Zakynthos is the third largest Greek island of the Ionian Sea. It is the only municipality of Ionian Islands regions and a separate regional unit. It spans an area of 156.6 sq mi (405.55 sq km) and has a 76 mi (123 km) long coastline. Like all similar names ending in -nthos, the name is Pelasgian or pre-Mycenaean in origin. According to Greek Myth, the island derives its name from Zakynthos, the son of the great Arcadian Chief Dardanus.
The Venetians have given the island a nickname “To fioro tou Levante,” which translates as “The Flower of the East.” With an international airport served by charter flights from northern Europe, Zakynthos is an excellent tourist destination. Small ports are available all over the island, with Porto Vromi in the northwest and Laganas in the south being among the most important ones. The principal port of the island is Zante Town, the capital of Zakynthos.
Steep cliffs line the western coast of the island of Zakynthos, while the eastern coast features many resorts, beaches, forests and views of distant hills. Such a diverse nature makes the island a favorite cruise destination. Main holiday resorts are Argassi, Tsilivi, and Laganas, which is also the party capital of Zakynthos and the entire Ionian Sea. Vasilikos Peninsula in the southeast has many exceptional beaches. Find Navagio, a shipwreck beach popular around the world, in the northwestern corner of the southernmost Ionian island.
The anchorages on Zakynthos:
