What to do on Zante

Beyond the pub crawl at Lagana, there’s everything from emu parks to elephant trees on the isle of Zante

The British Express showcased the isle of Zante or Zakynthos, the third-largest Ionian island that has been a favorite getaway for Brits. Rob Crossan of the Express writes that the island’s “appeal lies in its scenery – contorting narrow lanes azure bays, olive grove-covered hillsides and meadows carpeted with chicory, daisies and poppies.

Perhaps the most defining part of Zante, apart from the young Brits getting drunk at Lagana beach, are the fact that the largest collection of endangered loggerhead sea turtles in the Mediterranean can be found here.

Ηere are some things a visitor should do when visiting Zante…

1. Sample at least a few glasses of the local white wine, retsina.

RETSINA

2. Gorge on platters of the locally-sourced mackerel called kolios. Locals dry the fish with herbs in the sun before grilling it.

kolios

3. Buy some gorgeous local honey or olive oil from the roadside stalls dotted around the island’s narrow roads.

HONEY

4. Marvel at the scale model of the original Venetian Zante Town, which was destroyed by an earthquake in 1953, in the Byzantine museum.

ZAK

5. Enjoy watersports such as windsurfing, wakeboarding and kayaking as well as diving in the area.

DIVE

6. Try and catch a glimpse of those famous loggerhead turtles at the Greek National Marine Park in the area of the Bay of Laganas.

CARETTA

7. Learn all there is to learn about the nesting habits of these little creatures at the Turtle Museum at Daphne.

TURTLE

8. Enjoy the spectacular sunsets from the tiny coastal village of Kambi.

KAMPI

9. Set sail for a day trip to the neighboring island of Kefalonia.

KEF

10. Join in the festival of St Dionysios at the end of August. The remains of the island’s patron saint are paraded in a silver casket through Zante Town before a celebration of fireworks and dancing.

DIONYSIOS

11. See the elephant tree in the middle of nowhere (an old olive tree at the village square of Exohora). Remember that the journey is just part of the fun…

ELEPHANTODENTRO

12. Navagio (Shipwreck) Beach is one of the most iconic in the world but very difficult to get to. The beach isn’t that much different from other beaches in the area apart from the distinctive wreck.

NAV

13. The Monastery of the Virgin Eleftherotria is like a Church Disneyland!

CHURCH DISNEYLAND

14. Visit the Helmi Natural History Museum.

HELMI

15. If you’re an Aussi you may want to find the elusive Emu park and see how these Australian creatures fare under the Zante sun.

EMU