Zakynthos beaches
Indice
Greece, among other reasons, known and not so well known, why it deserves to be visited, is for its islands. And fortunately, among hundreds of islands, there is a lot of variety and plenty to choose from. But this time we want to talk about the beautiful Zakynthos, also known by its Italian name Zante, which has become one of the most popular destinations for travelers and tourists looking to know one of the jewels that Greece has to offer.
Zakynthos not only has beautiful beaches but also a lot of forests and traditional villages, combining the quiet life with the most cosmopolitan tourist atmosphere. The abundant vegetation, the variety of beaches and its historical remains are the perfect mix to enjoy an unforgettable experience.
Its geographical location makes it easily accessible from every part of Greece, which is one of the reasons why Greeks choose Zakyntohos as their local vacation destination.
Another option to reach Zakynthos is by sea, as the port is connected to Kyllini, in northwestern Greece. From this city ferries leave every day at every hour and the trip takes about an hour.
What to see zakynthos
Zakynthos or Zante (Greek, Ζάκυνθος, Zákynthos, AFI: [ˈzacinθos]) is a Greek island in the Ionian island group and also one of the outlying units of Greece. It is mentioned in Homer’s Odyssey.
The capital is the city of Zakynthos, also called Chora, i.e., “the city.” The island and the outlying unit have an area of about 409 km² and had a population of 42,000 (102 inhabitants/km²) in 2005. The coastline is 123 km long and the island is about 40 km long and 20 km wide. The highest point is Mount Vrachionas, 758 meters. The name derives from Zacynthos, son of Dardanus, the legendary chief of Arcadia.
Apart from the 16th century poet and sailor Marcos Defaranas, the island’s most important personage is the 19th century poet Dionysos Solomos, the foremost of modern Greek poets and author of the national anthem. Ioannis Focas was also born here. Other important personalities of the island are Ugo Foscolo and Andreas Kalvos. In Zante died in 1829 the English explorer traveler and philanthropist Peter Schmidtmeyer, who left an interesting book about his journey to Chile, made in 1820 and 1821; several of the lithographs that illustrate it are based on his drawings.[4]
How to get to zakynthos from santorini
How to use the following information: we show you the best routes and where to buy tickets. On longer routes, you may need more than one ticket. Book your tickets step by step as explained. If you have questions about the Santorini to Zante route, please ask in our forum. Of course, sometimes there are other possible travel routes.
Train tickets for Greece can be purchased locally or online. Advance tickets for intercity connections are cheaper than the normal fare and are only available online.
train connections: popular connections used by other usersZante – Santorini / Athens – Alexandropolis / Athens – Igoumenitsa / Athens – Heraklion / Athens – Larissa / Athens – Patras / Athens – Piraeus / Athens – Piraeus / Athens – Thessaloniki / Thessaloniki – Athens / Thessaloniki – Larissa / Thessaloniki – Patras
Hotels in zante
Ironically, on a personal note, that was not the photo that made us want to go to this island. That is, it was the one that made us know its name and look for more information, yes, but this in turn led us to more images: of vertiginous cliffs, of a species of sea turtle called boba and of some beautiful blue caves. And these were the ones that convinced us to go to Zakynthos.
The mythical work “Odyssey” by the no less mythical Greek poet Homer already made reference to this island, indicating that its first inhabitants were the men of Zakynthos, son of the Trojan king Dardanos, grandson of Zeus and Electra. The “Odyssey”, composed in the 8th century B.C., narrates the return home, to the island of Ithaca, after the Trojan War, of the Greek hero Ulysses. It is considered one of the first texts of Western literature.
Since we crossed by boat with the rental car, we were able to move around the island with total freedom and thus take more advantage of the time. In the end, this circumstance saved us, at times, from the tourist crowds, as it allowed us to move to less popular places or at earlier hours.