If you are planning a trip to the beautiful Greek island of Zakynthos and you wonder what things to do in Zante, then you are so in the right spot!
As you know, I am an adventure luxury traveler, which means this Zakynthos travel guide will be full of fun activities with a pinch of luxury and picturesque locations.
We booked most of these adventures through our concierge, Mariola, at Meandros Boutique Hotel and Spa. You can read more about our stay here.
Ready? Let’s begin!
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Get a private boat cruise to Myzythis beach
Mizithres beach is, in my opinion, the most beautiful beach in Zakynthos, that’s why I gave it first place on my list of things to do in Zante. This beach is a true gem! I have never seen water so blue as the one around Mizithres rocks.
Mizithres beach appeared after the earthquake in 2018, and there is no other access to this beach than with a private boat. Maybe thanks to that, it is so clean and unspoiled!
Once you land on the beach, find a small cave and swim through it to the other side of the beach. I could easily spend a whole day there, but the itinerary for boat trips that get to Mizithres only includes a maximum of 1-2 hours there.
I highly recommend Mistral Rentals boat tours – you can easily recognize his company through pink boats π They also have a top-notch new luxury yacht if you want to surprise your significant other with a bit of a splurge.
Visit Shipwreck beach & the viewpoint
I am pretty sure if you close your eyes and think Zakynthos, you will straight away see the “Shipwreck beach” in your mind. Navaggio beach or Shipwreck beach is an icon of Zakynthos and Greece. That’s why even though I didn’t quite like Navaggio Beach, it is definitely on top of the list of things to do in Zante.
You can access the beach by boat or see it from above at the viewpoint. You can do both things on the same day even though the view and the boat departure port are pretty far away.
To see the beach from above, you need to navigate the viewpoint. Once you arrive at the parking lot, head towards the rocks on the right side and follow the big Greek flag (you can actually see it in the picture above). Please do not come close to the edge. Your life is worth more than the best Instagram picture!
To get the picture with full sunlight on the beach, you need to get there around 2 pm or so, but from what I heard, there is a guard checking if no one is entering the rocks. He sits there from 9-6 pm, that’s why we arrived around 8 am.
Although we could admire the shipwreck from above without anyone else there, we could not take a picture without a shadow over the shipwreck.
Once you feel ready to see the Zakynthos shipwreck up close, time to head to Porto Vroni to catch one of the boat tours. Just make sure you wrote Porto Vroni Marine and not Porto Vroni Beach!
We made this mistake, and even though these two locations are on the opposite side of the bay and swimming across might take you 10 minutes, the road from Porto Vroni Marine to Porto Vroni Beach goes all the way through the mountains and takes 30 minutes!
The boat will take you first to Navaggio Beach and leave you there for about 45 minutes – 1hr. At first, I thought, that’s not that much time, but trust me, it’s more than enough with the number of tourists there.
Undoubtedly, Navaggio beach is stunning! The water has a crazy blue color, similar to Mizithres beach. Some people wonder whether Zakynthos authorities haven’t put the wrack there on purpose to attract more tourists.
Still, I prefer to believe in the official version: The wrack was a contraband ship smuggling cigarettes, which ran aground on Navagio Beach in the seas around Zakynthos Island amid heavy weather and poor visibility. Official sources, however, have not confirmed this, and the captain has not been convicted of such offenses.
In my opinion, it is best to rent a private boat and get there once all the touristy boats leave around 3 pm. There are so many people on the beach, and every 10-15 min you can hear another ferry bringing in 50 more people. I can’t even imagine what it looks like in an entire season!
After Navaggio beach, our boat took us to see Blue Caves. Zakynthos coast is full of beautiful caves, with the water shimmering in different shades of blue.
We had time for a quick refreshing deep π I have never seen water so blue (I know I mentioned it already 100 times ;))!
Our last stop was Porto Stanieti, and for me, it was the best part of the trip! We jumped into the water and swam through a canyon that led us to a teeny tiny beach so beautiful, and like all the most beautiful things to do in Zante, it’s only accessible by boat!
See Blue caves and Keri cave
As mentioned above, Zakynthos’s coast is full of caves and incredible rock formations.
On each boat tour, you will be able to admire them from the water. Keri caves are located on Mizithres beach, and most private boats will ride through the beautiful rock arch, a genuinely breathtaking nature masterpiece.
Some caves are accessible from the beach or land, such as Xigia ave or Porto Limionas cave. So, take your snorkel kit and discover away!
Rent a transparent kayak
One of our favorite activities on Zakynthos was renting a transparent kayak from GoSup and paddling to Cameo island. Carreta Carreta turtles inhabit the waters around Cameo and GoSup told us there hasn’t been a case of not seeing one on their tours.
And it’s true! Once we paddled close to the island, we saw a little head sticking out of the water. Turtle! I quickly grabbed my phone to snap a few pictures when the turtle dived again and swam exactly below our kayak! Incredible!!!
Once we arrived at Cameo island, we hopped off the kayak and looked around.Β Cameo looks hip with all the giant sheets hanging from the sky, like angels falling from the sky.
Another benefit of renting a transparent kayak as one of the things to do in Zante is that you don’t pay for entrance to Cameo island π There is a 5 euro charge only if you arrive through the little bridge. We went to the bridge the other day to catch the sunset but hadn’t access to the island at that time.
Snorkel with turtles
The map shows that the south of Zakynthos island is a marine nature reserve with turtle nesting beaches, giving you the highest chance of spotting a turtle while casually swimming in the sea.
No jokes, it happened to me! I was snorkeling when a giant turtle swam by and chilled in the water with me for about 10 minutes.
Picture to prove 👇
The nesting beaches are East Laganas, Kalamaki, Sekania, Daphni, Gerakas, and the Marathonissi islet. These beaches are only accessible from 9 am to 9 pm.
After dark, turtles come to the beach to lay eggs, and a group of volunteers is marking the nests so that tourists don’t destroy them with their umbrellas.
We spotted “our” turtle on Dafni beach around midday, but that depends on luck. I heard that many people had seen the turtles on Kalamata beach. However, we were not lucky to find turtles there even though we went three times. On the other hand, we were fortunate to see two stingrays and one flatfish π
Go beach hopping
There are so many beautiful beaches on the island that I highly recommend you rent a car and discover the least accessible ones. Now, don’t think you can do it all in one day. Zante is a small island but with plenty of beautiful beaches to discover. I suggest taking a car for three days so that you can visit the west, east and south parts of the island each day.
My favorite beach was Pelagaki beach. So beautiful, with crystal clear water and little white rocks. The only downside is that you will need to walk quite much uphill on your way back.
Go to Rosto rooftop bar in Zante town & see the view from Bohol
There is not much to do in Zante town, to be honest, except spend a wonderful evening at a Rosto rooftop bar, where you can enjoy the panoramic view of the city and harbor, swim in the pool, and taste the best mojito you have ever had.
Seriously, the mojito they prepare in Rosto has fresh basil leaves instead of mint, and it smells and tastes delicious!
The other night we went first to the best gyros on the island, “Souvlaki Greek Tavern”, and later enjoyed the harbor view from Bohali viewpoint. I suggest going after dark so that you can see how the city lights up and have a drink in one of the outdoor restaurants.
Discover rock formations in Korakanisi and Port Limnionas
Korakanisi looks like nature own’s aqua park π These beautiful rock formations are a perfect place to spend a day snorkeling and sunbathing. The rocks are pretty easy to climb, and it is worth getting to this beautiful rock arch:
Don’t forget your snorkel gear and water shoes because underwater, even more, interesting rock formations are waiting for you. I even found an underwater cave!
Quite close to Korakanisi is Port Limnionas, another beautiful rock formation with a cave. But contrary to Korakanisi, Port Limionas has some infrastructure – a vast outdoor restaurant with a view and sunbeds on rocks belonging to the same restaurant.
We stopped there for lunch, and I have to say that even though the views were gorgeous, I was disappointed to know that almost all the seafood and fish they serve in the restaurant are frozen (read the fine print). Thankfully, Greek salad always tastes delicious!
Chill on a huge sunbed at Porto Roxa
Probably we would have never discovered Porto Roxa if it wasn’t for our concierge from Meandros Boutique Hotel & Spa, Mariola. She told us Porto Roxa is one of her favorite places on the island and only locals know about it.
We got to Porto Roxa just in time for golden hour and were shocked to find giant bed-alike sunbeds on the rocks. You can use them completely free, but it’s a nice custom to order some drinks.
We picked one, ordered cocktails (Mistake! Cocktails were expensive and not good, so ordered beer ;)), and spent the evening enjoying the first-row sea view!
Have a romantic dinner with a view of Mizithres beach
As we were spending our wedding anniversary on the island, we wanted to find ultimately romantic things to do in Zante. That’s how we found the restaurant “Keri Lighthouse” with a spectacular view of Mizithres rocks.
Each table has a breathtaking view, but book a table in advance. The food was delicious but quite pricey compared to other restaurants on the island, but you pay for the view π
Fun fact: There is the biggest flag in the entire world just next to the restaurant. It is actually listed in the Guinness Records Book.
Natural spa at Porto Zorro
If you want to try something alternative, go to Porto Zorro. At the very end of the beach, you will find mud with minerals that you mix with water and spread all over your body. Voila! A natural spa πΒ
Porto Zorro is also a very nice beach with sunbeds, a restaurant, and a beach bar. The cost of two sunbeds and an umbrella is around 7 euros.
Live the hippie vibe on Dafni beach
Another alternative thing to do in Zante is going to Dafni beach and living the hippie vibe. Once you get to the beach, go left, and you will find an old hippie guy who lives on the coast and has created artistic installations/sunbeds there. Tons of picture possibilities there!
Dafni beach was extraordinary for us because that’s where we swam with a sea turtle, a beautiful experience we will never forget!
Walk the bridge of Cameo island at sunset
As mentioned earlier, Cameo island is a lovely tiny island connected with Zakynthos through a picturesque wooden bridge. The trees on the island, the bridge, and the small church there form a very idyllic scenery. It is worth visiting during sunset.
Swim with horses
Ok, we haven’t technically done that, but it was high on our list of the most incredible things to do in Zante. I mean, not only do you ride a horse on the beach but also you get with it to the deep sea and swim with it! It’s one of the unique places to experience that as many beaches are very shallow.
Relax on the beach with a friendly goose
Pelagaki beach is not only stunning but also very unique. First of all, the water has a high density of SIARKA? But I haven’t felt the smell that much.
Secondly, two geese are living on the beach. They swim in the sea, chill on the beach, and have their own “all you can eat” buffet there.
OTHER IDEAS
Some other fun things to do in Zante include renting a bike (that was in our plans but didn’t happen due to extreme heat!), renting an electric scooter for a day, partying in Laganas, or visiting neighbor island Kefalonia on a day trip.
Whatever you choose, I am sure you will love the beautiful island of Zakynthos and fall in love with its nature, delicious cuisine, and friendly people.
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