Exploring Greece: Our top 5 things to do on Zakynthos

The Ionian island of Zakynthos is a Salt Escapes fan favourite. We've been hosting Salt Escapes in Zakynthos for multiple weeks for the past 5 years, so we like to think we know a thing or two about exploring this gorgeous Greek island's best bits.

Zakynthos (or Zante) has formerly earned itself a reputation as a pretty-awful party destination, but do not let that put you off! It's finally being recognised for so much more than that; it's jaw-dropping coastline, stunning beaches, and a sea so blue it'll blow your mind. Get yourself a hire car at the airport and head to the north of the island - about a 40 minute drive from ZTH airport, and as far away from Zante town & Laganas as you can get 😉

If you’re keen to experience Zakynthos with us on an Escape (epic luxury villa, daily workouts & yoga sessions, our own private chef, all of the best local adventures and a whole bunch of like-minded people to experience it all with), take a look at our upcoming Escape destinations.

Otherwise, if you’re heading to Zakynthos on your own travels, keep scrolling for our Top 5 Things To Do, plus our top tips for planning your trip.

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1. Boat Day

This is a non-negotiable. Trust us, there is nothing quite like the coastline and the colour of the water in Zakynthos. Due to the towering limestone cliffs along much of the coastline, the very best bits of this island are inaccessible on foot, and require a boat to be visited.

We pick up our Salt Escapes boat from Porto Vromi, or when exploring as just the two of us, we've hired a small boat from Agios Nikolaos. They have lots of options, and you can rent your own small boat without a license, for between 100-150 Euros for a full day. Both these small ports are great starting points for exploring everything the northern tip of the island has to offer.

Here's our favourite spots to cruise to, and places we think you shouldn't miss on your trip to Zakynthos: (note that the wind can determine the best spots, so ask the boat hire company where they'd recommend and at what time of day).

• ‍San Andreas‍
• Kampi‍
• Korakonissi‍
• The Blue Caves & Cape Skinari (does get touristy, so go earlier in the morning or later in the afternoon)‍
• Trampolino beach

The locals will tell you to go to Shipwreck beach (also known as Navagio beach), which is an awesome view, but it gets pretty packed with tour boats, so we'd recommend the spots above if you want to avoid the crowds. If you do visit Shipwreck beach on your boat day, go early as it gets jam-packed from mid-morning.

We like to pack a lunch and some drinks for our boat days, but if you’re feeling some fresh seafood and a cocktail, you could anchor outside Nobelos (more on this spot below) and swim up to their private beach to sit amongst the pine trees for lunch with a view.

2. Nobelos

Nobelos is a beach-front restaurant that's so good, it sits at number 2 on our Top 5 To Do’s in Zakynthos.

I remember the first time we walked into this place - the piercing blue of the water, the sun sparkling through the pine trees, the friendly service, and the foooood! We love this spot so much, we take our guests here for an evening on every Salt Escapes week.  

Nobelos is a family-run restaurant and boutique hotel (a family home turned family business) located on the water in Agios Nikolaos. It has it’s own beach club vibe, offering guests the use of their sun-loungers and great service for a minimum spend of €50 pp. Easily done after a couple of refreshing aperols and some sharing lunch plates, and we think it's a great spot to relax for the day if you're checking out after Salt Escapes but have a later flight home.

It really is the perfect spot for a day of sun-baking, long-lunching and soaking up the dreamy views of the Ionian Sea. And if you go, say hi to Stamatis for us! And definitely get the grilled prawns. And the lamb orzo. And you absolutely have to have the Elder Gin cocktail. And the Greek salad. Ok we're drooling.

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3. Porto Limnionas

Less of a beach, more of a rock-bathing situation and refreshing swim spot, Porto Limnionas is a beautiful blue bay and is definitely worth a visit to the western side of northern Zakynthos.

There’s no shore here, so locals and tourists flop their towels down on the rocks and clamber down for a swim in the crystal-clear water, backed by hidden caves and white cliffs. There’s a casual restaurant and some parasols you can use if you’re hungry or in need of some shade. We spent a few hours here swimming, taking in the views and flying the drone up to get some epic aerial shots.

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4. Cape Skinari

Cape Skinari is a beautiful little spot to visit both on foot and by boat. We actually ran to the windmill at Cape Skinari early one morning from where we were staying in Agios Nikolaos (a very picturesque, hilly 15km round trip, if you’re up for it), but you can drive and park your car at the top too.

Skinari is the northern most tip of the island, and the views from here are breathtaking. There’s a cute little windmill and a taverna at the top, a whole lot of stairs, and then some fun cliff jumps at the bottom. When I say cliff jumps, there are actually platforms sticking out the rocks, so you can literally walk the plank and jump into the inviting big blue beneath you. So refreshing mid-run, and such a fun way to start the day. We like to head to this spot on our Salt Escapes Boat Day, and see who's game to try out the cliff jumps.

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5. Navagio (Shipwreck) Viewpoint

This is our favourite run in Zakynthos! We take our guests on this early morning run every Salt Escapes week, and even if running isn’t really your jam, everything about this morning adventure makes it worth it (even if you walk it!).

Throw on your comfiest running gear, set off early, and park your car in the village of Anafonitria (you might spot our Escape villa if you look hard enough).

From here, run the golden, windy roads towards Shipwreck viewpoint. It’s about 3.5-5km each way (depending on where exactly you start) and we usually don’t see a single car or person the entire run, maybe just a couple of donkeys, and the roosters attempting to wake the villagers up. We usually set off at 7am when the sun has just popped up, it’s cooler at this time and the sunrise trickling through the olive groves is pretty magical.

Take the clearly marked turning to Shipwreck, and run down the steep hill (try not to think about the way back just yet) towards to the water. When you get to the viewpoint, there's a gated spot where you can look back at Shipwreck beach and the insane colour of the water. To the right there’s a path you can take to get a better perspective of the beach. We used to take our Salt Escapes crew along the cliff to a spot at the Greek flag, but the local council seems to be roping this section off because of rocks falling from the cliff.

Once you’ve taken in the mind-blowing view of those blues, start the run back to Anafonitria. Sorry about that hill.

On a Salt Escapes week, this is when we run back to the villa for recovery ice baths and a chef-cooked breakfast, but at the very least you should treat yourself to a frappe and a dip in the sea on the way back to your accommodation.

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TOP TIPS: Planning your trip to Zakynthos

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1. Hire a car- you really need one to visit all the best spots. There are heaps of car rental options near the airport, and rates are usually around £20 per day for a small car. Make sure you book your car early if you’re going in the peak months.
2. If your time and budget allows -we really recommend doing two Boat Days! The absolute best thing about Zakynthos is the coastline, the hidden beaches you can only reach via boat and the WATER! We'd recommend doing one Boat Day from the North of the island (see above), and one from the South. From the South, we picked up a boat from Laganas beach and cruised round for a quick stop near Marathonisi island, and then further southwest along the coastline towards Keri. This part was just as spectacular as the north.
3. The north of Zakynthos has a couple of really excellent restaurants we'd recommend (Nobelos and The Windmill - and we've recently heard good things about Skinos Restaurant and Ex Animo), but from our experience it's definitely not a foodie hub. On Salt Escapes we have our own Chef, but on our solo travels here, we stay in an Airbnb, and cook some fresh fish on the bbq a few nights. Just something to think about when planning your accommodation. Let us know if there are any other restaurants you'd recommend!‍
4. We mentioned it briefly above, but the tourist spots like Shipwreck beach and Blue Caves get super busy. Go first thing in the morning or late in the afternoon to avoid the crowds, if you can.