3 zile in Zakynthos – ce sa nu ratezi pe frumoasa insula greceasca

This summer we to go on a short trip to one of the most popular Greek islands, namely the island of Zakynthos, in the Ionian Sea.

Zakynthos welcomed us with a relaxed, holiday atmosphere, with beautiful landscapes and a gorgeous sea. It was a pleasant experience, a successful mini-vacation, in which we combined both staying at the beach and exploring the interesting places that this island offers.

If such a holiday tempts you too, or maybe the information found here inspires you to plan a trip to this Greek island, I invite you to read below how you can spend 3 days in Zakynthos, what beaches you can find here and which places you could visit: the famous Navagio beach, the sulphurous Xigia beach, the Laganas bay, the turtle beaches or the blue caves.

About Zakynthos

Zakynthos, also known as Zante, is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea, located in the western part of the country. It is part of the Ionian Islands, along with other islands highly appreciated by tourists: Corfu, Lefkada, Kefalonia or Paxos.

Zakynthos is one of the most visited destinations in Greece, and it is easy to understand why:

The beaches are impressive, with fine sand, crystal clear sea water that has a bright turquoise color. The most famous beach, for which Zakynthos has also become very popular, is Navagio Beach (Shipwreck Beach), the beach that has become the symbol of this island. Besides this, Zakynthos offers many other beautiful beaches, perfect for a stay at the sea: Laganas, Gerakas, Banana Beach, Tsilivi, Alikanas or the sulphurous Xigia beach.

The island also has incredible natural landscapes. Inside it, you will be amazed by the green hills, full of olive trees, and the coastal areas offer unique images, which you can best observe from the sea, on a boat ride. Such points of attraction are the Blue Caves or the rock of Myzithres.

Zakynthos is also called the island of the turtles Caretta-Caretta Caretta-Caretta. Here is one of the most important nesting places in Europe for Caretta-Caretta tortoises. On the beach in Laganas Bay or on Gerakas Beach they lay their eggs, and visitors, with a little luck, have the opportunity to observe them directly in their natural habitat.

The capital of the island is the city of Zakynthos/Zante, a lively and touristic city, with a population of up to 10,000 inhabitants. The entire island has approximately 16,000 inhabitants.

How to get to Zakynthos

By plane to Zakynthos

Zakynthos has its own airport, 3 kilometers away from Zakynthos town.

From the airport, you can rent a car, take a taxi or local buses to get to your destination.

By car to Zakynthos

If you want to go by car, it's good to know that you can get to Zakynthos by ferry from the Greek port of Kilini (https://ferries.greeka.com/). As an estimated price, for a car, a driver and a passenger you will pay 12.5 euros per trip, which lasts one hour and 15 minutes, and the trips leave several times a day.

How to get around in Zakynthos

Zakynthos is not a large island, but if you want to explore the whole area, a good idea would be to rent a car. Prices start from 60 euros/day, if you want to rent a car on the spot, opposite the airport, with insurance included and without deposit.

Tip: I recommend paying for the car with cash, and not with a card. You can get a 5% discount like that.

Parking on the island is easy to find, and is generally free. The hardest thing for us was to find parking in the city of Zante, being the most crowded, but otherwise we had no problem.

Another option would be to rent a scooter or an ATV, the prices being lower than renting a car.

You can also visit the island within a day trip: Zakynthos Island: Navagio Shipwreck Beach & Blue Caves Tour.

If you don't want to visit the island and just want a quiet stay at the sea, you can take a taxi or local bus from the airport to your accommodation. At the same time, from the city of Zakynthos there are many tourist trains that you can use to reach the neighboring resorts.

Another means of transport in Zakynthos are the boats. In every port you can find taxi boats, you can go on an organized boat trip or you can rent your own boat to walk around and visit the surroundings of the island.

We rented a car from here, with full insurance included and without deposit or credit card, for which we paid 55 euros / day: https://www.euroalfarentals.gr/. If you make a reservation in time, there are good chances of finding cheaper cars.

What to do in Zakynthos

For us, Zakynthos was a perfect destination for a short summer vacation. If you have more time, I recommend, of course, to stay here for at least a week, to enjoy the sea and go to a different beach every day.

But if you, like us, want a quick, beautiful getaway, where you can disconnect a little from your everyday duties, consider a trip to Zakynthos. We really enjoyed this mini-vacation, we flew on a Thursday early in the morning and returned home on a Sunday evening. There were 3 days in which we combined lying on the beach, swimming in the Ionian Sea and discovering the beautiful places that this island has.

I present our itinerary below, in case you are also planning such a trip.

Day 1 – Laganas Bay, Cameo Island, Banana Beach, Zakynthos

Thursday morning, at 7 o'clock, we flew to Zakynthos, directly from Cluj-Napoca, with Wizz Air. The flight lasted about an hour and a half, so at 10 o'clock we were already in Zakynthos, with the rental car picked up from the airport. The car cost us 220 euros for 4 calendar days, with all insurances included and without any deposit.

Laganas Bay

After we solved the organizational matters, we wanted to start the actual holiday with a refreshing swim in the sea, on a beautiful beach. We arrived in Laganas, which personally seemed to me to be the most touristic location in Zakynthos. With a long beach, many terraces and a very tourist resort atmosphere, Laganas reminded me a little of the holidays we spent at the sea when we were children.

But the beach is very beautiful, long, with very fine sand and extremely clean water.

The price for two sunbeds and an umbrella starts here from 8 euros.

We took advantage of the beautiful weather and good water to spend a few hours at the beach, and afterwards we decided to go on a walk to the turtle beach.

Turtle Beach

Towards the northern end of the beach in Laganas Bay, close to the Kalamaki resort, there is an empty beach, specially preserved for the conservation of the Caretta-Caretta turtle species. The entire beach is protected, and the place where the turtles' eggs are laid are specially marked, to avoid them.

There are no sunbeds on this beach, and tourists who come here are asked to pay maximum attention to turtle nests.

After this short walk we returned to the car, and went to the south of Laganas bay, to visit the small island of Cameo.

Cameo Island

Cameo Island is a popular spot in Zakynthos. It is a very small island, connected to the shore by a small bridge over the sea, a bridge that is also very Instagrammable, by the way.

There is a 5 euro entrance fee to Cameo Island, in the price of which you will also receive a small souvenir (a keychain with a picture taken in this location).

We really liked it here, the place is spectacular, with a very chic beach and some wonderful pictures.

You can go to the beach here, but if you plan to stay longer, I recommend that you come prepared with drinks and snacks. We did not find any bar open on this small island.

Marathonisi Island

If you arrive in the Laganas area, you can also go to Marathonisi island. In the port next to the bridge to Cameo Island you will find different options to reach the island, including taxi boats that leave you on the island and return after you, or private boats.

Also from this port you can take different boat trips in search of Caretta-Caretta turtles: Zakynthos: Turtle Spotting, Marathonísi & Keri Caves Cruise.

Banana Beach

In the afternoon, we wanted to relax at the beach, being a little tired after the morning flight. So we chose to go by car and spend the rest of the day on one of the most famous beaches in Zakynthos, namely Banana Beach.

Zante

In the evening we arrived in the city of Zakynthos (Zante), where we had accommodation for the next 3 nights. We chose this accommodation, close to the tourist center: Yria Hotel.

The city is very lively, even until late at night. Elegant terraces, many shops, good atmosphere and the breeze from the seaside are the perfect combination for an evening spent on your summer holiday.

Day 2 – Navagio Beach, Blue Caves, Cape Skinari, Xigia Beach, Alikanas

The next day, when we were more rested than on the day of arrival, we wanted to visit the most symbolic place in Zakynthos, namely Navagio beach, with its famous ship. But until then, we took advantage of the rented car to discover the entire northern part of the island.

Alikanas

The first stop was at Alikanas, a resort also popular in Zakynthos. With a long and beautiful beach, with terraces and many places to stay, Alikanas can be an ideal vacation destination.

Xigia Beach

Next came Xigia Beach, another special place in Zakynthos. It is a sulphurous beach, totally different from the beaches we are used to, and this is because of the smell of sulfur around. The place is impressive, the water has a very light and crystalline color, and the way the rocks surround the small beach creates a beautiful image. But I admit, I couldn't spend a whole day at sea here, and that only because of the strong sulfur smell.

Cape Skinari

A location that we liked very much in Zakynthos is the north of the island, namely the northernmost point Cape Skinari. Here is also the place of the famous Blue Caves, which I recommend not to miss (they can only be seen from the sea, with a boat).

At Skinari Viewpoint, on the steps, you can go down to sea level. The landscape is wonderful, the sea water has a very green-turquoise color here, and if you are willing, you can take a bath in the sea.

Blue Caves

We took a boat ride from Cape Skinari to the Blue Caves and Navagio beach. The ride cost 25 euros / person and lasted an hour and a half, with a stop for swimming near Navagio beach.

Blue Caves are a spectacular natural attraction, being a complex of caves and rock formations that were formed over time by the waves of the sea. The name comes from the intense blue of the water inside and around these caves, especially when the sun's rays are reflected directly in the sea.

The Blue Caves can only be visited by boat, but you will find organized tours from any port on the island to these caves, such as from the port of Agios Nikolaos.

Navagio Beach (Shipwreck Beach)

Navagio Beach or Shipwreck Beach is the most emblematic place in Zakynthos. It is the main tourist attraction of the island, and if you ask any traveler about Zakynthos, they will definitely show you the image of this place.

The beach is one of the most famous in the world and is downright fascinating. The sea water has a blue color that you don't often meet in Europe, it is a bright, clean blue, similar to the water in the swimming pool, and the sand looks very white. The wreck left here and the high rocks that surround this beach complete this special landscape and give it a very wild aspect. Besides, you can only get to Navagio beach by boat.

Unfortunately, starting this summer, tourists are no longer allowed to go down to the beach or to swim in the sea water, due to falling stones. But even so, a boat trip here is mandatory if you arrive in Zakynthos, you cannot miss this place!

Besides the boat ride, you can also look at the beach from height, there are panoramic points where you can go to admire Navagio Beach in all its splendor.

Navagio Beach Viewpoint is the place for that. But expect here huge queues of tourists waiting to take the perfect picture with Navagio beach. And the view is not really the best in this point, I admit.

To the right of this point there is a small trail that you can walk on, and from here the view is truly spectacular! But pay attention to where you step there and to the place where the pictures are taken. It is not secured in any way, moreover the authorities do not even recommend this route, as it is quite dangerous.

Day 3 – Gerakas Beach, Tsilivi Beach

If the previous day was only about exploring and visiting, we kept the third day to relax and enjoy the sea and the sun.

Gerakas Beach

In the morning we arrived at Gerakas Beach, considered one of the most beautiful beaches on the island. It is a wild beach, being also a protected area due to the nests of turtles.

The pictures are gorgeous here, with a very calm turquoise sea, a beach with fine sand and green hills that create an idyllic setting.

There are no bars or terraces on the beach, but you will find them near the car park, before going down the stairs to the beach.

Here we found the most expensive prices for sunbeds on the whole island, namely 50 euros / 2 sunbeds + umbrella.

Tsilivi Beach

Another beautiful beach is the one in the resort of Tsilivi. The beach is long, with fine sand, and the sea water is also superb here: turquoise, crystalline and very clean.

The prices for sunbeds started from 8 euros / 2 sunbeds + umbrella in the last rows and increased depending on how close they were to the sea.

Day 4 – Keri, Myzithres

On Sunday, we had our return flight just after lunch, so we had a little more time in the morning. We decided to go to the Keri Lighthouse restaurant, about which we read a lot before going to Zakynthos.

Myzithres

What fascinated us here was the viewpoint above the Myzithres. Personally, for me this was one of the most beautiful places on the island, I liked this view so much that I have to recommend it to anyone who wants to visit Zakynthos.

The last two hundred meters to the Viewpoint are a little more difficult to do by car, but it can be reached.

If you don't want to go to the restaurant to admire the whole landscape, I recommend you to go next door, to Mizithres Summer Vibes. It is a specially designed place, with a food truck, and the entrance ticket is a drink from the food truck (it can be just a water).

This was our itinerary on the island of Zakynthos, in a short 3-day holiday. We would definitely have needed more time to enjoy everything this island has to offer, moreover there are also places that we, unfortunately, have not been able to visit, such as:

Keri Caves – caves in the south of the island, similar to the Blue Caves. Boat trips can be organized here

Beaches on the east coast: Porto Limnionas Beach, Porto Vromi Beach

Where to stay in Zakynthos

In Zakynthos we stayed in the city of Zante, the capital of the island. Having a rented car, for us Zante was the starting point for exploring the whole of Zakynthos. We stayed here: Yria Hotel, a hotel in the city center that we recommend.

Another hotel in Zakynthos that we recommend, on a half-board basis, is the Palatino Hotel.

It is important to know that there is no beach in Zakynthos. If you want accommodation closer to the beach, you can look for accommodation in one of the resorts of the island: Laganas, Tsilivi or Alikanas.

What to eat in Zakynthos

In Zakynthos, as in the rest of Greece, you can find a variety of delicious dishes specific to this country, which will surely delight you: recipes with fish, gyros, moussaka or the famous Greek salad with feta cheese.

There are many places where you can eat, and the best thing is to check the reviews on Google Maps (advice valid for any tourist destination, by the way).

Some of the places where we ate and we liked it are:

Zakynthos: Base
Tsilivi: Avli Taverna
Cape Skinari (in the north of the island): Taverna Faros
Banana Beach: Banana Casa Playa Beach Bar & Restaurant
Myzithres: Mizithres Summer Vibes

For a meal we usually paid around 25-30 euros / 2 people.

Travel tips

If you want to rent a car, look for a local company, where you don't have to leave a deposit. If you pay in cash, you will receive a 5% discount on the price of the car.

If you don't have a car, you can choose to go on a day trip to visit the main attractions of the island: Zakynthos Island: Navagio Shipwreck Beach & Blue Caves Tour. Such a trip costs 50 euros / person.

Most of the beaches in Zakynthos have fine sand, but here and there you can also find pebble beaches, such as Makris Gialos Beach. For these, it would be good to have beach slippers with you.

How much did our vacation in Zakynthos cost

The prices for a holiday in Zakynthos are decent, and you can find accommodation or a rental car cheaper than we found if you organize your trip earlier. We decided on going to Zakynthos only with two weeks before departure, that's why we didn't find perhaps the most convenient options. But even so, Zakynthos did not seem like an expensive destination.

Flight Cluj-Napoca – Zakynthos with Wizz Air: 400 RON / person
3 nights' accommodation at Yria Hotel, 300 euros/2 persons, with breakfast included
Rented car 220 euros (4 calendar days) + gas 50 euros (we were four people, so the price was divided to 4)
Entrance to Cameo Island: 5 euros / person
Boat trip to Navagio Beach and Blue Caves: 25 euros / person
A meal in the city cost us around 25-30 euros / 2 people

Thus, without food or other additional expenses, this trip cost us approximately 330 euros / person.