Three Days Relaxing in Beaches… and a Shipwreck
A Little About Greece and Zante
Greece is a famous land. It is not only one of the cradles of civilization; its influence still persists today in several fields of human knowledge, including philosophy and sciences. Most of the people who travel to Greece do it because they are interested in its cultural background: Athens, the Parthenon, Sparta or the ancient gods temples; but Greece has other few wonders to show the world: its beaches.
Zakynthos (also known as Zante) is in the Ionic sea, between Greece and Italy. Unlike mainland Greece, it is not a very famous island, which makes it ideal for vacation travel. In Zakynthos, travellers can enjoy gorgeous white-sand beaches and a few sightseeing spots, namely the Blue Caves in the north of the island and a shipwreck in the west. That may sound a lot of land to travel, but it is not. Zakynthos is a small place, so you can easily get a car and move from one point to another in a reasonable short time. What is best is that Zakynthos has its own international airport, so you can travel there directly. Travellers who want to come from mainland Greece can first go to Kyllini and take a ferry there to the island.
My Three-day Trip to Zakynthos
I spent three days in the island. After arriving to the airport and resting for a short time in my hotel, I went to the first of the three beaches I visited that day: Tsivili beach. There, I saw what I would later confirm in all Zante beaches: that its sand is white and its waters are turquoise and clear. After some time there, enjoying myself, I went to Alykes beach, where I could have lunch in a restaurant. Lastly, I went to Navagio beach to enjoy a wonderful sunset from the top of its cliff.
On the second day, I headed to Agios Sostis, in the south-east of Zante. Besides the pretty beaches you can see there, the area is interesting because of the sea turtles. You see, Agios Sostis is in the middle of the Bay of Laganas, so it is not hard to find the turtles if you take a tour boat. Sailors know where to find them. If you feel in the mood for an adventure, you can also rent a boat and look for them yourself. You would just need to get close to the other boats that already found them (being careful not to hit the turtles, of course).
As Marathonisi Island is also in the Bay of Laganas, my next natural step was to head there. Besides resting in its dreamy beaches, you can visit Keri caves on the south of the island. I opted not to because I was going to visit the Blue Caves the next day, but I leave you the idea here in case you want to go.
In the afternoon, I went to Vassilikos, in the south-east. There are two more beaches there: Banana and Geraka beach. Zakynthos, once again, surprised me with the beauty of its beaches, so I stopped my tourism for that day. I just laid there and enjoyed the sun until time came to go back to my accommodations.
On the third day, I went to the most renown place in Zante: The Blue Caves. They are in the north of the island. It takes a while to get there, but it is worth the wait. Once you arrive, you will understand quickly why it is so famous. The shade of blue in those waters of the Ionic sea is unbelievable; not to mention the caves are navigable, so you can take a look inside and swim a little too. Visiting the Blue Caves is really one of the things everybody should do in Zakynthos —specially if you go in the morning, as the light gets in the caves more clearly than in the afternoon.
Lastly, I went to Navagio beach, as it was close to the Blue Caves. This time, I was not on top of the cliff but straight at the shipwreck. Despite the graffiti, it looks good. I did not ask whether it is OK to go on board, but, still, the beach is so beautiful that I decided to spend the rest of my day there, laying under the sun. I ended my trip in the evening, walking around Zante city and buying a few souvenirs.
The prices that appear per day are referential and correspond to the sum of activities that were made that day
I arrived to Zakynthos International Airport and I rented a car. After checking in at the hotel, I went north-east to visit Tsivili Beach. I relaxed a while, and then I went to Alykes Beach. There, I had lunch and enjoyed its beach. Lastly, I went to Navagio Beach cliff to enjoy its incredible landscape and a wonderful sunset.
I went to Agios Sostis and rented a small boat for about 4 hours to be able to sail Bay of Laganas. In the bay, I found sea turtles there. Then, I went to Keri caves and to Marathonasi Island to rest on the beach for an hour. In the afternoon, I went south-east to visit Banana and Geraka Beaches by car.
I took an eight-hour tour that departed from Zante to visit Navagio beach. I went to the famous Blue Caves and, after spending some time there, I visited the wrecked ship of Navagio Beach. Once we were back in the capital, I walked around it for some sightseeing and buying souvenirs.
The lodging that is shown in the list of each night is recommended by the traveler, you can find more similar options. The cost is per person in a double bed room.
| Night | City | Recommended accommodation | Type of lodging | Cost of the person | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||
The prices that appear by transport are referential and correspond to what the traveler paid at that moment
| Nº Day | Origin | Destination | Link web | Type of transport | Cost | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|||||||||||
|
|||||||||||
|
|||||||||||
|
|||||||||||
Go to Zante between May and mid-October. If possible, avoid July and August, so you can find the beaches less crowded.
Definitely, get ready to activate your mobile phone’s GPS. Streets are not straight in Zakynthos, so it gets confusing. Believe me you do not want to get lost if you are not fluent in Greek.
The best place to buy a SIM card is at the airport.
There are a lot of good restaurants where to eat. For example, there is a famous restaurant in Alykes called ‘Paradosiako’. Just make sure to make a reservation if you are going. In Zante, you may want to go to ‘Yard to Taste’; and at Kalamaki beach head for ‘Vinaz Resto Bar’ or the ‘Massa Mediterrenean Cuisine’ The former opens up to late at night, so it is your place if you want a few drinks. Those willing to meet many English people and party should go to the Laganas Road. The street is full of restaurants, bars and discos.
When you rent the boat, get a cooler or ask the company if they can lend you or rent you one. That way you can buy things to eat and drink, and spend four perfect hours sailing. That could save you paying for a lunch as well.
Schenguen visa. Check if you need a visa for Greece here.
The car rental value is divided between two people for the 3 days, which is a total of US $ 76 (US $ 38 per person). An additional cost of US $ 20 dollars in gasoline is calculated. That´s US $ 10 additional per person.
If you rent a boat to go see the sea turtles, be careful not to hit them. Respect the speed limits and follow the yellow boats, because their crew knows well where to find those pretty reptiles. Also, try not to forget going to the Keri Caves and bathe in its crystal-clear waters.
