ZANTE, as the Italians call it, or ZAKYNTHOS, its Greek name, is the most southerly of the Ionian chain of holiday islands that follow the coastline of western Greece.
One of the more popular islands for a Greek holiday, Zante features heavily in holiday travel brochures every year and is a firm favourite for cheap holidays in Zante.
Zante island has great holiday beaches, fertile plains, rough hills, wild cliffs and sweeping sands in roughly equal proportions.
Resorts vary from the idyllic fishing village to the brash, neon-lit nightmare beach resorts like Laganas with its 'golden mile' likened to a set from the science fiction film Blade Runner.
Two major events shaped modern-day Zante. One is the catastrophic earthquake of 1953 which destroyed most of the island's elegant Venetian buildings and many of its inhabitants. The other is the construction of the airport which brought Zante beach holiday tourists in droves, many now taking advantage of cheap flights to Zante.
The major Zante package tour areas are along the coastal strip north-west of Zakynthos Town and the huge bay of Laganas to the south. Elsewhere expect pretty villages, quiet beach coves and some breathtaking scenery if you choose cheap holidays to Zante.
The north, with its poor roads and inhospitable mountains, and the central plain full of gentle green rolling hills, has avoided tourist development but access is not as easy as the rest of Zante.
At long last concessions have been made to save the loggerhead turtle on the beach at Laganas. Nowhere in Greece is the evidence more stark of the Greek willingness to bulldoze beautiful beaches to make a fast buck.
An earthquake destroyed much of Zante's Venetian heritage but, unlike neighbouring Kefalonia, buildings were replaced by agreeable, if uninspiring, homes.
Those who want to avoid the beach disco bars and karaoke clubs should head north and west, or visit in the spring and autumn - especially spring when Zante shows why it has earned the title 'Blossom of the East'.
Zakynthos Town
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The small, scruffy port of ZAKYNTHOS TOWN has made few concessions to tourism. Rebuilt after the 1953 earthquake with a sterile formality, it has little charm, despite a magnificent setting in a large bay with the Bochali hills behind. Quake-wrecked Venetian buildings were bulldozed and replaced by solemn edifice.
The atmosphere in Zakynthos Town improves inland at Solomu Square, a large area that's thronged with strollers on a summer evening, walking past the tavernas and cafes that line the triangular marble-paved piazza. The square is dominated by a statue to the island's favourite son Dionysius Solomos, the writer of the Greek national anthem. Zakynthos wasn't his favourite island however - he lived and died on Corfu.
The food served in the square is marginally better than the burger and chips staple of many Zante resorts - but waiters have developed the annoying habit of touting passers' by for trade and meals can be expensive.
Tavernas also line the maniacally busy Strada Marina seafront road - part of a Zankynthos Town one-way system that is stuffed with screaming mopeds and thick with petrol fumes. This is the main route to the ferry port so Strada Marina is always busy.
Zakynthos Town has three museums, all of them fairly interesting. The Byzantine Museum is probably the best, with a few 17th century paintings of the Ionian School and some good icons.
A couple of churches survived the 1953 earthquake. Agios Nicholas which dates from 1561 has recently been renovated, and the spectacular Agios Dionysius, often lit up like a fairground at night, contains some good icons and a magnificent carved silver coffin containing the relics of the island's patron saint.
The road north out of Zakynthos Town runs behind a disappointingly shabby beach backed by vineyards and orchards.
The long stretch of coastline north-east of Zakynthos Town has become, apart from Laganas Bay, the most commercialised part of the island. Good, sandy beaches and shallow waters make this part of the Zante coast very popular with families and holiday companies have moved in in force.
This is now burger and chips territory, though nothing like the outrageous neon nightmare that has made Laganas a notorious byword for boozed up holiday Brits abroad. More Bournemouth than Blackpool, it is a firm favourite with families who are looking for little more than sun, sand and karaoke.
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Tsilivi beach Zante
Bouka beach Zante
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About 6km north-east from Zakynthos Town is TSILIVI, a family type place with a long, wide beach increasingly favoured by package tour operators. Many tourists are shacked up in cement apartments at nearby PLANOS which backs onto a beach below TRAGAKI.
Tsilivi has a pleasant sand beach with umbrellas, showers and toilets, though the latter are not the cleanest on the island and you are better off using any of the many tavernas that back onto the sands.
The sea is very shallow and safe for children and there are fewer stones at the eastern end. Heavy winter rains can wash sand away at the western end of Tsilivi beach to reveal rocks and stone.
There are the usual watersports you expect on a popular family beach and Tsilivi beach being north facing can get windy enough for windsurfers to let rip. Low dunes and scrub give Tsilivi beach a wide-open feel.
But it's fags, not flags, that Tsilvi beach suffers from - thousand of fag ends litter the shore. Readers recommend heading for the beach below Alexandre, set in a small cove that gets regularly cleaned.
Tsilivi resort itself is packed with restaurants, reasonably priced but nothing special. The menus appeal to burger-Brit tastes - you will find a chip shop and a McDonalds here. Plenty of family-type entertainment too - karaoke bars, crazy golf, bowling and so on.
A busy main road carves its way through the middle of the resort at Tsilivi and there are no pavements and little light, so take care of the kids at night.
Transfers: Tsilivi is about 15min from Zante Airport - 10km.
To the west of Tsilivi are a whole clutch of pretty and slightly less populated beaches at TRAGAKI, LIMANAKI, AMBOULA and BOUKA. The clutch of fine beaches makes this area very popular with tour companies. Bouka has a pleasant sandy beach and an attractive little fishing harbour.
The beaches on this part of the Zante coast get quieter as you head east and the road to Bouka also leads to the remains of a Venetian observatory. In the distance, offshore, holidaymakers get a glimpse of the neighbouring holiday island of Kefalonia. Inland at SARAKINDA is a small water park, but few recommend a visit - most think it a disappointment.
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Alykanas beach Zante
The resort at ALYKANAS sits on the headland of a huge sandy bay that sweeps around to neighbouring Alykes. Less busy than its neighbour Alykes, Alykanas is nevertheless slowly turning into a standard burger and chips British resort.
Tavernas, shops and supermarkets, line the resort's one main street and Alykanas has become a very popular destination with families and young couples in recent years.
Soft sand shelves gently into the sea and Alykanas beach is backed by low dunes, scrub and olive groves. There is a small harbour with fishing boats for added interest. A large hotel complex dominates one end of Alykanas beach.
There are all the usual facilities you expect on a busy beach and Alykanas has safe, shallow waters. The sand narrows and turns to pebbles as you approach Alykes. Cigarette ends and seaweed are a bit of a nuisance here, as are the DVD sellers that tout for trade among the sunbeds.
Alykanas resort has a relaxed atmosphere, though youngsters like to use the main road at night for a race track so care must be taken on poorly lit roads with no pavements.
Some Alykanas tavernas have a horse and carriage taxi service - free if you use the taverna. Most of the bars, though, are English owned serving English breakfast etc so don't expect to find much authentic Greek here.
For those who like thier beach holiday resorts even more lively, the more popular Alykes is only a short walk away from Alykanas, about 10 minutes along the shore.
Transfers: Alykanas is about 20min from Zante Airport - 16km.
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Alykes beach Zante
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The beach at ALYKES or ALIKES gets it name from the salt pans that surround the resort. Alykes beach itself is a 3km long stretch of golden sand that sweeps around the bay from Alykanas to the salt flats behind the eastern end of the village.
A walk around the Alykes village does have a creepy moonscape atmosphere but Alykes beach itself is magnificent and many say it is quite the best to be found north of Zakynthos Town.
The sea at Alykes beach is shallow for a few metres out but then dips sharply, making it fine for children if they stay close to the shore, and great for surfers who can take full advantage of the big breakers that roll in whenever the wind is from the north.
The centre of Alykes beach is the busiest and most of the sunbeds and watersports are located there, as are most of the cigarette ends. Alykes beach is a bit of an ash tray. There are also some large lumps of underwater concrete near the jetty, so swimmers take car.
Those looking for a more peaceful spot don't have very far to walk in either direction along Alykes beach before the main crowds thin out, although pebbles are more prevalent to the east.
Alykes village is very compact, if a little scruffy. It is just a couple of streets with the usual tourist shops, tavernas and cafes. Alykes is slightly more developed than its neighbour Alykanas and there are plenty of pleasant tavernas and bars, none too brash or noisy and most of them close around midnight.
Tavernas many be plentiful in Alykes but you will may learn to hate chips, which arrive with every meal. There is even a tourist train from Alykes to Alykanas if you are too idle to walk.
Transfers: Alykes is about 20min from Zante Airport - 16km.
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Agios Nikolaos beach Zante
North-west of Alykes the coastline becomes a long series of cliffsand rock, dotted here and there with small pebble coves, many of them unfortunately difficult to reach.
The cliffs get wilder and steeper until they reach the tiny port of AGIOS NIKOLAOS about 30km from Zakynthos Town. Don't confuse the Agios Nikolaos with the much more popular resort in the south of Zante.
Here the setting is idyllic, let down only by the drab cement block buildings and a shanty town appearance. Agios Nikolaos has a small pebble beach and nearby rocky coves to explore if you follow the many tracks that lead along the coast.
Agios Nikolaos is the main port linking Zakynthos to Kefalonia and there is a daily ferry service between the two islands. Caiques also venture to the nearby islet of the same name as the resort, and to the famous Blue Caves of Zante, a favourite with visitors (see Zante Highlights).
Agios Nikolaos is also a popular mooring point for visiting yachts and boats and a good place for those who prefer to stay off the tourist trail. There are tavernas and cafes on the coast road, both in Agios Nikolaos village and on the outskirts
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Volimes Zante
VOLIMES is the largest of Zante island's hill villages, actually a conglomeration of three smaller hamlets within a few minutes walk of each other.
Prepare to take a step back in time around Voimes as each villags is a cliché living museum, with some of the best preserved buildings on Zante having survived the 1953 earthquake.
Road improvements have now made Volimes a must visit for coach parties and villagers take every opportunity to flog the local embroidery, the cheese and the exceptionally good honey.
If you do visit Volimes try to leave before the coach parties arrive and flood the place out. There is a very pleasant cafe opposite the school.
The west coast of Zante is as dramatic and hard as the east is plain and soft. As a result few Zante visitors make their way here. Those that do can enjoy sheer cliffs, sometimes plunging 1,000 feet or more straight into the sea. But roads are on the west coast are winding and driving is difficult, so trips are only for the more adventurous visitor.
Porto Vromi Zante
Two steep limestone bluffs rise each side of a narrow inlet at the small but beautiful village of PORTO VROMI. Here is a sheltered harbour for a few fishing boats and a narrow strip of white sand and shingle.
Porto Vromi means 'Dirty Port' and the name derives from the natural tar that stains the beach here but it is no real problem for visitors. Porto Vromi is far enough off the beaten track to ensure that visitors are few.
Above the Porto Vromi harbour is the 15th century monastery of Panagia Anafonitria, noted for its fine frescos and there are regular boat trips from the harbour to the nearby Blue Caves of Zante.
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Kampi taverna Zante
High on the western cliffs perches KAMPI, another target of Zante day trip coach parties. Visitors usually arrive to watch the sun setting over the waves from one of the clifftop tavernas. The tavernas along the clifftops at Kampi offer stunning vistas from the 300-metre-high cliffs and the sunsets quite spectacular.
Kampi is far enough off the beaten track to ensure views are rarely marred by the shadowy heads tourist crowds craning for a look but you may be unlucky. Kampi village also houses a small and interesting folk museum stuffed with domestic and agricultural paraphernalia.
Most of the south-facing resorts are in a huge bay, of which the horrible Laganas is the centre. The further around the bay you get the better the beaches and atmosphere get and eventually you reach the splendid peninsula at Vassilikos which is characterised by superbly picturesque coves and rich, green vegetation. Vassilikos has now been 'discovered' and each year more hotels have sprounted up. The region's poor roads are enough to keep Vassilikos a little off the beaten track and there are rich pickings for those willing to explore the coastline.
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Limni Keriou beach Zante
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KERI is on the southern tip of Zante, west of Laganas Bay, and the area boasts several picturesque pre-earthquake buildings. There was a lake here once, now drained, and the area is sometimes referred to as KERI LAKE or LIMNI KERIOU.
The steep, narrow beach at Limni Keriou is more pebbles than sand but still very attractive, with warm shallow waters that make it great for children and a small river running into the sea for added interest.
The view from Limno Keriou beach is impressive with high cliffs flanking both sides and the much-visited turtle islet of Marathonisi lying offshore.
There are many paths along the Limni Kerious coast that lead to secluded coves. A rough track leads to a whitewashed lighthouse above the cliffs. A small car park near the taverna offers spectacular views of nearby limestone sea arches.
Boats can be hired st Limni Kerious to visit the turtle nesting island of MARATHONISI just offshore but they tend to get booked early so late arrivals can miss out.
Marathonisi island has two reefs that link it to the cape of Marathias. There are two small beaches, one sand the other pebble, and both are pristine, with crystal clear blue water.
The turtle nesting beach is a long sand bank that stretches out to sea and it's a permanently protected part of the marine park.
Just inland is the pretty village of LITHAKIA, one of the oldest on Zante and built at the lower slopes of Megalo Vouno with houses reaching down to the gulf of Laganas. Lithakia has been little touched by tourism even though it lies between the popular resorts of Keri Lake and Laganas. The church of Agios Ioannis is a fine example of traditional Zakynthian church architecture.
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Agios Sostis beach Zante
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The quiet resort of AGIOS SOSTIS, near Laganas, has been taken up by a number of UK tour operators recently as a viable overflow to Laganas which lies further along the bay to the east between Laganas and Limni Keriou.
Agios Sostis is a pleasant enough resort with a narrow sand beach shelving gently into the shallow sea, good for children and for snorkeling. Decent tavernas overlook the beach and waiters will even bring drinks to your sun lounger.
The beach is named after the Agios Sostis islet in the bay which is easily visited and once had a small chapel to the local saint Sostis. The resort is pretty uncommercialised so there are no clubs and discos.
Tour operators tend the sell the Agios Sostis (near Laganas) as more lively than it is. Laganas is about 30 min walk away but the coastal track is only for those who are fit enough to negotiate it.
Also offshore from Agios Sostis is the uninhabited island of Marathonisi, or Turtle Island as the tour boat call it. You can take boat trips to view the turtles but you will be doing them no favours. The shy creatures are seriously disturbed by the daily flotillas of boat trippers.
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Laganas beach Zante
Laganas beach Zante
Laganas street Zante
LAGANAS is by far the biggest and best/worst resort on Zakynthos. Not only on this island but perhaps any other in the Greek islands. Bars and cafes line Laganas beach for over 1km and a similar length inland, offering an indiscriminate diet of junk food fry-ups, bargain booze and tacky souvenirs.
Laganas is not the place for a peaceful break or a quiet night. They party around the clock here. In the evening the neon flashes along a Golden Mile of deafening music bars frequented by 'out for a larf' revellers - loud and drunk or sick and comatose. There are at least 100 bars along the main Laganas strip and they outnumber restaurants by about ten to one.
The beach in Laganas bay is the biggest on the island, stretching for the best part of 9km. The Laganas sands are firm, hard packed in places where jeeps and cars roll over it at night. Nuisance touts patrol the sunbeds plugging the Laganas clubs and discos or trying to flog pirate DVDs.
The shallow water at Laganas makes this an ideal spot for holiday crowds - and for nesting turtles. Lagans beach is biggest breeding ground in Europe for the endangered loggerhead turtle 'caretta caretta'. The meeting of nature and tooth-and-claw businessmen has been a serious problem for years.
Happy to cash in with tacky turtle trinkets and t-shirts, the Laganas locals are less than happy at measures taken to prevent killing the turtles off, particularly when it eats into their profits. Such has been the animosity, a bomb even went off in the offices of the local ecological movement.
Stung by criticism from the Council of Europe, Zante officilas have been blind to the fact that protecting turtles may protect their future in an ever more green-aware world. As one commentator said “It's possible that the animal itself may be killed off, only to live on as a Laganas fridge magnet.”
Laganas locals have begun to see sense in recent years and at least motorised water sports have been banned from the beach. But many complain that protection laws are widely ignored, nesting sites are bulldozed to make way for sunbeds and those who ignore the laws go unpunished.
Greece was threatened with legal action after the European Union Court of Justice ruled in 2002 that the sea turtle, an endangered species, was not being protected under EU law in Laganas. Frankly, anyone who cares about nature or the environment should avoid Laganas.
There are plenty of other Zante island beaches where you won't end up sticking your beach brolly through a clutch of turtle eggs or driving the creatures off with pedaloes and trips in glass-bottom boats.
Transfers: Alykanas is about 10min from Zante Airport - 5km.
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Kalamaki beach Zante
KALAMAKI is basically the upmarket end of Laganas beach. The dark coloured Kalamaki sands are just as good as those of its neighbour and the atmosphere nowhere near as raucous.
Kalamaki is still not a terribly quiet place to stay, least of all because of the airport noise which can be considerable when the planes fly in. But the sands are soft on the long beach although it hard to avoid the cigarette ends in the sand and litter is a problem.
The waters at Kalamaki are very shallow with some impressive rock formations out at sea. Doughnut and fruit sellers patrol the sunbeds selling their wares. For those that like the company of others but need to escape the raucous downmarket atmosphere of Laganas, Kalamaki can seem like heaven.
Kalamaki beach is also a favourite with egg-laying turtles and several tracks lead from the village down to the favoured nesting site at the back of the beach. Visitors are asked to stick to the shoreline to protect the nest sites.
Parts are now classed a National Marine park, giving turtles and other wildlife protection that is a lot more in evidence here than that at nearby Laganas.
Most of the development in along the main road to Laganas, leaving the turtle nesting grounds relatively untouched.
The Kalamaki resort has the stunning backdrop of Mt Skopos and citrus and olive groves to add interest. Kalamaki nightlife is mainly tavernas and bars and those looking for something more lively will head for the lights of Laganas.
Transfers: Kalamaki is about 5min from Zante Airport - 3km.
It was once a case of burn your maps and buy a compass before heading into the maze of unmarked, badly marked roads that crisscross the VASILIKOS peninsula.
The roads have improved somewhat with an influx of holiday developments. Take an inhaler too, for the lovely landscape will take your breath away. Beautiful countryside, virgin forest, and some of the best beaches on Zakynthos can be found here.
Tourism used to be upmarket, but the big tour companies have taken over. The area's conservation status however has prevented Laganas-like development and the area is scenic enough to hide the worst examples of cement hotels.
Gerakas beach Zante
On the eastern side of the peninsula at GERAKAS or YERAKAS is one of Zante's finest beaches. Here is a long sublime crescent of golden sand with sandstone cliffs curving around the bay offering good shelter and shallow waters, with views across the bay to Laganas.
Often voted among the best beaches in Europe, Gerakas heaves with tourists during the day but, this is also being a major turtle breeding ground, it is off limits from dusk to dawn.
Its designation as a conservation area has spared Gerakas the ugly fate of neon hell-holes like Laganas. There is an information centre on the turtles on the hill above the Gerakas beach.
Wardens patrol the nesting areas at the back of Gerakas beach where sunbathing is banned. There are no watersports here and visits are limited to three hours, making the sunbeds a very expensive option.
A trio of tavernas on the road to Gerakas beach provide the basics. There is parking near the mini market on the way to the beach, handy as the car park was closed in 2007.
Gerakas is a wonderful place to enjoy early in the day or in the off-season when the crowds disappear, though the tavernas and snack bars also shut down the moment the season ends.
The white cliffs at the southern end of Gerakas are of white clay, which visitors used to use to paint their faces as a natural sun block. The cliffs have now been closed off as people hacking out the clay managed to cause several rock falls.
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Porto Roma beach Zante
Around the headland and set on the tip of the peninsula at Gerakas is the tiny cove of PORTO ROMA with a small, narrow sand and pebble beach, a taverna overlooking the sea, and precious little else.
Porto Roma is a sublimely beautiful spot with olives and pines kissing the shore and clear blue sea below cliffs covered in rich vegetation. The beach has taken its name from an island notable, Alexandros Romas, who had a house in the hills nearby.
The waters at Porto Roma are shallow and gently shelving. Despite being small Porto Roma can still attract many visitors in the high season so it's wise to get there early if you want a good spot.
Most of the year though it is virtually empty as many visitors to this area usually head to the bigger Gerakas beach over the headland.
Porto Roma has two beach bars, three tavernas and some small shops. Luxury apartments have been built behind the beach but they are not intrusive.
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Agios Nikolaos beach Zante
AGIOS NIKOLAOS is a small, attractive stretch of good sand split by an outcrop of rock crowned and very popular with visitors who mainly come to enjoy the wide range of watersports on offer.
Agios Nikolaos is named after the striking chapel that sits on the bluff above the beach. It should not be confused with its namesake port in the north-west. There was a fishing port here too not long ago but sailing is now confined to pleasure craft and excursion boats.
Agios Nikolaos beach has a wide arc of soft, sand normally packed with sunbeds. There is no village as such, just a scattering of apartments and hotels.
The bare landscape around Agios Nikolaos makes it feel rather more remote than it is but things improve inland where there are pine forests and olive groves.
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Vassilikos beach Zante
The area around ANO VASSILIKOS has seen considerable hotel development in recent years. It is reached by a very scenic drive through beautiful pine clad hills to a tiny hamlet above a narrow beach of sand and pebble.
Island maps are typically vague about the exact spot of Vassilikos village with as many variations as there are maps but, no matter, all the villages around here, and particularly on the east coast, have picturesque bays and coves attached.
The main Vassilikos hotel developments are confined to the north of the area where a more popular beach called Banana owes more to the bulldozer than to nature. A few tavernas and bars are dotted on the coast road through Vassilikos.
Unlike Laganas, the Vassilikos area has long been declared a nature reserve and some efforts have been made to combine tourism and conservation. Watersports, for example, are either banned or sharply curbed.
Vassilikos is a quiet resort with entertainment limited to that on offer in the hotels. For nightlife many head for the clubs and bars of Argassi.
Transfers: Vassilikos is about 20min from Zante Airport - 17km.
Porto Zoro beach
PORTO ZORO is one of the most spectacular beaches on the peninsula and also one of the hardest to find.
Porto Zoro beach is reached off the main road north out of Vasilikos and before the turn to Argassi. The main road gave out and not long ago you had to abandon the car and trek on foot. Now there is a narrow road to the beach and a car park at the end of it.
The Porto Zoro beach is simply stunning. A small and perfectly formed crescent of deep sand with a couple of beach bars and a few rooms to let in the hills behind. A clutch of attractive rocks litter the headland to provide shelter.
Recently 'discovered', Porto Zoro is a place you may have to share with many others as more sunbeds cram the shoreline.
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Argassi beach Zante
Plenty of package tour firms have focused their efforts on the thriving beach resort of ARGASSI or ARGASI.
Concrete slab hotels crawl up the hillside overlooking a very small Argassi beach, so narrow in places that you are hard put to lie down without getting your feet wet - mostly just a metre or two of shingle.
There are small patches of sand here and there but you may have to ignore the rubbish and fag ends. Most Argassi visitors opt for one the sun beds that cram most of the beach.
The gobs of seaweed don't help, though the water is very shallow and warm for many metres out, attracting many shoals of fish and making Argassi safe for children. Beyond the shingle that lies along the shoreline, it is at least sandy underfoot.
Argassi has become a popular family resort and visitors will find the usual tourist facilities and a good selection of shops and tavernas. Argassi hotels opt for family rooms and there is plenty here to occupy children, such as mini golf and an animal farm.
Smarter hotels hug the Argassi hore and there are plenty of snack bars and toilets. Tavernas generally dish up food that is, at best, mediocre. Anyone who enjoys good food will probably head for Zakynthos Town in the evening as it is only 3km away.
Tavernas get steadily more authentic as you head inland. Argassi is also home to a trio of discos, a magnet for the young at heart who hardly seem to care what they eat anyway.
There are plenty of small, secluded coves to be explored further along the Argassi shore to Vassilikos.
Transfers: Argassi is about 10min from Zante Airport - 5km.
Kianoun Cave
Xigia
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. Readers recommend arriving early and taking one of the smaller boats that go right inside the caves. Boat trips usually last for about 90mins.
Daily boat trippers also take in the caves at SKLAVOU and to the sulphur springs at XIGIA where the sand is so hot you need shoes for protection.
There is a small beach, now called Sulphur Beach, which is a narrow strip of sand beneath a stark sheer cliff where the sea does have a slightly sulphurous smell but it's not unpleasant.
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.
Shipwreck Cove Zante
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.
Few are disappointed at the romantic scene with a beach of steep white pebbles nestling between vertiginous white cliffs. The wreck itself is rather less romantic, merely an old steamer that struck the beach while on a cigarette and booze smuggling expedition. It ran aground in poor weather while being chased by a Greek navy patrol boat.
But the setting is perfect with a small sandy beach and steep cliffs all around. There are no roads to this spot and the only access is by boat.
Photos of an empty beach are difficult to get now as tour boats arrive every hour on the hour and the place is normally heaving with bodies.
Views from the cliffs above are also far more dramatic than those from a boat arriving for its allowed slot of 60mins but few are willing to slog up and down the steep cliff path.
Askos Stone Park Zante
This nature park is found in the north of Zante, near Volimes. The private park opened in 2002 and is 125 acres of protected woods and wildlife. There are fine woodland walks, nature trails and glimpses of wildlife that live freely in the park. Many of the animals are not native to Zante and they include squirrels, chinchillas and African sheep as well as raccoons, pigs, cows, horses and donkeys.
The park has about 400 stone walls and some stone-built stables and warehouses. Water bowls cut into the rock to collect rainwater are though to be 600 years ago. The park is open all year round and there are guide books and free bottles of water for visitors
Zakynthos is the most southern island in the Ionian chain which runs down the western coast of the Greek mainland from Corfu. It is about 40km long and 19km wide and lies about 12km off the Peloponnese coast. It is the third largest of the Ionians after Corfu and Kefalonia and the 10th largest in Greece. Zakynthos is roughly triangular in shape, with two mountainous promontories extending south to form the huge bay of Laganas. There are pine-covered mountains and hills in the north while the centre is mostly gentle rolling hills planted with vines, olive trees, almonds and vegetables. Beaches are found mainly on the northeast coast and around the bay of Laganas.
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| 2 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 2 | UV Index |
| 148 | 104 | 86 | 48 | 22 | 7 | 2 | 4 | 35 | 134 | 151 | 188 | Avg rain (mm) |
| 12 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 10 | 12 | Rainy days |
UV: >3 Low; 3-5 Moderate; 5-8 High; <8 Very high | Rainy days 1mm+ | 1 inch=25.4 mm
The Ionians get heavy winter rains that help to make them the greenest of the Greek islands and the hills of Zakynthos are covered in forest. The islands are too far west to suffer the northern meltemi wind that sweeps across islands to the east but northern facing beaches can get a bit choppy in the afternoons.
The beautiful Greek Islands are renowned for their spectacular scenery, magnificent mountainous backdrops, stunning sandy beaches and crystal clear waters. HOLIDAYS TO THE GREEK ISLANDS are often most cherished for this combination of sunshine, warm waters and beaches set against truly wonderful scenery. Whether it is a traditional beach holiday you would like or something with a little more history, you'll find that a break away to the Greek Islands is just the answer!
Cheap flights to Zante from European airports
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Zakynthos has its own international airport otherwise known as Dionysios Solomos Airport, located 6km south of Zakynthos town, on the southeast coast. A new airport building is now fully operational - a far cry from the old cattle shed that greeted visitors.
There are only two carousels though and seating is not great, so Thursdays and Sundays are a problem when multiple flights arrive. Check the prices at the airport snack bar - €4 for a bag of crisps I am told.
Olympic flies 2-3 times daily to Zakynthos from Athens even in the winter. Flight time about 60 min. There are also flights from Kefalonia on Monday and Wednesday. No planes are permitted to land at night.
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. EasyJet now has new summer flights to Zante from Gatwick.
Approximate coach airport transfer times to the major resorts are Alikes (75 min), Argassi (30 min), Kalamaki (15 min), Laganas (25 min), Tsilivi ( 45 min), Vassilikos (90 min).
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. The most popular car ferry route is Ancona to Patras, a drive south to Killini and a local car ferry to Zante - Zakynthos.
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 90 min. They run all year but there is a reduced service in winter. There is no need to book in advance but you could buy a ticket at a local agent to ensure a place. The ferries also link with a bus service so passengers can buy tickets to Patras and Athens.
A car ferry goes from Agios Nikolaos to Pessada in Kefalonia. There are two ferries a day in the summer season and the trip last about 60min.
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. The number of daily services detailed here are approximate and subject to change but there are bus services from Zakynthos Town to Argasi, Xerokastelo, Vassilikos, Porto Roma, Tsilivi, Planos, Tragaki, Kipseli, Alikanas, Alikes, Katastari, Orthonies, Anafonitria, Volimes, Exo Hora, Kambi, Agios Leon, Agios Nikolaos, Maherado, Galaro, Gyri, Limni Keriou, Agalas, Lithakia and Laganas.
There is a year round bus from Athens to Zante and it's a cheap way to get there but the journey takes around 5-6 hours. It links with the Kyllini ferry. There is also a daily bus to the mainland port of Patra and a twice weekly bus to Thessaloniki. Details from Zante bus station 0030 26950 42656; Athens bus station: 0030 210 5129432; Patra bus station: 0030 2610 220993 or Thessaloniki bus station: 0030 2310 595416/595465.
There are taxi ranks in all the main tourist resorts on Zante. Taxi fares are fixed and can even be booked for the day or for an island tour, though at €35 per hour this will not be cheap. You can check out latest taxi prices here www.zantetaxi.gr
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