Car Hire Zakynthos - Mini guide to Zakynthos

This island, with its peaceful bays and golden beaches, is the third largest of the Ionian Islands and offers pleasant diversions for beach lovers and city lovers alike.

One of the most fascinating natural wonders of Greece are the Blue Caves of Zakynthos. Situated on the northernmost point of the island, these caves are almost all entirely filled with water and are reachable by boat. They cause anything that enters their depths to take on the gentle blue hue of their walls.

The city of Zakynthos is the capital and largest on the island. It contains many places of interest including the Byzantine Museum of Zakynthos, the Museum of Solomos, Kalvos and Eminent Zakynthians and a magnificent Venetian castle. The Byzantine Museum contains an excellent collection of icons from the Byzantine era to the 19th century, and the Museum of Eminent Zakynthians contains relics of these poets and other famous Zakynthians. The Venetian castle was built upon the ruins of an ancient acropolis (Psofida) and its fortifications, and have been well preserved.

The island has many very nice beaches but two have an interesting bonus. Lagan and Geraka are home to the Caretta-Caretta sea turtles. Here these creatures come ashore at night to mate and to lay their eggs, a fascinating site for those with an interest in biology. At night Zakynthos city and Tsilivi offer good options for dining and accommodation.

If you choose to tour the island by car, the mountain villages of Keri, Lithakia, Maherado and Koilomeno are famous for their hospitality. Here you can sample local cheeses and wines while you take in the fresh mountain air.

Olympic Airlines offers several daily flights between the island and Athens. There are also several ferries a day from Brindisi and other Italian ports to nearby Corfu, as well as various points on the Greek mainland.