Greece - The Island Of Zakynthos

We arrived on the island of Zakynthos after a long journey by bus and ferry from Athens.

We were greeted by the beautiful port in the main city on Zakynthos, called Zakynthos Town or Zante. Our plan for the five-night stay was to stay three nights in Keri to explore one side of the island, and two nights in the main port city to explore the other side. Zakynthos is a truly wonderful island, and while five nights still wasn’t enough, five MONTHS wouldn’t be enough either—this place is spectacular. With its wonderful people and gorgeous surroundings, the energy we felt here has stayed with us to this very day when we think back on our stay.

Day 1

Zakynthos Town/Zante to Castello Bellos 2 (30 mins)

We quickly rented our car and were on our way to our stay at Castello Bellos Studios. I hesitate to call this place a "hotel" because the word doesn’t seem to do it justice—it truly felt like "home" for three nights. It’s run by a lovely pair of seniors and their adult children. They invited us to sit down for some watermelon in the evening, grown from their very own yard, and we got to meet some distant relatives from Italy. They are a mixed family of Greek and Italian descent, so between their Greek, Italian, Diana’s Spanish, and some broken English mixed in, we were able to have a delightful night. We talked about the beauty of what we had experienced so far in Greece, and the beauty that awaited us in Italy in the coming weeks.The highlight of the evening came from a little boy named Genaro, who was enamored with Diana all evening, even inviting us to visit them in Napoli.

While visiting landmarks, seeing sunsets, and eating local cuisine are beautiful parts of travel, having moments like these is also very special. Something as simple as eating some watermelon around the table gave us another experience, which was feeling the true and warm hospitality of the local people.

Day 2

Exploring the West Side of Zakynthos

Castello Bellos to Old Olive Tree/Lekkas (34 mins)

Lekkas to Porto Roxa Beach (20 mins)

Porto Roxa Beach to Butcher Shop (30 mins)

Back to Castello Bellos (30 mins)

The next day, we set out to explore the west side of the island. Without a particular destination in mind, we took off with two things in mind: looking for ingredients for tonight’s dinner and finding somewhere we could jump into the water.

Our trip first took us towards the Old Olive Tree. We took some pictures and watched as tour buses came by for a quick stop to enjoy the various vendors in the area. It was in this spot that we found an absolute gem: Lekkas Family Farm. Between the olive oil, cheese, and honey, it was the perfect place to grab the ingredients we wanted for our dinner later on. That day, the daughter and a cousin were working and gave us all the samples we wanted and told us so much about their business. Funny enough, Alex started to speak Polish too, as the cousin’s Polish was better than his English due to the number of Polish tourists that come to visit Zakynthos.

After Lekkas, we went down to Porto Roxa to take in the view, grab a bite, and jump in the water. While it’s more of a secluded coastal cove than a beach, it’s an awesome spot to swim in the water, lay out in the sun, or jump in from the diving plank they have set up. After Porto Roxa, we knew we were still missing one ingredient for dinner, which we ended up finding at the butcher shop we had spotted the day before on our way from Zakynthos Town to Castello Bellos.

We stopped by for some beef and we were on our way to make dinner. With our spices and honey from Milos, the olive oil and cheese from Lekkas Family Farm, as well as some produce from the store by the hotel, we enjoyed a delicious dinner that felt magical. Bringing these ingredients together from so far and so close felt like a dinner worthy of sitting on this beautiful balcony overlooking the property of Castello Bellos.

The night ended with a sunset walk and the promise of our boating adventure the next morning.

Day 3

Boat Rental

We woke up early the next day to rent our boat just a short walk away by the beach for the day. First, we grabbed some lunch (a couple of sandwiches) for the day from a local deli and met George, one of the sons of the family that owned the hotel. He rented us our boat and set us on our way with a full tank of gas and a brief intro to the boat. The boats are very easy to drive, and this is an experience you simply MUST do when you go to Zakynthos.

While you can’t just take the boat anywhere around the island, you have a massive range of areas in the National Marine Park of Zakynthos you can go to see breathtaking cliffs, crystal-clear waters, and giant sea turtles!

The first stop on our excursion was Marathonisi Island, which is also known as “Turtle Island” because of its distinct shape. Marathonisi was incredible, with its tall cliffs and calm waters right by the shore. We dropped anchor and dove in for the first of many relaxing swims in the waters of the Ionian Sea that day. We also spotted a handful of giant sea turtles traversing across the bay in the waters around Marathonisi

As you go west along the cliffs of Zakynthos, there are numerous coves and inlets to drop anchor and enjoy the beauty surrounding you. Between the cliffs towering over you, the turquoise water below, and the wide-open sea in the distance, it is here where you can truly find bliss.

We spent the whole day bouncing around all these areas, taking some time in the sun, jumping into the water to cool off, and even stopping to enjoy our sandwiches. The different colors of the water struck us too—like a kaleidoscope full of blues.

Day 4

Travel to Zakynthos Town/Zante (30 mins)

The next day we said goodbye to Castello Bellos and made our way to Zakynthos Town, or Zante, to stay in a new hotel for the last two days on the island. We would have stayed at Castello Bellos the whole time, but with our departure ferry on day 6 leaving very early in the morning, we thought it’d be best to stay in a hotel close to the port of departure.

We made our way towards Zante and stopped by Freddo Kafe for some morning coffee. This was another place that just popped up to us with its inviting patio and the fact that it was open.

We got to Zakynthos Town and checked into the Saint Loukas Studios, which had an awesome balcony overlooking the beauty of Zakynthos Bay and the Zante's Main Street: Lomvardou. We went to grab some quick groceries to make dinner and explore a bit of Zante. Walking along Lomvardou is a treat in itself, as you’ll pass by numerous restaurants on one side, and the superyachts in the bay on the other. After we made dinner later that night, we took a stroll along Lomvardou for some ice cream and people-watching, taking in the beauty of all the boats in the water and the lights of the town.

Day 5

Travel towards Vasilikos/Beaches (25 mins)

We started our day at Espresso House Cafe. Diana took some time to reflect on our days on Zakynthos, recalling the feeling of tanning in the boat and cooling off in the water... "like a pancake covered in syrup." We enjoyed the bustle of the Zante morning before taking off to explore the southeast corner of the island near the town of Vasilikos.

After a pit stop at the Mylonas Bakery for some lunch, we made our way to the famous Gerakas Beach. Unfortunately, the beach was packed, and the umbrellas were too expensive for us (about 10 euros an hour). With no natural shade to be found, and it being the middle of the day, we had to change up our plan and found Porto Roma Beach. At 10 euros for the whole day, it was a great outcome, as we had the beach to ourselves and the perfect spot to lounge and read all day.

We made use of the Wi-Fi and caught up with some family to update them on our journey. As the afternoon turned to evening, we returned to Zante for our final evening on Zakynthos.

As we glided across the water the rest of the afternoon, the bright cliffs of Zakynthos on one side and the shimmering Mediterranean Sea on the other, it felt like our own little love story—one full of adventure, romance, and beauty.

Day 6

Ferry to Corfu

We left Zakynthos in the early morning on a ferry to Corfu. It was bittersweet to leave such a beautiful island but with our journey now taking us towards Italy, we were excited—plus, we know we'll be back ;)