Zakynthos - Ionian Islands (Greece)

Zakynthos (Zante), what a lovely island! Its green nature, the beautiful clear blue sea with steep rock formations, the amazing sandy beaches, the old villages, the Blue Caves, the ship wreck, the impressive Caretta-Caretta sea turtles.

Zakynthos is located in the south of the Ionian Sea and is also called "Zante," a name given by the Romans and Venetians who centuries occupied the island. They also called the island, "Il Fioro di Levante," meaning "flower of the East." Levante is also the n ame ofthe wind that blows in summer from the east and which cools the places on the east coast.

Zakynthos is also the name of the son of Dardanus, king of Troy. He's the first who built the city on the island, according to the myth. Others claim that the name is derived from the flower, "Yakinthos," which is common in Zakynthos. According to Homer, the island belonged to the kingdom of Odysseus. Homer called the island "Iliessa," which means forest.

The Blue Caves

One of the main attractions of Zakynthos are the "Blue Caves." From Aghios Nikolaos, the most northeastern fishing town of Zakynthos, you can sail by boat to the Blue Caves. And literally, here you can take a dip in the blue water. Your skin tone turns blue during this dive, deep blue! This is, of course, an optical illusion and disappears when you come out of the water.

The Shipwreck of Zakynthos

The Shipwreck of Zakynthos, the wreck on Navagio Beach in the northwest of the island, is one of the most photographed spots in Greece. Of course, we too wanted to see this phenomenon up close. The freightliner ran aground during a storm in 1980. When you visit the shipwreck nowadays, you will discover that unfortunately, the boat is in very poor condition and covered with grafitti.

When you approach the beach from the mountains, you can take beautiful pictures of the beach and the wreck, there is a viewpoint about 250 meters above the water where you can take pictures. The sea is beautiful clear and turquoise in color. From here above, it is spectacular and breath-taking to see. That’s why this beach is so popular and printed on many cards and calendars.

The beautiful beaches of Zakynthos

There are many beautiful beaches on Zakynthos. Which are the most popular?

• Xingia (Xigia).  This is great sandy beach, in a small bay, where the smell of sulphur is very strong. There ice-cold water which flows from the rocks to the surface which has a special characteristic; This water contains collagen, a product which is widely used in the cosmetic industry to make rejuvenation products. Some call Xingia a spa and that’s great - spa treament for free!  Next to the beach is a small cave where one can stand in.
   
• Tsilivi beach is a lovely sandy beach. It is great for children, the water is shallow for boaters and there are all kinds of facilities. For young people, there are very good beach bars. For forties, fifties and for older people, there  are nice cozy tavernas and quiet cafes.
   
• The famous beaches of Porto Zorro, Banana, Plaka and St Nicolas Bay are beautiful, trendy and clean. They lie at Vassilikos. These are all great beaches where all kind of watersports facilities are possible. Next to these beaches is a variety of beach bars, restaurants and hotels. The best beach I found was the beach of St. Nicolas. This beach is located in a beautiful area, the northern part is a little busier than the southern part. The southern part is situated idyllically in the middle of a beautifully wooded area.

Zakynthos Town

Zakynthos town, is the capital of the island. The locals call the town "Chora," as often a capital is called on Greek islands. A severe earthquake nearly ruined the city in 1953. Now it is a modern town with many buildings in classical style. There are streets with arcades, churches with imposing bell towers, beautiful squares and major monuments. The port of island Zakynthos is also located in this town, from here there is direct connection to Peloponnese (Kylini).

Ο Νομός Ζακύνθου αποτελεί έναν από τους 51 νομούς της Ελλάδας και ανήκει διοικητικά στην Περιφέρεια Ιόνιων νησιών. Κατά την εφαρμογή του Προγράμματος 'Καλλικράτης', το 2010, μετονομάστηκε σε Περιφερειακή Ενότητα Ζακύνθου, χωρίς να υποστεί αλλαγές στα διοικητικά της όρια, ενώ αποτελεί πλέον μία από τις 74 περιφερειακές ενότητες της χώρας. Βρίσκεται στη δυτική πλευρά της Ελλάδας και αποτελείται από το νησί της Ζακύνθου και κάποια μικρότερα νησιά κοντά σε αυτό, με κυριότερο τις Στροφάδες, εντός του συμπλέγματος των Επτανήσων, στο Ιόνιο πέλαγος.

Καταλαμβάνει μία έκταση 406 χλμ² και ο πληθυσμός του, σύμφωνα με την Απογραφή του 2021 ανέρχεται σε 40.820 κατοίκους.

Πρωτεύουσα του νομού είναι η πόλη της Ζακύνθου, με πληθυσμό 9.760 κατοίκους (2011), και η οποία αποτελεί τη δεύτερη μεγαλύτερη πόλη των Ιονίων Νήσων.

Στον νομό υπάρχει το Θαλάσσιο Πάρκο Ζακύνθου, που ιδρύθηκε το 1999, και το οποίο περιλαμβάνει τον Κόλπο του Λαγανά. Είναι τόπος ωοτοκίας της θαλάσσιας χελώνας Καρέττα καρέττα και έχει σκοπό την προστασία του είδους. Η περιοχή αποτελεί τμήμα του δικτύου προστατευόμενων περιοχών Natura 2000. Το Εθνικό Θαλάσσιο Πάρκο Ζακύνθου είναι το πρώτο πάρκο τέτοιου είδους που ιδρύθηκε στην Ελλάδα, αλλά και στη Μεσόγειο.