Discover caves, shipwrecks and turtle beaches
Zante, or Zakynthos, is a Greek island that’s split into distinct parts. The south and south east coasts are dotted with popular, commercial holiday resorts, while the south west contains pockets of refinement like Keri and Limni Keriou. The rest of this Ionian island is an altogether more rugged and authentic affair, including an interior sprinkled with traditional rural villages and deep forested valleys.
Zante Town is the island’s capital. Little of the city’s original Italianate architecture survived a 1953 earthquake but the Agios Nikolaos of Molos church is one notable exception. Check out its impressive facade and the small Byzantine museum attached to it.
Call in next at the Solomos Museum dedicated to the poet who wrote Greece’s national anthem. Then head towards Agios Markos (St Mark’s) Square, whose pretty pollen-hued buildings resemble a more modest version of its Venetian cousin. It’s the ideal spot to pause and savour a glass of sherry-like Verdea wine. Speaking of wine, try a tasting at artist Giannis Giatras’ winery Art & Wine, reached via a picturesque mountain road. Sample a refreshing golden white Robola or a complex spicy red Avgoustiatis. The western shore really shines, with its wild, colossal cliffs plummeting down to turquoise seas. Little wonder then that Zante entranced the likes of literary heavyweights Lord Byron and Edgar Allen Poe. Visit yourself and you too may fall under its spell. Book your flights to Zante today and start exploring.