March 7, 2025, 6:21 a.m. | Reading time: 8 minutes
Last year, Sunnytrips editor Karoline Schweers was on Zakynthos in June and spent one of her most beautiful holidays there. Here she presents her eight personal favorite places on the Greek island.
Turquoise water, wonderfully warm temperatures and fantastic food – for me Zakynthos offers everything I need for a dream holiday. The fact that I am definitely not the only one who has fallen in love with the island in the Ionian Sea is shown by the recent result of a Sunnytrips vote, in which Zakynthos was voted the most beautiful holiday island in the world. To perhaps provide a little inspiration for your next trip, which will hopefully be as wonderful as mine, here are my eight favorite places on Zakynthos.
1. Xigia Sulfur Beach
2. Keri Lighthouse Restaurant
3. Callinico Wine Museum
4. Zakynthos Sea Turtle Rescue & Information Center
5. Porto Limnionas Beach
6. Porto Roxa Beach
7. Demode Loukoumades
8. Boat tour to the caves and Navagio Beach
1. Xigia Sulfur Beach
My first personal tip for a holiday on Zakynthos requires climbing a few steps, but it's worth it. When you arrive at the bottom you are greeted at Xigia Sulfur Beach with a beach made of pebbles and crystal clear, turquoise water. The latter is particularly famous for its high sulfur content, which is said to be very good for the skin. It's definitely worth coming here early, as the beach is not particularly large and fills up relatively quickly during high season.
2. Keri Lighthouse Restaurant
One of my absolute highlights and definitely a favorite place on Zakynthos was the Keri Lighthouse Restaurant. Not only is the food there excellent, but the view is also simply breathtaking. A picturesque bay that turns spectacular shades of orange and pink at sunset. My tip: It's best to call in advance and reserve a spot right next to the railing of the terrace so that you can fully enjoy the fantastic view. With this panorama you like to take extra time to eat.
3. Callinico Wine Museum
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We stumbled across the Callinico Wine Museum on Zakynthos quite by chance. As we drove past in the car, we first noticed the vineyards, which made us stop. On site we discovered that not only wine is grown there, but that the winery also has a lovingly designed museum. Entry is free and we were able to see the different methods of wine production. Of course you can also taste and buy wine on site. Since we were there spontaneously, we were unfortunately no longer able to book a guided tour of the winery - I would definitely do that next time.
4. Zakynthos Sea Turtle Rescue & Information Center
In addition to winegrowing and the many great bays, Zakynthos is best known for one thing: the loggerhead sea turtle. It is one of the only two species that breed in the Mediterranean region. Hawksbill turtles always lay their eggs in the same place where they hatched. Therefore, protecting their nests is crucial for the preservation of the species. The Zakynthos Sea Turtle Rescue & Information Center has made it its mission to educate tourists about this endangered turtle species and to teach them species-appropriate behavior on Zakynthos.
There are numerous tours on the island, both by boat and on the beaches, where visitors can watch baby turtles hatch or adults swim. That's why I think it's important to convey how harmful such tourist attractions can be for the animals. Unfortunately, the proximity of boats or people to the breeding sites often leads to turtles being injured or even dying. Accordingly, I recommend everyone who visits the island to find out about species-appropriate behavior during their stay at the Zakynthos Sea Turtle Information Center.
5. Porto Limnionas Beach
For me the most beautiful bay and definitely one of my favorite places on Zakynthos was Porto Limnionas Beach. Our journey there first took us through the picturesque mountain village of Agios Leon, from where a well-marked road led directly to the sea. There is a large asphalt parking lot on site as well as the “Porto Limnionas Taverne”, which is not only known for its food but also rents out sunbeds and deck chairs.
However, most visitors simply make themselves comfortable on the two natural stone terraces, from which you can jump straight into the crystal clear water. Depending on the light from the sun, it shimmered in a variety of shades from deep blue to bright turquoise - to this day I probably have over 50 photos in my photo album on my cell phone just of the water in this bay. There are several caves around the bay, which offer many opportunities to explore, especially for snorkeling enthusiasts. But even without snorkeling equipment, you can observe numerous fish with the naked eye thanks to the clear water.
6. Porto Roxa Beach
Porto Roxa Beach was one of the most extraordinary places I visited in Zakynthos. Instead of sand, you can expect a rough, rocky coast where the waves break impressively. What may sound uninviting at first turns out to be a real insider tip: thanks to the numerous free sun loungers, you can relax here wonderfully while enjoying the sun and listening to the soothing sound of the sea.
Thanks to two long jetties that lead directly into the water, you can even go swimming there despite the many rocks. Another plus point for this beach is that it is still relatively unknown and therefore not overcrowded. If you want to eat something in between, you can conveniently have your order delivered directly to your sun bed. Alternatively, the Fondo Beach Bar Restaurant, just a few meters away, invites you to enjoy the sunset in a relaxed atmosphere with delicious Greek food.
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7. Demode Loukoumades
One place we visited almost every day during our stay there was the Loukoumades store near our hotel. Loukoumades are small, fried dough balls that are often coated in honey or syrup and sprinkled with nuts. I tried this typical Greek dessert for the first time in Zakynthos and immediately fell in love. They are usually served warm and if you like it particularly sweet, you can also choose from various toppings such as Oreos or chocolate sauce.
8. Boat tour to the caves and Navagio Beach
What I would definitely recommend to anyone visiting Zakynthos is a boat tour. There are many of these on offer on the island. We were lucky enough to have booked a very small boat for the tour, which meant that the local captain was able to take a lot of time to tell us lots of exciting facts about the island during the trip. Since we had previously learned at the Sea Turtle Rescue Center that the south of the island is used as a nesting place by loggerhead turtles and should therefore be avoided, we made sure that our tour only took place in the north of Zakynthos. One of the biggest attractions is actually located there: Navagio Beach. It used to be possible to access it, but since there is a high risk of landslides on the beach, it has been closed due to safety concerns. To take beautiful photos, it is also enough to admire it from afar.
The absolute highlight of our tour and also one of my favorite places on Zakynthos were the grottos, which you can only get to by boat and into which you can swim. Due to the reflections in the water, an incredible play of colors with different shades of blue is created in the caves, which makes them seem almost surreal.
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