Choose holidays to Zante and discover an Ionian paradise with lush, rolling vineyards, cliff-edged coves and family-run tavernas serving piles of mezedes.
Zante life centres around the main town of Zakynthos with its bustling squares, seaside tavernas and whitewashed villas. North-east of here, olive groves merge into fishing villages and picturesque harbours like Bouka and Amboula. Winding cliff roads overlook the azure Mediterranean waters on the Vassilikos peninsula on your way to turtle beaches at Gerakas and the high-octane resort town of Kalamaki. Pine forests and vineyards cover the hilly north of this Ionian island, where you can hike to traditional villages around Volimes. A boat ride around Cape Skinari takes you past the jaw-dropping beauty of the Blue Caves.
Best of Zante holidays for...
- Romance: Dramatic limestone cliffs, crystal-clear water and the secluded white sandy bay make Smugglers Cove, or Navagio, one of Zante's most idyllic spots. Start your holiday love affair on a sunset boat trip from nearby Porto Vromi or Alykes.
- Free & cheap: Step back in time at one of Zakynthos Town's bargain museums. The freebie Solomos Museum hoards local portraits and poetry, and the Byzantine Museum is packed with carvings and frescoes rescued from the 1953 earthquake.
- Relaxing: The beaches in Zante are so chilled out that loggerhead turtles choose to nest here. Spot them burrowing on the beaches in the tranquil 5km-long bay around Laganas while you relax under a parasol on the soft, powdery sands.
- Nightlife: There's nightlife to suit everyone's palate in the party town of Tsilivi on holidays to Zante. Choose from retsina-flavoured evenings in cosy tavernas, lively Irish pubs and swanky poolside lounges.
- Active types: The stretch along St Nicholas Beach is water-sports paradise. There are banana boat rides for adrenalin junkies and gentler pedalos and canoes for hire. Dive excursions around the rugged coast explore sunken submarines and ferries teeming with moray eels, grouper and wrasse.
- Kids & teens: Children love cooling off on the wiggly flumes at Splash Fun Water Park. There's the black hole slide for the brave-hearted and a lazy river for leisurely boat trips.
- Babies & toddlers: Tots stay entertained at the air-conditioned Playaway soft play centre, close to Zante airport. They can spend hours taking tumbles on the bouncy castle and soft mats while grown ups relax in the outdoor café.
