Zakynthos Island
Zakynthos island is located off the western coast of the Peloponnese. The large island is particularly popular with British tourists and easily accessible by plane and ferry.
Where to Stay
There are many options to choose from when trying to decide where to stay and if you’re not familiar with the island the plethora of choice can be overwhelming. From the port or airport, you’ll want to head north towards Tsilivi Beach and Agios Nikolaos or south towards Kalamaki and Keri.
Choosing where to stay will depend on whether you’re looking for sweeping views and tranquility, a resort style setup, or more of a touristy feel with bars and restaurants within walking distance of your hotel.
Tsilivi
Due to the large number of British tourists on Zakynthos island, you’ll notice a distinctly English pub culture throughout Tsilivi. As someone who prefers a more authentically Greek atmosphere, this aspect of Tsilivi wasn’t particularly appealing. But the ability to walk to restaurants for dinner each evening was worth the trade-off. You don’t want to be driving on dark and windy island roads at night. Especially if you’ve been enjoying the local wines with dinner!
Two good options in Tsilivi are Tui Blue or Contessina Hotel. Tui Blue is a waterfront property, while Contessina Hotel is about a 5 minute walk from the beach. We chose Contessina’s adult-only option – Contessina Suites and Spa, which offers rooms with private splash pools.
Agios Nikolaos
If sweeping views of the Mediterranean and peaceful tranquility are more your speed, there are many wonderful places to stay outside of Tsilivi.
A spot that captured my heart during our visit was the Potamitis Windmills & Apartments. The windmills offer several room options and the surrounding views are breathtaking. There are no beaches in the area but stone steps will lead the way down to pristine waters below.
Several other luxury properties with beautiful views include Lesante Cape, which is a member of The Leading Hotels of the World, or Olea All Suite Hotel, which was awarded Best Resort by Interior Design Magazine in 2018. Keep in mind that these properties sit slightly higher on the island and don’t have direct access to the beach.
Kalamaki
For those looking to enjoy a peaceful beach vacation, Kalamaki is a wonderful option. Crystal Beach hotel is a lovely property that sits right on the beach and has a pool and cafe where you can spend your days lounging when not swimming in the Mediterranean.
Laganas
If you are over the age of 25, you will want to steer clear of Laganas, which is best described as a Greek version of spring breakers gone wild. With establishments boasting names like 4Play and Libido, the area leaves little to the imagination.
Where to Eat
There are many restaurants to choose from in Tsilivi. Our favorite was Halfway House. The service, food, and Greek wine list were all excellent. Wanting to taste some of the locally produced wines, we ordered a bottle of Verdea Nature, a dry white wine blend. It was delicious and I briefly contemplated how I might haul a case back to the US.
You’ll find many other restaurants in the heart of Tsilivi. We enjoyed dinner at Anna’s Kitchen, Aliotiko Taverna, and Avli Taverna.
Things to Do
Rent a Four Wheeler
We had a car for our stay but found that many opt to rent four wheelers to zip around the island. There are numerous rental shops in Tsilivi that offer daily rentals.
Rent a Boat
A highlight of our getaway was renting a small motor boat to cruise around Keri and Marathonisi. There are several boat rental shops in Keri and all rent by the hour.
You can cruise several miles along the coast and there are numerous inlets to anchor and swim. The only downside of our excursion was the need to watch for “mauve stinger” jellyfish, which showed up in record numbers in certain parts of the Mediterranean in 2022. Had it not been for the jellyfish, I would rank our boat outing as one of my favorite getaway activities to date.
Shipwreck Beach
Every Zakynthos website advertises shipwreck beach. My recommendation is to skip this feature. We ventured up to the lookout point from where you can view the beach and shipwreck and found an hour long line of people waiting to snap a photo. Unless you have time to spare, I would leave the wait to those catering to their Instagram feed, and enjoy exploring other parts of the island.
Sampling Local Delicacies
If you’re looking to experience some of the local culture, it’s worth allocating a full or half day to visiting the downtown area surrounding Zante port. Be sure to stop in to one of the many shops that sell locally produced nougat “mandolato”, sesame honey bars “pasteli”, and Turkish delight “loukoumia”. No store bought nougat will ever compare to a freshly made batch.
The Church of Agios Dyonisos
The Church of Agios Dyonisos is also worth a visit. Saint Dyonisius for whom the church is named is the patron saint of the island. He lived in the 16th century and his relic rests in the church. He is known as “The Walking Saint” and is believed to occasionally leave his tomb to perform miracles. These excursions lead his slippers to wear thin causing them to be replaced on a regular basis.
Solomos Winery
While we didn’t manage a visit to the Solomos Winery, it is one of the island’s top rated activities on Trip Advisor. For a small fee, visitors get to sample the winery’s different wines and relax in their spacious tasting room.
I look forward to returning to Zakynthos island with my boys in the future. As teenagers, they will love the many fun activities the island has to offer. As long as I don’t find them partying it up in Laganas, I’m all for it!