Zakynthos – also known as Zante – in the Ionian Islands is a land of many faces, offering plenty of options for a luxury villa escape. Its west coast is a rugged affair of chalk-white cliffs and azure seas, beset by some of the most dramatic bays in the whole of Greece. The south, meanwhile, is soft and wooded, with pumping party towns peppering long runs of golden sand. Off the coast, reserves filled with rare loggerhead turtles spread through the warm seas. Inland, you will find gnarled olive trees dating back thousands of years, thick pine woods, and rolling peaks.
Zakynthos is home to one of Greece’s most photographed sites, Navagio Beach – also known as Shipwreck Beach. It is famed for the rusting shell of an old ship on its sands, set against a backdrop of towering white cliffs. Accessible only via the sea, it’s the centrepiece of a western shoreline, which is pure drama from top to bottom. Luxury travel seekers can charter private yachts to take them there or drive to the lookout points above for sweeping panoramas of the teal-blue Ionian Sea washing against the sands below.
Another place to set sail to is the incredible Blue Caves. They poke out of the north end of Zakynthos on rugged Cape Skinari, offering interior caverns where the light bends and shimmers in countless shades of cobalt. The best way to see them is on a private boat tour at dawn, witnessing the caves in their full glory before the throngs arrive, followed by a champagne breakfast on deck.
Stacks of history are on offer at Zakynthos Town, the island’s capital. It’s a delightful blend of Venetian architecture, upscale boutiques, and flower-framed tavernas serving traditional Greek food. To the south of that is Laganas, the heart of a lively resort area with wild bars and rollicking clubs aplenty.
Another unmissable sight is the wide bay of Ethniko Thalassio, now a designated nature reserve that spreads from cape to cape on the south shoreline. It’s home to the gleaming pearl of an isle that is Marathonisi, where loggerhead sea turtles come to nest on a beautiful spit of sandy beach that would look right at home in the Maldives.
Luxury villa holidays in Zakynthos will whisk you away to a land of dramatic coastlines, white-sand beaches, and lush islands. Explore our villa collection below!
See
- The impressive cliffs and white sands of Shipwreck Beach
- Historic churches and monasteries
- The brilliant Blue Caves
Experience
- Swim with sea turtles in the Marathonisi reserve
- Enjoy lively nightlife along the island’s south coast
- Charter a yacht to visit secluded coves
