Zante

Southern Zante

The southern and south eastern coasts of the island of Zante in Greece are where most of the tourist resorts and settlements of any real size are located. There's plenty to choose from here - with small port villages, some stunning indigenous wildlife and large, neon party towns.

Keri is located on the western tip of the south coast and is a lovely old port village with a pleasant sandy beach. Tourists come here to see the lighthouse and for the huge erosion-cut white pillars that loom out of the sea. Further east along the coast is the party town of Laganas. This is the most popular resort on Zante, especially amongst the under thirties due to its high density of bars and nightclubs. It's possible to get boats from Laganas out to the turtle shaped island of Marathonisi which is covered in pine and oak trees and has some lovely sea caves. Carrying on along the coast, you'll come to the busy resort of Kalamaki , known for its nightlife as well as its long sandy beaches.

Out at the very tip of Zante's south east corner peninsula is the quiet village of Vasillikos which could provide a welcome respite from the clubs and bars. It's also a great spot to see the loggerhead turtles of Zante which nest on Gerakas beach near Vasillikos. Also nearby is Dafnia beach where there are opportunities for scuba diving and water sports. Further up the east coast, the town of Zakynthos is the island's capital. Though avoided by many visitors to the island who head straight to the beach resorts, it is a charming town with some lovely churches - most notably St Denis - and a great little museum of Byzantine art.

Central Zante

The central eastern coast of Zante, due north from Zakynthos town houses some fine beaches and family orientated resorts. Tsilivi is popular with families though it also has a few nightclubs attracting some younger tourists. Nearby is the picturesque port village of Tragaki where there are a few hotels. Further up the coast are the twin resorts of Alykanas and Alykes. Alykanas is the smaller of the two, with some small sandy bays and a few hotels whilst Alykes has a long stretch of sandy beach with water sports on offer.

Northern Zante

The Northern coast of Zante is much more remote than the south with very little tourist development and not much in the way of infrastructure. Agios Nikolaos is the only settlement of any real size and is the port for ferries to the neighbouring island of Kefalonia. Cape Skinari, the north western tip of Zante is an area of outstanding natural beauty and commands some great views out to sea and across the devastation of the 1953 earthquake. Also to be found here are Blue Caves - erosion carved arches in the sea which can be explored by boat tours available from Agios Nikolaos.