike and head for the hills. The best areas are the hills inland from Vassilikos and the central mountain range east of Zakynthos Town.
Information about Zakynthos beaches
The natural beauties of the island, the wonderful climate during all seasons and the traditional lifestyle, have been attracting more and more visitors to Zakynthos island every year, creating numerous seaside resorts, with many hotels and apartments for the increased needs for accommodation. Zakynthos (
Zante) is a vacation spot for all types of tourists, since it provides hotel accommodation and other facilities for both budget travellers and more affluent holidaymakers. The restaurants and taverns on the island are abundant, serving international cuisine and a great variety of local dishes. If you want to experience Zakynthos nightlife, there are plenty of bars, clubs and discos to entertain from late at night to early morning. In Zakynthos Greece you will find one of the longest beaches in the Mediterranean, located on Laganas Bay, a beautiful seaside resort on the edge of a fertile valley.
Laganas Beach is endless, with fine sand and shallow waters. It also offers various water sports facilities, from windsurfing to waterskiing with a parachute and from diving to sailing. The most popular and probably most photographed of all Zakynthos beaches is Navagio (Shipwreck), which is located on the western side of the island. It can be accessed only by boat, has powdery sand and azure waters, and is surrounded by high cliffs. Other wonderful Zakynthos beaches are Argassi, Tsilivi, Alikes on the east coast. Zakynthos is especially recommended for those who love fishing, since there are plenty of fishing locations, such as the islets of Marathonissi and Pelouzo in Laganas beach. You will also find tennis courts, a mini golf course and horse riding facilities.
Zakynthos sites and attractions - Zakynthos highlights ...
The northern coast is littered with caves and seas eroded cliffs that act as a magnet for the pleasure boats. Most spectacular of all is the
KIANOUN CAVE which bathes in a light of shimmering blues best viewed in the early morning. Daily boat trippers also take in the caves at
SKLAVOU and the sulphur springs at
XINTHIA where the sand is so hot you need shoes for protection. There are boats from many resorts offering visits but it is usually better to drive to a northern port such as Agios Nikolaos then take a short boat trip. Sailing from the south take a long time getting there. Almost every visitor to Zante goes to see the notorious
Shipwreck Cove or Navagio, subject of more Zante postcards than you can shake a beach umbrella at, and few are disappointed. It is actually only an old steamer that struck the beach while smuggling cigarettes but the setting is perfect with a small sandy beach and steep cliffs all around. Photos like this are hard to get now as tour boats arrive every hour on the hour and the place is usually heaving with bodies. Views from the cliffs above are also far more dramatic than those from a boat arriving for is allowed slot of 60 minutes. Zante is famous for its Caretta-Caretta, otherwise known as rare loggerhead sea turtles, which come here between June and August every year. These beautiful, graceful creatures arrive in Laganas bay during the summer to nest and lay their eggs in the soft sands. Classed as an endangered species, they're rightly protected and monitored by the National Marine Park of Zakynthos island, which restricts watersports from the beaches along the bay and closes the sands to visitors at night. However, you can take turtle-spotting glass-bottomed boat trips from Laganas and may even get a glimpse of these rare creatures from a pedalo. If you do, treat them with the utmost respect - they've been around for 90 million years and sadly, their numbers are dwindling.
Laganas - On the South of the island it is the most touristy place of Zakynthos. It is also the main hotspot for nightlife on the island frequented both by Greeks and foreigners. It has lots of bars and clubs playing all types of music from greek to dance. The beach is very long, shallow and warm, ideal for families.
Laganas is the most preferred beach for the sea turtles Caretta-Caretta but the tourist explosion on this part of the island has driven the sea turtles on far end of the beach.
Zakynthos Nightlife - Clubs, Cafes & Restaurants
Nightlife of Zakynthos is shared in two parts, depending on people's preferences. For those who wish to pass a quiet evening, Zakynthos' center and Vassilikos village they are the ideal locations. You can enjoy a dinner under the sounds of Zakynthian cantata in one of the restaurants that exist. These regions are full of restaurants, taverns and cafeterias for those who prefer a relaxing night. For the other category of visitors, those who are fun of crazy entertainment, the suitable regions are in the southern part of the island Argasi, Tsilivi, Laganas, Alykes and Kalamaki. These are tourist centers and during summer are full of crowd. For this reason there are concentrated many bars, clubs and discos. The entertainment is ongoing; the party begins early in the evening and continues till sunrise. The music is loud and dancing never stops! Zakynthos' nightlife is crazy and exciting!!!!
Laganas is a top summer fun destination. The resort is mainly centred around R&B, HipHop and Dance Music and its DJ's pride themselves on having all the pre-releases and popular tracks. As a prime 18-30 holiday destination casual sex is common place. Please be aware that condoms are not freely available and there are no machines in pubs and clubs. There is one small chemist on the strip but it has limited opening hours. If you do intend to visit and are planning on casual sexual relationships be sensible and pack condoms! Sexually Transmitted Infections are common and treatment may not be immediately available.
The Zakynthian cuisine features pure and original dishes and flavours, and has really fascinated each tester. The traditional dishes of the past years are available until today eve from the large restaurants in the tourist areas. You may enjoy the exquisite local dishes, in the Taverns together with the local music, kantades & arekies songs, and together with the pure local wine of your preference. Most traditional Taverns are found in the city of zante, in Bohali and in the area of Vasilikos. For fresh fish you may choose one of the Taverns in Keri in Keri and Porto Roma. During your vacation, it worth?s visiting the mountain villages and the traditional taverns where all items are really homemade. Ask for the house made "village made" bread and for the local wine, and this meal will be to you unforgettable. The variety of Taverns and Restaurants in zante is large and apart from the traditional restaurants, there are many choices for International, Italian, Polynesian and Chinese Restaurants.
Climate and weather in Zakynthos GREECE
The climate of Zakynthos is perfect for a relaxing holiday. Zakynthos has mild and rainy winters with frequent rainfall, resulting in the island's lush vegetation. Weather in summer is hot and dry, but temperatures are pleasant, since cool breezes come from the Ionian Sea. Spring and fall Zakynthos weather is lovely and warm during the day, but just a little chilly in the evenings. We recommend taking a light jacket with you if you plan to come in the spring or fall.
The temperatures in Zakynthos island from January to March, range from 10°C to 17°C. In April and May weather is warmer, with temperatures ranging from the high teens to the mid 20s. The summer can get quite warm, and is highly appreciated by avid sunbathers and swimmers. From June to September temperatures are between the high 20s to the mid 30s. The weather in Autumn is still sunny though a bit cooler, as temperatures range in the high teens to the mid 20s. Late November and December are characterized by temperatures in the low teens and rainfall. The Meltemi wind gusts in Zakynthos, Greece in July and August, cooling the warmest days of the year.
Getting to Zakynthos island - flights & ferries - Getting arround ...
Zakynthos has its own international airport. Olympic flies 2-3 times daily to Zakynthos from
Athens even in the winter. Flight time about 60mins. There are also flights from Kefalonia on Monday and Wednesday. There are also UK flights from Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and Manchester in the summer. The island is well served by UK charter flights from April to October from Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, East Midlands, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Luton, Newcastle, Manchester and Stansted. Approximate coach airport transfer times to the major resorts are Alikes (75mins), Argassi (30mins), Kalamaki (15mins), Laganas (25mins), Tslivi (45mins), Vassilikos (90mins).
HELLENIC run regular ferries from Brindisi, Italy while SUPERFAST run ferries from Ancona, Brindisi and Venice to Patras, Igoumenitsa and
Corfu where you can catch connecting ferries to Zakynthos. BLUE STAR also operate similar routes. Regular daily services run from Kilini (Kyllini) on the
Greek mainland to Zakynthos with around seven ferries Monday - Saturday and three on Sunday. The crossing takes around 90mins. Buses go from
Athens to Kyllini but the journey takes four hours. Daily car ferry goes from Agios Nikolaos to Pessada on Kefalonia in the summer sea. Roads on Zakynthos are generally good where they serve the main resorts. Away from here though they can quickly deteriorate into rough tracks. Buses are cheap and efficient with regular daily services from Zante Town to the main resorts. Detailed timetables are posted in the bus station in Zante Town and you pay the driver.
Quick facts - Zakynthos overview
Zakynthos, or as the Italians call it
Zante, is the most southerly of the Ionian chain that follows the coastline of western
Greece. It is one of the more popular
Greek islands, featured heavily in travel brochures. The island has fertile plains, rough hills, wild cliffs and sweeping sands in roughly equal proportions and resorts vary from the idyllic fishing village to the brash, gaudy neon-lit nightmare of Laganas - the resort's 'golden mile' likened to a set from the science fiction film Blade Runner. The 1953 earthquake destroyed much of the island's Venetian heritage but unlike neighbouring Kefalonia, buildings were replaced by agreeable, if uninspiring, homes, in the main town of Zakynthos at least. Those who want to avoid the disco bars and hung over teenagers should head north, or visit in spring and autumn, especially spring when the island show why it earned the title 'blossom of the east'..
Two major events shaped modern-day Zakynthos. One is the catastrophic earthquake of 1953 which destroyed most of its elegant Venetian buildings and many of their inhabitants. The other is the construction of the airport brought tourists in droves, slammed cement mixers into overdrive and substituted lost elegance for new found breeze block - in the south at any rate. The north, of Zakynthos with its poor roads and inhospitable mountains, and the central plain full of gentle green rolling hills has avoided the worst of the development but access can be difficult.
At long last concessions have been made to save the loggerhead turtle that has the misfortune of sharing the beach at Laganas with British summer visitors, but they have been long and difficult in coming. Nowhere in
Greece is the evidence more stark of the Greek willingness to bulldoze beautiful beaches to make a fast buck. The south east peninsular has some of the best scenery and the quieter resorts for those not attracted to the downmarket delights of Laganas or Argassi.
