I never want to take for granted the opportunity of getting to see a new place on this planet. This blog post is featuring our trip to the small Greek Island of Zakynthos or also known as Zante. We had slight travel documentation issues right up until the day before we left Ireland. But this was just down to bad timing with our applications to live in Ireland, but we made it! Zakynthos is known as the ‘Flower of the East’. It has the most intriguing terrain, huge cliff edges, tiny beach coves and honestly the best salads out there. For our time on Zakynthos we stayed at the lovely Keri Village & Spa, down on the south west corner near the little town of Keri itself. Each morning we would head over for breakfast on the porch in the sun. We would plan our day ahead and then jump in the car to explore! Once we arrived on the island we soon realised most of the places were quite sparsely situated and a car would give us the ease of access to explore the island properly. We hired our car from AutoUnion. They brought the car to us at our hotel, the sign up with really simple and really great value for money. We hope you enjoy scrolling through our photos of our time on the island. If you have any questions or would like any recommendations we would love to hear from you! Ross + Jess Day 1So this was our first full day to explore. First we had a quick peek at Keri Harbour to see what it had to offer, very quant and quiet. Next we drove right across the island and stumbled across Xigia Beach which I had on our to-do list, but hadn't quite looked where it was on the island. So we parked up, went down the crazy steep stairs and set up our towels in this tiny little cove. There's a funny smell in the area, caused by sulphur made in near by caves. They say that there are healing qualities in the water for people with leg pains and arthritis, even if you don't, its still an amazing place to spend some time. *TIP* Consider the time of day you go there, as large shade starts coming over as the sun sets due to the high rock formations surrounding the cove. Day 2On our 2nd day we headed into the actual Town of Zakynthos. I was quite taken aback at how much of an Italian influence I saw in the buidlings and vibe of the town. The traffic was a little bit hectic for me trying to drive on the wrong side of the road, but we made it. We walked along the harbour, went into the supermarket and roamed around the streets. We stopped for a drink in a local bar and watched people pass us by. We had heard about a castle on the hill, so next we drove up to find it, only to read a sign on the gate stating they became under staffed and couldn't stay open until further notice. Next we set off to find Dafni Beach, famous for having turtle eggs hatching there and for being really secluded. To get there we had to stop off and grab a bite to eat, which ended up being the best salad, ever and a gorgeous view at Taverna Florida (no website to link). I'm surprised our little car made it to Dafni beach and back, as the hills and cliffs down were insane. We were slightly disappointed when we arrived, it all seemed a little run down and dirty. We stayed a little while to catch our breath and then ended our day by walking along the jetty back in Keri Harbour and then back to our hotel for dinner. Day 3This day we headed up the west coast of the island. This has large cliff edges down to the ocean, with beautiful coves and bays to explore. On our drive we came across Damianos Cave - check the link to read the legends. We had to drive through the tiniest village roads, with tight corners and hills to get to the cave. We Climbed inside the cave and sat in the shade a little while. As we carried on up the west coast, we came across the most breathtaking place I've ever laid my eyes on. We drove down and down and finally got to the bottom. The water was so crystal clear, everyone was jumping into the water and eating lunch. Pure bliss. After swimming till our hearts content and filling our tummies (and a bad glass of greek wine) we headed for the very famous shipwreck beach. You are able to walk along the cliff and view it from the top, the sun was setting and all the tourist busses were just leaving so we got to sit there and relax and take it all in. Day 4Today, the weather was pretty gloomy, so beach and pool time was ruled out. We headed down along the south coast aiming for Cameo Island, where there's a beautiful wooden bridge to cross over to the island. On a baking hot day, we would have paid to go onto the island and spend the day there, but it was pointless with the overcast sky. We ate some Giros and then headed for the actual town of Keri. It was so quaint and picturesque, with little village squares and cobble streets. We walked around the little streets, purchased a carpet and had a drink before heading home for dinner (as usual) Our last dayOh how we loved our time on this island. The following morning we chilled by the pool, thinking we wouldn't stay there long, thinking the sun wasn't shining too much, but we did, and the sun shone alot, and I got burnt, alot. We booked in for a horse ride with Laganas Horse Riding a must if you have the time. We rode the horses up along Kalamaki Beach and back. We walked around the town of Laganas, which is where the notorious partying happens during the summer months, but it was like a dormant town, with just a few tourists shops open, we bought some t-shirts and some little gifts for the fam back home. The next morning, we had our breakfast, packed the car and headed for the airport. We made one last stop to look at the beach, then dropped the car off and walked into the airport to fly home. We thoroughly enjoyed our time on the island, and would highly recommend it for your next summer holiday. x
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