Walking around the island of Zante with Carmen – English Version

This article was written in Italian, we apologize for errors in the automatic translation

I’m Carmen, I love Zakynthos and I’ve been here for 12 years. I want to walk you around the island with me. Let’s go!

To come to the island you will have taken the plane https://www.zante.info/zante-flights-search/ or the ship https://www.zante.info/zante-ferry-boat-boat-search/.

Welcome to the island in spectacular colors: blue, turquoise, cobalt blue, emerald green, light green, brown, red earth and multicolored flowers

Joy for the eyes and rest of the mind, lots of sea and many trees even millennial, good food, nightlife or deep silence from meditation

 

For more information regarding what I will write to you now you can always visit the “Manoli” website (as they call it here a zante), Emmanuel at the link https://www.zante.info/.

 

This island has “witched” me and every year I always discover something new, some inlet, a few calluses, some sacred places of incredible trees.

I would like to accompany you for a piece of road to meet friends, lovely places, exquisite foods, hidden streets, almost an Eden.

Yes, follow me and you will not regret it!

Whether you come here with a ferry or plane if you don’t bring your car I recommend renting one because there’s a lot to see, you can get one here: https://www.zante.info/zante-car-rental/

or you can use public transport (but will not take you everywhere) and you can find info here https://www.zante.info/zante-public-transport-taxi-and-luxory-transfers/

When you arrive, stop in the city center to refresh yourself with a great meal in a serene and joyful setting, from Jota, who is an excellent cook and loves to mix his inspiration with the gifts of his land to make his dishes delicious. Go here and you can say that Carmen and Manoli send you:

Avli Restaurant – Delicious food – Zante city https://www.zante.info/listing/avli-restaurant-delicious-food-zante/

I state that what I write starts from the heart, it is personal, it is my experience without anyone asking me or without wanting to belittle anyone else on the island, indeed, if I have forgotten someone or I do not know him, he will come forward. I love to experiment!

To digest a long walk in AlexanderRoma the main street of the city full of many shops.
If you ever need to buy a sunscreen or a medication, here is Marietta’s pharmacy that knows Italian well and is an extremely competent and kind person. Paraski Marietta pharmacy in Alexander Roma 2 or Janni who graduated in Bologna and holds many natural products, as I like, at the Pharmacy Mouzakis Tzanetos in via Tavoulari 37.

If you thought then in the days to come not to have time for a lunch at the restaurant or if you just want a delicious thing go here to “To Zante – Pita bread” https://www.zante.info/listing/to-zante-pita-bread/you will meet in the afternoon Dimitra, also called amicably by me “Poseidona”, the lady of the island, because everyone knows her! Her “Pitas” are wonderful, they digest very well, you take them in the morning and you can eat them in the evening without problems. His voice is toned and strong and human is his heart.

Then, for a coffee I recommend you go to the Monk bar that Athina and Afroditi and Dionisios are very good and they make excellent coffee https://www.zante.info/listing/monk-cafe-zakynthos/ or in the evening go to the Avant Garde on the city square https://www.zante.info/listing/avant-garde-zakynthos-town/.

If you visit Zacinto city, go back at night to admire it from above at BOCHALI, enjoy the fantastic night view, sipping a drink and listening to ethnic music https://www.zante.info/listing/bochali-village/

If you are a Christian, even if you are an atheist or if you are simply curious it is nice to go to visit the city cathedral that contains the remains of St. Dionysius the patron saint of the island. The church is always visited and the life of St. Dionysius is a beautiful and moving story and you can find it here https://www.zante.info/listing/church-agios-dionysios/. If you stop where the stained glass windows make everything unreal, if its silver sarcophagus glitters at your moment, if you can stop the hectic pace of your day, here your heart can find refreshment.
It is a beautiful church and like all Orthodox churches it is full of gold and icons. If you then happen to be lucky enough to go when you recite the Mass, the songs that resonate will fill you with emotion and joy… even if you do not understand the language…

 

I forgot for accommodations in B&B, Villas, Resorts, Villages you can always check out:
https://www.zante.info/zante-hotels-search/

https://www.zante.info/zante-studios-and-apartments/

https://www.zante.info/zante-camping/

and to receive help on all the most important phone numbers for tourists: https://www.zante.info/zante-useful-phone-numbers/

 

Now you will have reached your destination that of course I cannot know, so I will jump here and there to the island without any rules.

 

You can decide where to go or what to visit. I recommend you in my experience or pleasure and of course with my friendships. Proving in person is already a guarantee if the person is in good faith!

You can go to Kalamaki one day and not only for a bath, and maybe with a turtle or a dolphin…. but also to have lunch at Zepos Restaurant – Kalamaki

https://www.zante.info/listing/zepos-restaurant-kalamaki-zante/

The restaurant is outdoors in a pleasant garden and a fresh fish is included in the menu and cooked really well. Tzakis and Dimitra will welcome you with a smile.

Or you can alternate and go from the Crystal beach restaurant at the hotel https://www.zante.info/listing/crystal-beach-hotel/ where the eyes are intoxicated with colors in a well-kept garden with high centuries-old palm trees and a view of the sea so that the colors are mixed and you no longer know where the earth is and where the sky… and there at the bar / restaurant of the beach you will find a “tricolored pasta” of the Egyptian cook that brings you back to the senses.

So you will decide to return to Kalamaki and before lunch delight under the wise and sweet hands of MARIA… and here I really want to rhyme in italiano: Maria the most beautiful massage there is! The Spa with massages where Maria works in Kalamaki: https://www.zante.info/listing/serenity-spa-zante/

Near Kalamaki there is LAGAN where nightlife is unbridled at night
Banned to those who want silence, but going there can offer you an idea of how some young people mean their holidays! You will see all the colors!
I love going there during the day and I go to small shops and this is where I have always found white clothes of pure cotton for my seminars. Yes, I am naturopath and I teach. Here there is also a shop that sells ethnic items from various parts of the world and at an incredible price, I found statues of Buddhas, of animals, colorful clothes, incense and crystals.

Also in LAGANÀ you cannot miss visiting the small island “Cameo Island” located in the Agios Sostis area.

You could then decide to go north and then I recommend a nice stop: visit the Farm (farm) of the Therianos family. At the Therianos Family Farm (in Kallithea of katastari) https://www.zante.info/listing/therianos-family-farm/ tell that Carmen and Manoli, mother and son, greet and love them. When you come from them you are submerged by smiles and hugs or handshakes. They are the most hospitable and sweet people I have ever known. They do everything with love and sell with joy. Excellent olive oil so good that a few years ago they won the world’s best olive oil award most rich in polyphenols
And then they have the delicious wine and honey, the creams for the body, the sultanas and the chew and much more. Their shop is like a fairy tale fair all colored clean and tidy. They have villas for rent and fields and flowers…. I would pass every day. If you go, ask about Dionya, of Anastasius’ Dimitri of their wonderful mother. Long tables are used for tastings, take some deleze and be happy.
You will leave after buying so many good things (it is impossible not to do so) and with a greater energy and serenity than when you arrived!

You can then stop at TSILIVI between a sea of olive trees, where you can then find a large beach with many people, but for us who often go to deserted beaches every now and then it is nice to meet other “similar” … hahahah. Here they delight us with the food for children that I really recommend at the tavern run by two fast and kind brothers: Avli Restaurant Tsilivi Zakynthos https://www.zante.info/listing/avli-taverna/ and always to stay a bit play as children go to the minigolf. It’s a very nice place and I always have a lot of fun. I once beat my son in a game… but it was the win of the beginner! I want to go back because nearby there is the bar in a lovely place and the bartenders are witty and friendly. I like to answer their nice jokes. Here is the link to play and refresh yourself : ELEAS GI – POOL BAR AND MINI GOLF POOL POOL https://www.zante.info/listing/eleas-gi-pool-pool-bar-and-mini-golf/

Continuing the discovery of the island you will meet the church of Katastari where on the evening of mid-August there is a great party with dances and ethnic music

In Katastari, if you need to do gasoline and diesel, to take care of your car, you can meet two spouses, Athina and Ghianni who run it and are fabulous, always smiling and friendly. You can find them at AVIN Katastari – Petrol Diesel Pumps
https://www.zante.info/listing/avin-katastari-petrol-diesel-pumps/

You can finally get to ALIKES and ALIKANAS
I always like to swim in the wide beach of Alikes because if the water is quite cold elsewhere, it is always pleasantly warm. The whole sea of the island is clean and pleasant and with wonderful colors.

Here we do the organic shopping at the organic supermarket always clean, in order and with good products. Deli House – Alikanas Supermarket with organic and local products
https://www.zante.info/listing/deli-house-alikanas-supermarket/

And there is a large shopping center with clothing, pottery and ethnic figurines. Letsos Supermarket with shopping center in Alikanas
https://www.zante.info/listing/letsos-supermarket-with-shopping-center/

Nearby are there, and I recommend you to visit AMMOUDI E PSARU’ where the sea is a charm where there is a lot of freedom and no boats. I love bathing there, I would never leave and Emmanuel good swimmer can take himself very far off… it’s a delight.

Here in Ammoudi there is a shop of clothes of tasteful and finesse and other refinements. Her name is “Lovelista Shop” run by our friend Roulla herself fine and kind
https://www.zante.info/listing/lovelistasta-shop-in-ammoudi/.

At PSARU, after a fabulous swim you can stop for eating with a beautiful sea view at the Achillion restaurant : Achillion Fish Restaurant https://www.zante.info/listing/achillion-fish-restaurant/.

Then continue northwards with the view of the green sea of the Mediterranean scrub on one side and a sea of water that constantly changes its colors: beautiful from blue to blue to blue to white.

Stop by Magda and greet her for us at the beach “Xigia Sulfur Pelagaki Paradise Beach” and restored to her “cellar”. From here on it is a true paradise. The Italians invaded it… I ask them to be polite and leave a good memory. See the place here: https://www.zante.info/listing/xigia-sulfur-paradise-beach/

….and if you want to eat really well, after visiting the beach of xigia, sulphurous water and sea water that mix and do so much good for the skin, go to the tavern of xigia https://www.zante.info/listing/taverna-xigia/  eat on a spectacular sea view and among the maritime pines that emanate with the warmth of the sun, a resin scent that enchants the senses.

There is also a very elegant restaurant at AGIOS NICHOLAOS, such as say of high class: “ORIZODES” which has refined dishes good and details
https://www.zante.info/listing/orizodes-restaurant-zakynthos/

And if you have children and want to taste the typical local cuisine you can go to NIREAS RESTAURANT TAVERN with playground for kids, playground for children, will welcome you Eleni and Spiros and Stefanos https://www.zante.info/listing/nireas-restaurant-tavern/

In this area there are many small beaches such as CREMIDI, CLIMATI, https://www.zante.info/listing/kremidi-beach/ fabulous if you go in the early morning. You can feel like you are unique in the world, only with nature and not only, because there will come little fish, birds and sometimes I also saw a horse that went down to the sea and where the sea meets the sky and where, if you are lucky you can also see among the red starfish rocks.

Continue your journey to VOLIMES here fascinate me along the way making the many cypress and junied ginepri ritti and the pines of Norfolk and all that Mediterranean flora that enchants me with all its shades of green.
Stop really recommended at the “The Old Windmill Restaurant in ASKOS” https://www.zante.info/listing/the-old-windmill-restaurant/Hearing for us Panajoti and Tonga and the little Ida owners of the restaurant and their little girl. We have been visiting them for years because we like their friendship, great food, the beautiful location, the sea view, everything is beautiful and good.

Also in Volimes there is a secret bay that few tourists know and that remains a bit defiled: it is SELINA really an Eden, paradise on earth https://www.zante.info/listing/selinas-filippoi-beach/

Continue and head to NAVAJO the famous beach known from around the world.
It will tell you about the view from above and not the beach that you can reach only by boats. Go soon or you will make huge rows to get to the parapet that allows you to look down and take your breath away from what you see. You will intoxicate you from the “sugar paper” color of the sea and the blinding white of the rocks. He walks along the rocks and reaches the other spur between small butts, stones and red earth. We meditated here at the setting of the sun. An incredible feeling a deep joy, a peace difficult to find. But if you want to see a fantastic sunset, the most beautiful of the island, “between the fjords” you have to go to KAMBI and I leave you here the link to see the location : https://www.zante.info/listing/kambi-village/

At ANAFONITRIA there is the Monastery where San Dionisio lived and is to be seen https://www.zante.info/listing/anafonitria-village/ The place has suffered a fire but at Volimes the nature, the trees with many cicacas, are unforgettable. And olive trees everywhere in this sunny island!

Continuing after the monastery there is a place that I love very much and that takes your breath away, and it is the road that leads to PORTO VROMI. Li Emmanuel and I spent whole days collecting the thyme;
From above, the view really took off the breath and if you were lucky, some eagle came “to greet you”. Porto Vromi is a calletta, the red rock does as a dome that looks like a shelter for bathers, the waters are deep, cold blue and green. Emmanuel found here many shells of queen curls. Too bad they gave permission to small boats to invade the marina but tourists also go to get wet and sunbathe! Porto vromi is here : https://www.zante.info/listing/porto-vromi-beach/

Another beach to see is AGIOS LEON the sea has created species of swimming pools and there are caves, it is the paradise of experienced swimmers https://www.zante.info/listing/porto-limnionas-agios-leon-beach / here there is also a dairy with good products, it is worth a visit to a purchase https://www.zante.info/listing/basta-organic-cheese-makers-zante/

Also in the western part of the island you cannot miss visiting EXO CHORA 2km south of MARIES https://www.zante.info/listing/exo-chora-village/ where you will find one of the oldest olive trees on the island and a market of handcrafted objects from a truly enchanting place to spend an afternoon in company.

Now I’ll tell you about the other side of the island

From the center of Zakynthos head towards MACHAIRADO
and stop to visit the Church of Santa Mavra and San Timoteo
https://www.zante.info/listing/church-of-agia-mavra/ and then visit the Gnognos souvenir shop, which certainly has characteristic and unique objects a bit from all over the world: icons, antiques and silver objects, jewelry and clothes and much more. Gnognos is nice and sometimes he greets you in Italian, I like to visit him. I found from him an Antarctic agate that I had never found by anyone is beautiful, green with a “world inside”. Find your own stone as well:
https://www.zante.info/listing/shop-for-antiques-silver-and-icons-in-macherado/

Further south is KER: the beach that makes me feel safer, it’s nice and the sea has that green color that I like so much.
I saw couples and couples with children. I love Kerì also because it is the place (or was before the fire) of the oldest olive trees on earth, millennial creatures, the wisdom of the earth, the balancers of its magnetism. I like Kerì because it is sunny : https://www.zante.info/listing/keri-village/

It is a land of rare beauties. There is the Lighthouse from which you have one of the most wonderful visions of the island, with its stacks and its turquoise sea
https://www.zante.info/listing/keri-lighthouse-restaurant/

If you want to eat well you go, after taking a bath in Marathia https://www.zante.info/listing/marathias-beach/ , also beautiful beach and beautiful sea, go to Votsalo taverna – Marathias

https://www.zante.info/listing/votsalo-taverna-marathias/ beautiful location and exquisite food. You will be pleased to welcome Katerina, Dimos and Dionysius, pleasant and kind people.

Or if you are on the road and you have not yet reached kerì you can go to the Windmill Restaurant https://www.zante.info/listing/windmill-restaurant where you see the blue sea in the distance and you are literally immersed in a green sea: the lush vegetation seen from above gives you a feeling of belonging to the land of wanting to embrace it with gratitude is here that the restaurant is.

If you are in KERI you can have a good coffee, among the best of the place, and enjoy the sympathy of Salis at https://www.zante.info/listing/immediate-cafe-bar-caffee-and-snaks/

Also in KERI it is impossible not to visit the small island of marathonisi https://www.zante.info/listing/marathonisi-beach/

But now let’s move to the other side of the island, always to the south in the same latitude as the “horse’s hand” that shows the island in its southern part. You innor and you will be able to see “the bridge of lovers” and hurry because the sea is taking it away https://www.zante.info/listing/argassi-village/

Here there is a great discotheque, Il Barrage, if one evening you want to jump into the ballot… I leave you a list of all the pubs of the island here https://www.zante.info/zante-events/?all-clubs-zante and always argassi you can eat at the Green Frog Restaurant for vegetarians https://www.zante.info/listing/green-frog-rest-

You can then get to various ports, including PORTO ZORRO where you can visit  https://www.zante.info/listing/porto-zorro-beach/ and enjoy a rejuvenating mud bath https://www.zante.info/zante-activities-what-to-do-in-zakynthos/#mud-bath

PORTO ROMA, PORTO AZZURRO, BANANA BEACH and the beautiful DAFNI BEACH https://www.zante.info/listing/dafni-beach/

You can also go to a vegetarian meal from LITHIES a pretty outdoor tavern with a wonderful pine forest nearby. Fotinì will welcome you with pleasure. The Taverna Lithies of Fotinì is here : https://www.zante.info/listing/taverna-lithies/

A little before Gerakas in the evening you can taste a good pizza from Camillo https://www.zante.info/listing/da-camillo-italian-trattoria-pizzeria/

Now you can get to GERAKAS, the favorite house of turtles. The Gerakas Beach is an enchantment. As soon as you arrive you are informed that you will cross a land that sees you as a guest because the real house here is caretta-caretta turtles. Protected from the beautiful white, yellow-orange rocks, they come to lay their eggs for a new life. Once it was only their home, now the men took scyosts and umbrellas. The inlet is wide, wide, wide, the sea is clean and free from boats.

In Gerakas you feel good, you feel protected as perhaps the mysterious turtles feel. The beach of Gerakas is a strip of sand that ends with a clayey promontory, inserted in a natural setting of breathtaking beauty. On its banks come to lay the eggs the turtles caretta caretta; from May to October

In the early hours of the morning it is possible to watch the spectacle of the hatching of the eggs and the newborn specimens that head towards the sea. To ensure that this natural miracle continues to unfold, the beach has been inserted within a protected natural area and retains a wild appearance, free of services and away from human constructions; there are some restrictions to be respected, such as the access times to the beach. A few meters before the entrance to the beach of Gerakas, in front of the parking lot, is the Sea Turtle Rescue Center. In Gerakas it is very pleasant to bathe and the water flows soft on your skin.

Before saying goodbye I remind you that you are entitled to different discounts for services and purchases on the island that you can find at this page https://www.zante.info/coupon-discounts/

Get your discount for now:

• Car Rental
• Restaurants where you can very eat very well
• Sale of local products
• Shops
• Tours Excursions
• the Activities and the
• the Villas
• Wellness ( massages )

I did my best to help you on this trip but it’s up to you now to compose your travel and live you and respect this wonderful island.
Have a nice stay
Good life!
Carmen