Ionian Islands
Zakynthos
A first trip to Zakynthos for UK travellers: which resort to base in, what the Navagio and Blue Caves boat trips actually cost, and the turtle-nesting rules that catch people out.
In short
Zakynthos at a glance
Zakynthos (Zante to most UK package-holiday brochures) is the Ionian island built around two photographs: Navagio, the shipwreck cove on the west coast, and the Blue Caves at the northern tip. You see both from a boat, not the sand — Navagio Beach itself has been closed since a 2022 landslide and you can only sail into the bay or look down from the cliff viewpoint. The east and south coasts hold the resorts: lively Laganas for nightlife, family-calm Tsilivi and Alykes, and Zante Town if you want a real Greek high street rather than a strip of bars. A week is plenty.
Zakynthos — Zante on most package-holiday brochures — is the Ionian island that sells itself on two images: Navagio, the rusting shipwreck on a white-sand cove under sheer cliffs, and the Blue Caves at the northern tip, where the sea glows an electric turquoise. The catch nobody tells you upfront is that you experience both from a boat rather than the beach. Navagio has been closed to landings since a 2022 landslide, so you sail into the bay to about 40 metres offshore, or you drive up to the cliff-top viewpoint for the overhead photo. Plan around that and you won’t be disappointed.
Where you sleep shapes the whole trip. Laganas is the nightlife resort — a long sandy beach behind a strip of superclubs and cocktail bars, brilliant for young groups and a poor fit for anyone with a toddler or an early night in mind. Tsilivi and Alykes are the family choices, with calmer water and quieter evenings, while Zante Town is the only base that feels like a real Greek town rather than a resort, with a working high street, the Agios Dionysios church and the best tour pickups. The bus network only really connects the main resorts, so hire a car for a few days if you want the scattered west-coast coves.
One thing to take seriously: most of southern Zakynthos sits inside a National Marine Park, and loggerhead turtles nest on the Laganas-bay beaches from late May to August. That means parts of Gerakas and Sekania are roped off or under a night curfew in season, and the turtle boat trips are bound by distance rules. Pick an eco-conscious operator, keep off the protected sand after dark, and you get the encounter without doing any harm.
The route
A relaxed week that covers the two headline sights, the best swimming and a turtle trip without renting a car every day. Distances are short — the island is only about 40km top to bottom — but the west-coast roads are slow and winding, so don't underestimate drive times.
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Days 1–2
Settle into your base
Arrive, sort the hire car or transfers, and find your feet on the local beach. If you're in Tsilivi or Laganas the sands are on your doorstep; spend an afternoon in Zante Town for the Agios Dionysios church, the Solomos Square promenade and a proper taverna dinner away from the resort strips.
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Day 3
Navagio & Blue Caves by boat
The set-piece day. Take a round-island boat from Agios Nikolaos or Porto Vromi (Porto Vromi is closest to the wreck). Boats sail into Navagio bay to about 40m offshore — you won't land — then up to the Blue Caves to swim in the glowing water. Drive separately to the cliff-top viewpoint for the famous overhead photo.
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Day 4
Turtle trip in Laganas bay
A glass-bottom boat from Laganas or Keri out to Marathonisi (Turtle Island) and Keri caves gives you the best loggerhead-spotting odds, especially May–August. Book an eco-operator that keeps its distance — the bay is a protected marine park and the rules exist for a reason.
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Days 5–6
Best beaches & the quiet coves
Swap the boats for swimming: Gerakas and Banana on the Vasilikos peninsula for golden sand, Porto Limnionas or Keri on the west for deep, clear snorkelling water (no sand, strong-swimmers only), and Xigia for the sulphur-spring 'spa' swim. Rent a car for this — the good beaches are spread out.
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Day 7
Slow last day
A final beach morning, a wander round Bochali for the hilltop view over Zante Town, or the Vasilikos vineyards for a tasting. Keep the day loose so a delayed transfer or a long lunch doesn't stress you out before the flight home.
Where to base yourself
Pick one or two bases rather than moving every night.
Laganas
£ valueThe island's nightlife capital: a 2km sandy beach backed by 'The Strip' of bars, superclubs and cocktail terraces. Brilliant if that's the holiday you want, exhausting if it isn't — stay a few streets back from the main drag or you won't sleep. Cheap, lively and very young-crowd in school holidays.
Best for: Nightlife, first-timers, value, young groups
Tsilivi
££ mid-rangeThe all-rounder. A former fishing village turned family resort with a Blue Flag beach, water sports and a sensible spread of tavernas and bars without Laganas-level noise. The best default base if you've got kids or just want calm evenings and easy swimming.
Best for: Families, couples wanting calm, all-round base
Alykes & Alykanas
££ mid-rangeQuieter still: shallow, gentle water that's ideal for small children, low-key tavernas and a more local feel. Handy for the northern boat departures at Agios Nikolaos and the Blue Caves. Less to do after dark, which is rather the point.
Best for: Young families, quiet, northern boat trips
Zakynthos (Zante) Town
££ mid-rangeThe only base that's an actual working Greek town rather than a resort — shops, the Agios Dionysios church, a long waterfront and the best transport links and tour pickups. The town beach is ordinary, so it suits sightseers over sunbathers.
Best for: Walkability, real-Greece feel, transport hub
Getting around Zakynthos
Zakynthos has a skeletal KTEL bus network that radiates from Zante Town to the main resorts, so without a car you can reach Laganas or Tsilivi cheaply (around €2 a hop) but you can't easily get to the scattered west-coast beaches or the Blue Caves. Hire a car for at least a few days to unlock Gerakas, Porto Limnionas and the Navagio viewpoint; reckon on roughly £25–£40 a day in summer, and remember the west-coast roads are steep and slow. For the headline sights you don't need wheels at all — the boat trips do the work and most include resort pickup.
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Zakynthos FAQs
Can you actually go on Navagio (Shipwreck) Beach?
How much is a boat trip to the Blue Caves and Navagio?
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