Zakynthos

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.