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Zakynthos is one of the most beautiful islands of the Ionian Sea. It has idyllic evergreen landscapes, lovely beaches, turquoise blue waters and sea caves. Moreover, Zakynthos combines the cosmopolitan with the traditional Greek lifestyle. Zakynthos Town is the capital, main port, and commercial center of the Island of Zakynthos. It is a city literally rebuilt out of its ashes, since a wildfire destroyed everything that had not collapsed with the catastrophic earthquake of 1953.
The coastal road, known as Santa Marina Street leads to Dionysios Solomos Square, which is the biggest square of the beautiful island. One of the most popular attractions on the square is the statue of Dionysios Solomos, Greece’s national poet who wrote the national anthem, and is situated in front of the Byzantine Museum.
During the 18th century, the Saint Marcus Square was the center of social and political debating among the prominent figures of the island. The Museum of Dionysios Solomos, Andreas Kalvos and Other Eminent Personalities of Zakynthos is housed in a neoclassical building at the square of Saint Marcus.
The famous church of Saint Dionysios, the patron saint of the island, where the relics of the saint are kept, is in the center of the town. Another very interesting church of the town is the church of Saint Nicholas of Molos, and it is located on the waterfront.
Only 2 km away from Zakynthos Town you will find the hill where D. Solomos wrote the national anthem of Greece, Strani’s Hill. From there, you see a stunning, panoramic view of Zakynthos Town, and the famous poet’s monument is situated on a plateau. The ruins of an ancient Venetian castle are located at the top of the Hill of Strani, at the back of the city.
For a magnificent view over the city and the port, Bohali is the place to visit. It is a small village located on a hill above Zakynthos town and it offers many restaurants and cafe-bars. Navagio Beach, or “Shipwreck Beac”, is an exposed cove, sometimes referred to as “Smugglers Cove”, on the northern coast of Zakynthos Island, close to Anafotiria Village. Navagio Beach was originally known as Agios Giorgios Beach.
On October 2, 1980, a freight liner, the MV Panagiotis, ran aground in the waters around Zakynthos Island on Agios Giorgios Beach during stormy weather and bad visibility. Some rumors say the ship was smuggling contraband. However, official sources did not confirm this, and the captain was not convicted for such offences. The ship was abandoned and still rests buried in the limestone gravel on the beach. Since then, it bears the name Navagio Beach since “navagio” in Greek means “shipwreck”. Laganas Beach is the most popular and cosmopolitan resort of Zakynthos Island, located in the southern part of the island. The wide beach is 9 km long and it is one of the biggest in Greece. It is particularly popular to youngsters because during the summer it is Zakynthos’ hottest spot for overnight clubbing. It offers a great variety of clubs and bars which organize theme nights, karaoke, quizzes, and other similar entertainment games. The staff of Selecta rent a car will be happy to provide you with useful information about the attractions along with the sights in the island, the magical beaches, and the routes you need to follow.