 Zakinthos,
the southernmost of the Ionian islands, owes its name to
the son of Dardanos, the king of Troy, who according to
myth built the first city here. It is also mentioned in
“The Iliad”. All who came to this island fell under its
spell. The Venetians baptized it “the flower of the
Orient” (Fior’ di Levante). Others gave it just as
evocative names like “earthly paradise”, and “Perfumed
Isle”, while Dionysios Solomos, the father of modern
Greek poetry and a native son, wrote “Zakinthos could
make one forget the Elysian Fields.”
No one who has been here can forget the
emerald green of its sea, its pine-studded mountains,
its musical people and their hospitality. The first
thing to welcome you, as soon as you step off the
ferryboat, is the town of Zaklnthos. Though it lost all
but three of its buildings in the earthquake of 1953,
the town has been meticulously reconstructed and its
former layout has been faithfully preserved.
Zakinthos today has pleasantly arcaded
wide streets, spacious squares imposing buildings and
cheerful houses. The Museum of Post-Byzantine Art on
Solomos Square contains treasures salvaged from the
island’s historic churches.
On the waterfront, one should visit the
churches of Aghios Dionysios, the island’s patron saint,
with its tall campanile, and of Aghios Nikolas tou Molou,
a church out of the Italian Renaissance with,
surprisingly, a 17th century Byzantine belfry. If you
walk along the flagstoned coastal promenade, the
so-called Strata Marina between the two churches, at
dusk, you’ll get the true flavour of the town. Sometimes
it seems as if the whole population is out enjoying the
ritual of the evening stroll.
The street is lined with small cafes and
shops selling folk art. Don’t leave before tasting the
famous Zakinthos “mandolato” or nougat; it’s a real
treat. The town is watched over by the Venetian fortress
on the hill above. Only the gate, outer walls and
battlements still stand. But from this vantage point a
spectacular view can be had of the harbour, fertile
inland plain and beaches as far as the eye can see.
Nearby is another hill, the Lofos Strani where Solomos
Dionysios composed the famous, the father of modern
Greek poetry “Hymn to Liberty”, which became the Greek
National Anthem.
Zakinthos is almost triangular in shape,
with two green mountainous promontories extending into
the sea to form the huge bay of Laganas. There are more
pine-covered mountains and hills in the north, but the
center is gentle and lush, richly planted with currant
vines, olive trees, almonds and seasonal vegetables.
There are dozens of beaches to choose from, sandy and
sheltered with invitingly sparkling water. Flowers of
every kind fill every available space, filling the air
with the scent that so enraptured visitors of old. With
a sunny climate most of the year and good roads to
facilitate exploring, Zakinthos lends itself to
holidaymaking in spring and fall as well as summer. Some
of the best-known summer resorts are Argassi, Alikes,
Pianos, Tsilivi, Vassilikos, Gerakas and Porto Roma,
while Laganas is the most famous of all. Its long beach
and wide range of facilities attract thousands of
tourists from May through September. At Laganas,
Vassilikos and Gerakas, the endangered sea turtle
Caretta-caretta also comes to lay her eggs.
Apart from its beaches, Zakinthos has
many other wonderful places to get to know. For example,
there’s the village of Anafonitria, with its fascinating
15th century monastery dedicated to the Virgin. And
Maherado, with its two 14th century churches, the
half-ruined Ypapanti and the sumptuously decorated Aghia
Mavra. Or the mountain village of Keri, where sooner or
later everyone goes to admire the sunset and the
stupendous view of the seacaves below. Heading north,
don’t miss Volimes or Skinari at the tip of the island.
Volimes has a wonderful Venetian tower and lovely old
churches with frescoes dating to the 12th and 14th
centuries, while Skinari is where the famous Blue Caves
are located.
Inside the caves, the refraction of the
sun’s rays on the water creates an unbelievable array of
blue and silver tones of a dreamlike beauty.
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