Zakinthos (Zakynthos) is one of those double identity towns. Around the port and marina there doesn’t seem to be much and its a little run down, but as you move away, you can see a different part of town full of energy and bustling with activity. Zakinthos was like that.
Like most European / Mediterranean towns, as soon as the sun starts to set, people wake up and head out in the cooler air for dinner. Great restaurants, cold ice-cream in a multitude of flavors, and interesting people to watch. Check out the photos!
The Ins and Outs of Zakinthos
Zakinthos (Zakynthos) is a beautiful green island with 123km of coastline. The harbor city of Zakynthos is the capital and most restaurant, shops and bars are centered around waterfront Solomos Square. Popular beaches like Agios Nikolaos, Alykanas and Tsilivi offer swimming and water sports. If you have a boat you can visit Navagio beach which is the site of a famed Instagramable 1980 shipwreck resting in a sandy cove surrounded by cliffs.
The Venetians, who ruled Zakinthos from 1484 to 1797, called the island “Fioro di Levante” (flower of the East) as there are over 7,000 species of flowers on Zakinthos . The third largest island of the Ionian Sea, after Corfu and Kefalonia, is internationally known as “Zante”. Zakinthos is said to have been the island’s first inhabitant and the ancient acropolis is attributed to him. He was the son of Dardanos who ruled the ancient kingdom of Frigia. A Venetian fort was built at later times on the site.
