Hotels in Zakynthos

Zakynthos (also called Zante) is the third-largest of Greece's Ionian Islands, lying about 20 km off the western Peloponnese coast. The Venetians who ruled the island from 1484 to 1797 nicknamed it Fioro di Levante - Flower of the East - and the floral imagery still suits the place. Dense vegetation, citrus groves, and currant vineyards cover the eastern plain, while the western half rises into a mountainous plateau ending in dramatic limestone cliffs and the highest point at Mount Vrachionas (758 m).

Most visitors come for the coastline. Navagio Beach (Shipwreck Beach) - a turquoise cove walled by 200-metre cliffs with the rusted hull of the freighter MV Panagiotis grounded on its sand - ranks among the most photographed beaches on earth. The Blue Caves at Cape Skinari, the loggerhead turtle nesting bay at Laganas (home to Greece's first National Marine Park), and quieter west-coast spots like Porto Limnionas and Keri Caves round out the natural attractions. The capital, Zakynthos Town (locals call it Chora), sits on the eastern coast and rebuilt itself in Venetian style after the 1953 Ionian earthquake levelled most of the original buildings.

The island is small enough to circle by car in a day - roughly 40 km long and 20 km wide - but rewarding enough to fill a full week. Beach season runs from May through October, with July and August the hottest and busiest. Spring and autumn bring mild weather, far fewer crowds, and most attractions still open. Zakynthos International Airport "Dionysios Solomos" (ZTH) sits 4.3 km south of the capital, served by charter flights from across northern Europe, and a ferry from Kyllini on the Greek mainland connects the main port.