Greece - Korina Miller [578]
Further north again is the little village of Stavros above the Bay of Polis, also reached along the west coast road. Heading northeast from Stavros takes you to the tiny, understated seafront village of Frikes clasped between windswept cliffs and with a swath of waterfront restaurants, busy bars and a relaxed ambience. It’s the ferry departure point for Lefkada. From Frikes a twisting road hugs the beautiful coastline to end at Kioni, another small seafront village that spills down a verdant hillside to a miniature harbour where yachts overnight and tavernas and bars eagerly await them.
Sleeping & Eating
Mrs Vasilopoulos’ Rooms ( 26740 31027; Stavros; s/d/apt €40/50/65) These homely studios, with overhead fans, are reached by going up the leftmost lane to the left of Café To Kentro from the main square in Stavros. The pretty garden overlooks olive and cypress groves.
Captain’s Apartments ( 26740 31481; www.captains-apartments.gr; Kioni; d €65, 4-person apt €90; year-round; ) Well-run and definitely ship-shape are these well-maintained studios and apartments that are signposted halfway down the twisting road to the harbour at Kioni.
Fatouros Taverna ( 26740 31385; Stavros; mains €5-12) A pleasant unvarnished place behind its red-brick facade, this popular eatery exults in spit-roast meat dishes and Greek standards.
Yiannis ( 26740 31363; Stavros; mains €5-12) Friendly Yiannis does a good line in pizzas and sturdy mezedhes as well as Greek main dishes. Breakfasts are about €5.
Rementzo ( 26740 31719; Frikes; mains €6.80-11.60) Among the usual swathe of waterside tavernas in Frikes, Rementzo does good value Greek standards.
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ZAKYNTHOS ΖΑΚΥΝΘΟΣ
pop 38,600
Zakynthos (zahk-in-thos), also known by its Italian name Zante, is a fascinating island, unfairly known perhaps for conspicuous and heavy package tourism along its eastern and southeast coasts, but essentially a beautiful island whose western and central regions are mountainous, green and inspiring. The Venetians called it the Flower of the Orient. Its people are welcoming and its cuisine a delight. Too much tourism is, however, endangering more than the aesthetics of island life. The loggerhead turtle (see At Loggerheads, Click here) struggles in the face of commercial development.
Getting There & Away
AIR
There are at least one or two daily flights between Zakynthos and Athens and connections to other Ionian Islands including Kefallonia and Corfu. Olympic Air ( 26950 28322; Zakynthos Airport; 8am-10pm Mon-Fri) can help with information and bookings. For details Island Hopping.
From May to September, many charter flights come from northern Europe and the UK to Zakynthos.
BOAT
Domestic
Depending on the season, between five and seven ferries operate daily between Zakynthos Town and Kyllini in the Peloponnese. Tickets can be obtained from the Zakynthos Shipping Cooperative ( 26950 22083/49500; Lombardou 40) in Zakynthos Town.
From the northern port of Agios Nikolaos a ferry service shuttles across to Pesada in southern Kefallonia twice daily from May to October. In high season, there are only two buses a week from Zakynthos Town to Agios Nikolaos and two buses daily from Pesada (Kefallonia) to Argostoli (Kefallonia) making crossing without your own transport difficult. An alternative is to cross to Kyllini and catch another ferry to Kefallonia.
For ferry details Island Hopping.
International
Hellenic Mediterranean Lines (www.hmlferry.com) has July and August services once or twice a week between Brindisi and Zakynthos (€69, 15½ hours).
BUS
The smart new KTEL bus station ( 26950 22255) has recently opened on the bypass to the west of Zakynthos Town. On Monday to Friday, from early morning until 3pm, a mini-bus runs every hour or so to the new bus station from the site of the old bus station (42 Filita St).
KTEL operates four