Greece - Korina Miller [580]
The peaceful, shady and pine tree-filled Kastro ( 26950 48099; admission €3; 8.30am-2.30pm Tue-Sun), a ruined Venetian fortress high above Zakynthos Town, makes for a pleasant outing. It’s 2.5km from town in the viewpoint village of Bochali (take Dionysiou Roma north and turn left at Kapodistriou; it’s signed from here). There’s a big car park as you enter Bochali and a one-way system thereafter. You are strongly advised not to try driving up to the castle, which is 300m above Bochali’s main square. There’s a walkway. Bochali has several cafes and tavernas with glorious views over Zakynthos Town.
Sleeping
Tour groups tend to monopolise many out-of-town hotels, but the following are safe bets for independent travellers and all are open throughout the year.
Hotel Alba ( 26950 26641; www.albahotel.gr; L Ziva 38; s/d/tr incl breakfast €48/68/96; ) A reasonable, if slightly dull, hotel but convenient for the centre of town. Rooms are slowly being refurbished and you pay a general €6 to €14 more for renovated ones.
Hotel Strada Marina ( 26950 42761; hotel@strada marina.gr; Lombardou 14; s/d incl breakfast €60/90; ) A good location on the main harbourfront road makes this business standard hotel a good option. Rooms are well equipped and the upper balconies have a great view of the bay. The rooftop area has a small pool.
Hotel Diana ( 26950 28547; Plateia Agiou Markou; s/d/tr incl breakfast €70/90/100; ) Slightly ponderous decor does not mar this comfortable and well-appointed hotel in a good, central location.
Hotel Palatino ( 26950 27780; www.palatinohotel.gr; Kolokotroni 10; s/d/tr €75/110/125; ) Business style is the measure of this well-appointed hotel with its comfortable rooms and smooth decor.
Eating & Drinking
There are plenty of tavernas and restaurants around Plateia Agiou Markou, but they tend to be overpriced and not entirely inspiring. There are decent options here, all the same, and elsewhere in town.
Green Boat Taverna ( 26950 22957; Krionerou 50; mains €4-15) It’s a bit of a hike of about 1km north along the waterfront but the Green Boat is worth it for its fish and excellent Greek dishes such as melitzanes, eggplant in tomato sauce with feta cheese. Grilled king prawns are €12 and a plate of small fish is €10.
Corner Taverna ( 26950 42654; Plateia Agiou Markou; mains €6-19.80) Bang at the heart of the action and very proactive in catching custom, this busy place does offer reasonable grills and pastas.
Base ( 26950 42409; Plateia Agiou Markou; cappuccino €3.50) In a perfect location, Base commands the flow through Plateia Agiou Markou dispensing coffees, drinks and music to a very relaxed, sometimes posey, people-watching, gossipy local crowd.
There’s also a well-stocked supermarket (cnr Filioti & Lombardou).
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AROUND ZAKYNTHOS
Transport of your own is really the way to unlock the charms of Zakynthos.
A major feature of the island are the loggerhead turtles (see At Loggerheads, opposite) that come ashore to lay their eggs on the golden-sand beaches of the huge Bay of Laganas, a national marine park on Zakynthos’ south coast. Unfortunately, the turtles share the bay with holidaymakers, who are often unaware of the situation concerning turtle breeding while protective legislation covering the loggerheads is often flouted by local tourism interests.
The Vasilikos Peninsula is the pretty green region southeast of Zakynthos Town, and fringing Laganas Bay. It’s being heavily developed and has several settlements off the main road, all with tavernas and accommodation. Banana Beach, a long and narrow strip of golden sand on the peninsula’s northern side, has plenty of action: crowds, water sports and umbrellas. Zakynthos’ best beach is the long, sandy and much-coveted Gerakas. It’s on the other side of the peninsula, facing into Laganas Bay. This is one of the main turtle-nesting beaches, and access to the beach is forbidden between dusk and dawn during May and October. On the northeastern side of Vasilikos Peninsula is the reasonable beach of Kaminia.