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Sightseeing in Zakynthos - what to see. Complete travel guide

Zakynthos is a beautiful island that attracts visitors by its picturesque nature landscapes, unique historical monuments and wide choice of entertainments. The majority of the local places of interest are nature resorts and the most frequently visited one of them is National Marine Park opened in 1999. You will find numerous attractions, several beaches, cafes and restaurants on the territory of the park. Here you can rent sports inventory, a boat or a cutter; children can participate in engaging and funny entertainment programs and games.
Family holidays with kids in Zakynthos. How to entertain your child, things to show to children.
Zakynthos attracts tourists with children with an abundance of beautiful beaches and resort hotels, but one cannot limit the popular resort to beach entertainment only. On the island, there … Open
The most miraculous place on the island is the Azure Grotto. This is a system of caves that goes deep into underwater. Because of the specific reflection of sunrays in the grotto, water here has rich azure tint. In the western part of the island are located rocky cliffs that have quickly become popular among the climbing fans. Not only sportsmen will enjoy wandering on these beautiful surroundings; here you will find a camping zone and the rocky region has several routes for tourists.
Laganas is considered the most developed region of Zakynthos. Each year new hotels and resorts are opened here. Life doesn’t stop in Laganas all day long. On daytime you can attend cafes and restaurants with wonderful open terraces. At night the streets are lightened by neon advertisements that invite visitors to discos and casinos. Copyright www.orangesmile.com
Cuisine of Zakynthos for gourmet with top restaurants and cafe
Fans of Greek cuisine will find it very exciting to relax in Zakynthos restaurants. That said, local restaurants specializing in the national cuisine are not the only notable venues on the … Open
The town has historical places of interest as well. Among the most interesting sights recommended for visiting is Saint Dionysius Monastery built in the 18th century and named after the island’s protector. Mausoleum Museum of the poets Solomos and Calvos, Zakynthos Byzantine Museum and Museum of Outstanding People exhibit interesting collections of artifacts. Your rest on Zakynthos will be truly unforgettable and amazing, because this place has everything for interesting and entertaining pastime.
The island is famous, first of all, for its natural attractions. A very beautiful and symbolic place is the Navagio beach, whose name can literally be translated as “shipwreck beach”. In 1980, the ship Panagiotis wrecked here. It carried contraband tobacco from Turkey to Italy. In an attempt to escape the police, the ship ran aground in this bay. Now the abandoned ship is one of the main symbols of the island. In this bay, there is a shallow beach with saturated blue water. Here you can perfectly relax and make a lot of interesting photos against the background of the old smuggler ship.
Authentic traditions, festivals and lifestyle of Zakynthos inhabitants
Zakynthos is widely recognized as the home city of Dionysios Solomos, the author of the national hymn of Greece. One of the first rebellions in Europe also happened in Zakynthos in 1628. As … Open
The most beautiful natural formation is the Blue Caves, so they call the special coastal territory. In this place near the coast, under the influence of wind and waves, several beautiful arches and caves were formed. The water of the coast has a bright azure color, which in combination with snow-white rocks arches, creates an incredible game of colors. Here for the travelers, very interesting boat excursions are conducted, during which they can view the amazing arches in all their glory.
Fans of animals and nature will be interested to visit the Askos Stone Park. This amazing nature reserve has become home to many rare animals. On its territory grows more than 170 000 trees and shrubs. Among this natural splendor live wild birds and mammals. It has a small farm, on which poultry live. So, the reserve will be interesting for tourists with young children to visit.
Excursion over cultural sights of Zakynthos - 'must visit' points of interest
Charming and picturesque, Zakynthos will pleasantly surprise vacationers with the abundance of attractive landmarks. In 1953, the city was severely damaged during an earthquake. Because of … Open
Fans of unusual excursions should definitely make a trip to the oldest olive tree on the island. Its age is more than 3 000 years. The olive tree remains alive and gives new shoots. There are comfortable benches under the crown of the tree. It will be a pleasure to relax here on a sunny day. Next to this amazing natural landmark is a beautiful monument.
Zakynthos Harbour On the picturesque island, lovers of walks in historical places do not have to be bored. They will be interested to visit the ancient fortress of Bohali. This ancient fortress is in the immediate vicinity of the island's capital. The very first defensive structure in its place was built over a thousand years ago. The surviving fragments of the fortress which can be seen now were built in the 12th century by Venetians.
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Reference information
Map of all castles
Survived castles around Zakynthos
♥   Castle 'Chlemoutsi' northwestern Elis, 24.3 km from the center. On the map   Photo
♥   Castle 'Assos Castle' Assos, 73.9 km from the center. On the map   Photo
♥   Castle 'Rio Castle' Rio, 90 km from the center. On the map   Photo
♥   Castle 'Old Navarino castle' Near Pylos, 113.5 km from the center. On the map   Photo
Map of all parks
National and city parks around Zakynthos
♥   National Park 'Ethniko Parko limnothalasson Mesolongiou – Aitolikou' , 72.8 km from the center. On the map   Photo
♥   National Park 'Ethniko Parko Ygrotopon Amvrakikou' , 143.2 km from the center. On the map   Photo

Sights around Zakynthos from our guide 'Extreme places on Earth'

Statue of Zeus at Olympia

From the series “Seven Wonders of the World”
Check on the map:   Distance from Zakynthos center - 66.2 km.
The outstanding historic discovery happened in 1875, when archaeologists managed to find the ruins of the Temple of Zeus. Not far away, they found the ruins of the workshop of Phidias. Scientists had decades of continuous research and found out a lot of amazing historical nuances. Archaeologists discovered devices necessary for processing the ivory and gold coating application, as well as chips of precious stones. All this is a valid proof that the Statue of Zeus at Olympia was incredibly beautiful and richly decorated. Recreated models of the temple and a magnificent statue were the fruit of the labor of historians and archaeologists. … Read further

Melissani Cave

From the series “Fantastic and Colorful Caves Inside the Earth”
Check on the map:   Distance from Zakynthos center - 58 km.
At different times of the day, the light stains the cave in different colours, making it one of the most amazing natural attractions of the planet. It is important to note that Melissani cave is an important historical object. Thousands of years ago it was used for religious rituals. Unique religious artifacts were discovered in the cave. Figures of the god Pan, clay disks and plates with images of the nymphs are now kept in the archaeological museum of Argostoli. … Read further

Sightseeing in regions nearby Zakynthos

Zakynthos Island
Zakynthos is the well-known resort island that is a part of Ionian Islands. Lots of legends are associated with the island. According to the one of them, islanders were brave warriors and made a mark during the Troyan war. This mysterious island is an excellent place to ... Open »
Kefallonia
Kefalonia is a magnificent island that attracts tourists by rich picturesque nature, golden sands, calm bays and wide choice of sights. Besides the fact this resorts becomes more and more popular each year, everyone will be able to find here a calm place for rest. The ... Open »
Ithaka Island
Ithaka is the beautiful island in the Ionian Sea, whose history is inextricably linked with the amazing myth about Odysseus. The isle attracts travelers with its rich archaeological heritage, amazing natural attractions and an abundance of lovely beaches. This island is ... Open »
Patra
Patras is a major seaport and a large center of shipping of the country. Life does not stop here even for a minute. Just like in any other large trading port, the streets of the city are always filled with the noise of cars, people seem to be constantly in a hurry and ... Open »
Lefkada
Lefkada is a Greek island in Ionic Sea. It is known for its white rocks that gave the name to this place (Lefkada means white). Sheer rocks are located only on the west coast of the island. On the east Lefkada is covered with various plants and trees, so numerous bays ... Open »
Pylos
This is a small and cozy Greek town that will be exceptionally attractive to fans of quiet rest and comfort. Many people call Pylos "a little Switzerland". The reason for this is in the fact that the town’s small houses with white facades, which are surrounded by lush ... Open »
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