Zakynthos

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Overview

Zakynthos, also known by its Italian name Zante, is an island of two stories. The southern and southeastern shorelines are dominated by heavy – and often low-quality – package tourism, although even here there are some attractive lower-key bases hiding just out of sight of the larger, run-of-the-mill resorts; examples include Keri and Limni Keriou in the remoter southwest. Once you leave the south behind, however, and set off to explore the rest of the island, you'll discover a different place altogether. It's one where plenty of forested wilderness and traditional rural villages remain, but it’s the spectacular scenery of the rugged west coast, where mighty limestone cliffs plummet down to unreal turquoise waters, that’s the true highlight.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

Byzantine Museum

Zakynthos

This magnificent museum of ecclesiastical art is housed in a beautifully restored building on the central waterfront plaza. Almost everything here was…

Shipwreck Beach Viewpoint

Zakynthos

The most dramatic sight along the west coast is magnificent Shipwreck Beach. A favourite of Instagrammers travelling through the Greek islands, the beach…

Church of St Dionysios

Zakynthos

Devoted to Zakynthos' patron saint, the Church of St Dionysios (1948; rebuilt following the 1953 earthquake) stands at the southern end of the waterfront,…

Logothetis Organic Farm

Zakynthos

The 80-hectare Logothetis farm produces purely organic olive oils (some flavoured with orange, lemon and other fruits) as well as olive-oil products. You…

Monastery of St George

Zakynthos

In an evocative clifftop site, the Monastery of St George has an interior covered in faded frescoes. The strange tower at the centre of the complex was…

Museum of Solomos

Zakynthos

To give it its full name, the Museum of Solomos and Eminent Zakynthian People houses not only the archives of island-born poet Dionysios Solomos (1798…

Kastro

Zakynthos

A ruined Venetian fortress sits atop the wooded slope that looms over the town centre. Reached by a steep but enjoyable 15-minute hike or a circuitous 2…

Gerakas Beach

Zakynthos

The best beach in the south, Gerakas is a strand of fine sand that faces the Bay of Laganas. It's also a crucial turtle-nesting site, so visitor numbers…

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