Island guide · the Ionian islands
Zakynthos Travel Guide: Is Zakynthos Right for You?
Zakynthos suits families, boat-trip lovers and easy package holidays, less so anyone seeking authentic Greece. Honest guide to beaches, resorts and timing.
Zakynthos at a glance
Go if: Families with young children · Groups of friends · Boat trips · First-timers who want easy logistics
Skip it if: People chasing authenticity · Hikers · Anyone who dislikes British resort culture
Getting there: Zakynthos International Airport (ZTH) is 4 km from Zakynthos Town, and ferries from Kyllini in the Peloponnese to Zakynthos Town take about 1 hour.
Zakynthos (Zante) is right for you if you want dramatic west-coast cliffs, warm shallow water on the east side, a proper package-holiday infrastructure and a good chance of seeing loggerhead turtles. It is not right for you if you want a quiet, traditional Greek island: the south around Laganas is one of the loudest resort strips in the country, and the famous Shipwreck Beach is currently off-limits at ground level.
Zakynthos at a glance
- Island group: Ionian Islands (west coast of Greece)
- Getting there: Zakynthos International Airport (ZTH), 4 km from Zakynthos Town. Ferries from Kyllini in the Peloponnese to Zakynthos Town take about 1 hour; Kyllini is roughly 3.5 hours by road from Athens
- Best for: Families with young children, groups of friends, boat trips, first-timers who want easy logistics
- Not for: People chasing authenticity, hikers, anyone who dislikes British resort culture
- Best months: Late May to June and September; July and August are hot, busy and pricey
- Price level: Mid
- Size & getting around: About 406 sq km, 40 km long. You need a car or a scooter; buses are patchy outside the main resorts
Who Zakynthos is for
Zakynthos is one of the easiest Greek islands to do with children. The east and south coasts, from Tsilivi through Alykes and down to Vasilikos, are lined with long, sandy, gently shelving beaches where the water is warm by June and calm most of the time because the island’s mountainous spine blocks the westerly swell.
It also suits people who want their holiday to run on rails. Direct flights, short transfers and cheap car hire make it effortless. If you just want a week of sun, boat trips and cold beer without thinking too hard, Zakynthos delivers.
Groups in their twenties come for Laganas: a kilometer of bars, clubs and drink deals, fun if that is what you want and easy to avoid if not.
Who should skip Zakynthos
If your idea of Greece is whitewashed lanes, an old man mending nets and a taverna with four tables, go to Ithaca or Kefalonia instead. Zakynthos Town was flattened by the 1953 earthquake and rebuilt in concrete, and the coastal resorts feel more Mediterranean-generic than Greek.
Also be honest with yourself about Navagio. Shipwreck Beach has been closed to visitors since 2023 because of landslide risk, and the closure was extended through the whole of summer 2026. You can see it from the cliff-top platform and from tour boats, but nobody is walking on that sand.
What to actually do on Zakynthos
Take a boat along the west coast
The whole reason to come is the west coast: 200-meter limestone cliffs, sea caves and water so blue it looks fake. Boats leave from Porto Vromi, Agios Nikolaos and Zakynthos Town; the Blue Caves near Cape Skinari are best before 11 am, and small boats get inside them where the big ones cannot.
Swim at Porto Limnionas and Keri
Porto Limnionas on the west coast is a rocky inlet rather than a beach, with deep, clear water and a ladder into the sea. At Keri, rent a small self-drive boat for the morning to reach Marathonisi islet and the Mizithres sea stacks.
Look for turtles in Laganas Bay
Laganas Bay is the most important loggerhead nesting site in the Mediterranean. Licensed boats from Agios Sostis take you out to see them surface between June and August. Choose an operator that keeps its distance.
Drive the hill villages
Inland, Kiliomeno, Agalas, Louha and Gyri are stone villages that survived the earthquake better than the coast, with vineyards and olive groves in between.
Where to stay on Zakynthos
- Vasilikos peninsula: quiet, green, close to Gerakas and Banana beaches; best for families who want space and calm water.
- Tsilivi and Alykes: mid-sized resorts on the east coast with shallow beaches and a mix of families and couples.
- Zakynthos Town: the only place with year-round life, decent restaurants and the ferry; good for a car-free stopover.
- Laganas and Kalamaki: Laganas for nightlife, Kalamaki next door if you want the beach without the noise.
When to go
June and September are the sweet spot: sea around 23 to 25 C, resorts open, roads uncrowded. July and August push past 33 C, the beaches fill and prices for flights and cars roughly double. The Ionian escapes the Cycladic meltemi, so summer days are still and calm. May and October are quiet with a cooler sea; from November to April the resorts are shut and only Zakynthos Town keeps going.
Getting there and around
Zakynthos has one of the best-connected regional airports in Greece in summer, with direct flights from the UK, Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Poland, Italy and Scandinavia, plus year-round Athens flights. By ferry, Kyllini to Zakynthos Town takes about an hour several times a day year-round, with KTEL buses from Athens connecting at Kyllini. A seasonal boat links Zakynthos with Kefalonia.
Rent a car. The west coast roads are steep but well surfaced, and distances are small: Zakynthos Town to Keri is 20 km, to Cape Skinari about 35 km. Scooters are fine for the flat east coast and unpleasant on the western cliffs.
Zakynthos vs the alternatives
Kefalonia has the same cliff-and-turquoise scenery with far more character and fewer package resorts, at the cost of longer drives. Corfu gives you a genuinely beautiful old town and better food, but the beaches are less spectacular. Lefkada beats Zakynthos on beaches and loses on flights, since you land at Preveza on the mainland. If you are traveling with kids, see our guide to the best Greek islands for families.
Booking Zakynthos
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- Flights: Zakynthos (ZTH) takes direct summer flights from across Europe. Compare fares on Aviasales.
- A car: Shipwreck Beach viewpoint, the Keri cliffs and the quieter west are all a drive from the resorts. Localrent.
- Airport transfer: Useful if you land late into a south-coast resort. Welcome Pickups.
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Frequently asked questions
Is Zakynthos expensive?
No. It is one of the more affordable Ionian islands, especially outside July and August. Car hire, tavernas and mid-range hotels cost far less than on Santorini or Mykonos.
How many days do you need in Zakynthos?
Five to seven days is right. That gives you a west-coast boat trip, a turtle trip, a day in the hill villages and enough beach time to justify the flight.
Can you visit Shipwreck Beach in 2026?
Not on foot. The beach itself is closed for the entire 2026 season because of rockfall risk. You can see it from the cliff viewpoint near Anafonitria and from boat trips that enter the bay but do not land.
Last updated 2026-09.