Tips for visiting the gorgeous island of Zakynthos, Greece which is known for its picturesque turquoise waters, dramatic cliffs, and beautiful sand beaches.
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Zakynthos is a Greek island that is located in the Ionian Sea. It is well known for its crystal clear, turquoise waters and beautiful sand beaches. It is also known for its dramatic cliffs, sea arches and caves, and sea turtles who flock to the water around the island in summer.
We visited the gorgeous island during our Royal Caribbean cruise and enjoyed a beautiful day exploring the island.
Booking a sightseeing tour is a great way to see the island without renting a car. We booked a tour for the day we visited. On the tour, they picked us up at the cruise port and drove us to the marina where we boarded a boat for a tour of sea arches, caves, sea turtles (known on the island as Caretta Caretta), and a visit to a beach. They stopped for photo opportunities, a tour, and a taste at an olive oil processing plant, and then returned us to the cruise ship port. For tours of Zakynthos click here.
If you are looking at visiting other Greek destinations you may be interested in the following: Ultimate Guide to 3 Days in Athens, Guide to One Day in Mykonos, Everything You Need to Know About Visiting Delos, Guide for Visiting Delphi, and Guide to Chania, Crete.
What to See in Zakynthos
Explore Zakynthos Town Center
The town of Zakynthos is the island’s capital and where your cruise ship will port if you are visiting via a cruise ship. Exploring the town is an easy way to spend the day. Some popular things to see in town include Solomos Square, Agiou Markou Square, and Agios Dionysios Church with its beautiful bell tower. The town has a seaside promenade complete with lovely shops, cafes, and restaurants.
Boat ride to Turtle Island
The small Turtle Island is very close to Zakynthos and is surrounded by crystal-clear turquoise water. I am not sure I have seen more beautiful water than that around Zakynthos. Marathonisi, Turtle Island, has a beach complete with food boats (like food trucks), caves, and sea arches. It is best known for the sea turtles (Caretta Caretta) that visit the beach and lay their eggs.
Navagio Beach and Blue Caves
What might be the most popular thing to do on the island is to visit Navagio (Shipwreck) Beach. It is a beautiful beach with a rusty old shipwreck located on it and attracts many visitors for photos. The beach is only accessible by sea because of the dramatic cliffs that surround it. It is popular to combine visiting Navagio Beach with the blue caves because they are located nearby. The naturally occurring caves and arches in the rocks reflect the surrounding water which makes them appear blue. Since you can only visit these two places by boat, the best choice is to book a guided tour to take you to these spots.
Snorkle/Beach Visit
With the beautiful crystal clear waters surrounding Zakynthos, it should be no surprise that discovering the underwater with snorkeling is a great way to spend the day. Again booking a guided snorkeling tour is the best choice because they will take you to the best spots so that you can see as much marine life as possible.
There are a plethora of gorgeous beaches on Zakynthos waiting for you to explore. Some of the best sandy beaches on the island include Laganas, Banana, Kalamaki, and Gerakas.
Churches and Monasteries
Even though many of the island’s old buildings have been destroyed due to earthquakes, several churches and monasteries are well-preserved. These churches and monasteries are worth visiting. Besides Agios Dionysios Church in the town of Zakynthos, the Monastery of Anafonitria and the Monastery of Skopiotissa are beautiful places to visit full of history.
