Things to do
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Blue Caves
On a short boat trip from the harbour at Agios Nikolaos, you watch the sea turn an almost neon blue inside limestone caves at the northern tip of Zakynthos.
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Bochali
A hill quarter above the town, reached by a winding road, with a small square of tavernas looking down over the harbour toward the Peloponnese. Above it, the ruined Venetian castle spreads across the hilltop among pines, a quiet walk inside long walls. The castle grounds are ticketed and open fewer days in winter.
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Byzantine Museum
On Solomos Square, the museum gathers icons and church paintings rescued from the ruins of the 1953 earthquake. The collection traces the Ionian school, where Byzantine icon painting met the art of the Venetian Renaissance. Carved and gilded iconostases salvaged from damaged churches stand in its ticketed halls.
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Keri Lighthouse
At the island's southwest tip, the lighthouse stands on cliffs that drop sheer into the sea, with rock arches in the water below. A cafe beside it stays open into the evening, and the headland faces west over open water for the sunset. The road out passes through the hill village of Keri.
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Marathonisi
Loggerhead turtles nest in the sand of this uninhabited islet in Laganas Bay, and a boat from the south coast of Zakynthos lets you swim off its beaches and into two small sea caves.
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Navagio Beach
Stand on the clifftop platform above Anafonitria and look down on the Panagiotis, a rusting freighter on the sand of a small cove walled in by cliffs.
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Alykes Beach
Long and sandy, this north coast beach suits sea kayaking as well as a swim. Buses from Zakynthos Town run to Alykes and Ammousi five times a day from Monday to Saturday, and not at all on Sundays. A Sunday visit needs a car or a taxi.
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Church of Agios Dionysios
The church of the island's patron saint stands at the southern end of the harbour, its bell tower recalling the campanile of San Marco in Venice. Inside, the saint's relics rest in a silver casket and painted scenes from his life cover the walls. A small museum beside it holds icons and church silver, and covered shoulders are expected in both.
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Gerakas Beach
A long sandy crescent at the tip of the Vasilikos peninsula, backed by pale clay cliffs and one of the island's main turtle nesting beaches. It opens from early morning until sunset. Visitors stay within a marked strip near the waterline and keep their own umbrellas out of the sand. A small turtle information centre stands on the path down.
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Kalamaki Beach
This calm, low-key beach on the east coast lies a short drive from the airport, and its quiet suits families. Zakynthos Town is about ten minutes from the airport by car, so the beach also works as a half day from a base in town.
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Keri Caves
Sea caves in the cliffs of the south coast near Keri, reached only on a guided boat trip from Keri itself. They draw far fewer boats than the Blue Caves in the north. The trips also point out Poseidon's Profile, a rock face shaped like a bearded head.
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Korakonissi
Near Agios Leon on the west coast, a small cove with a rocky islet just offshore and clear teal water around it, and far fewer visitors than Navagio. Cars park on the road above, and a path leads down to the water. No lifeguard covers this remote coast, so check the sea before swimming.
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Mizithres
Two tall sea stacks stand off the cliffs near Keri in the southwest, with a small, secluded cove beneath them. The cove is reached mainly by boat, and the stacks show best from the water. Boats from Keri pass them on the way to the Keri Caves and the rock face called Poseidon's Profile.
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National Marine Park
Laganas Bay on the south coast is protected as a marine park for loggerhead turtles, which come ashore to nest from late May through August. Licensed boats run turtle-watching trips under park limits on speed and distance. The nesting beaches close at night, and by day visitors keep to a narrow strip by the water.
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Plakaki Beach
Clear water and very few visitors, even in July and August, make this the quiet choice on the south coast. The area around Keri is far quieter than the resorts of the east coast. Turtle nesting keeps hotels off the sand along this coast, and no watersports are offered.
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Porto Limnionas
A narrow rocky inlet on the west coast with no sand at all: swimmers climb down from flat rocks and ladders into deep, glassy water. A taverna sits on the headland above. The open sea faces west, so the evenings end on a long sunset. The road in is narrow, with limited parking at the end.
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Porto Vromi
Below the village of Maries on the west coast, this small harbour gives the shortest boat ride to Navagio Beach, so most Navagio trips start here. The boats run along the cliffs and usually stop at the Hidden Treasure Cave on the way.
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Porto Zante Villas & Spa
Villas by the sea within easy reach of both the airport and Zakynthos town, for a stay that runs on the property rather than the beach scene.
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Solomos Museum
Set on St Mark's Square, the museum honours Dionysios Solomos, the island poet who wrote the Greek national anthem. His tomb lies here beside that of Andreas Kalvos, another Zakynthian poet. Upstairs rooms hold manuscripts, portraits and furniture from the island's old families. Entry is ticketed, and it is a short walk from the harbour.
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Volimes and Anafonitria
Two quiet villages in the northwest of the island, with villa-style stays. Both sit close to the Navagio clifftop viewpoint, and a stay here needs a hire car. Above Volimes, a restored stone windmill looks out to sea and stays quiet even in peak summer.
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Xigia Beach
A sulphur hot spring runs into the sea at this small cove under sheltering cliffs, and it tints the water milky near the shore. Public transport on the island is limited, so a hire car is the practical way to reach it.
