April 13, 2026, 9:01 am | Read time: 7 minutes
Last year, TRAVELBOOK editor Karoline Schweers was on Zakynthos in June and spent one of her best vacations there. Here she presents her eight personal favorite places on the Greek island.
Turquoise blue water, wonderfully warm temperatures, and fantastic food—for me, Zakynthos offers everything you need for a dream vacation. The fact that I’m definitely not the only one who has fallen in love with the island in the Ionian Sea is shown by the latest result of a TRAVELBOOK vote. Zakynthos was voted the most beautiful vacation island in the world. To perhaps provide a little inspiration for your next trip, which I hope will be as beautiful as mine, here are my eight favorite places on Zakynthos.
Overview
1. Xigia Sulfur Beach
My first personal tip for a vacation on Zakynthos involves climbing down a few steps, but it’s worth it. Once at the bottom, you are greeted at Xigia Sulfur Beach with a beach 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. The beach is not particularly large and fills up relatively quickly during the 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 simply breathtaking. A picturesque bay that turns spectacular shades of orange and pink at sunset. My tip: It’s best to call ahead and reserve a seat directly on the terrace railing to enjoy the fantastic view to the full. With this panorama, you’ll want to take extra time to eat.
3. Callinico Wine Museum
We stumbled across the Callinico Wine Museum on Zakynthos by chance. As we drove past, we first noticed the vineyards, which made us stop. On the spot, we discovered that not only is wine grown there, but that the vineyard also has a lovingly designed museum. Admission 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. As we were there spontaneously, we were unfortunately unable to book a guided tour of the winery. I would definitely make up for this next time.
4. Zakynthos Sea Turtle Rescue & Information Center
In addition to wine growing and the many beautiful bays, Zakynthos is known for one thing in particular: the loggerhead sea turtle. It is one of the only two species that breed in the Mediterranean. Loggerhead turtles always lay their eggs in the same place where they hatched. The protection of their nests is therefore of crucial importance for the conservation of the species. The Zakynthos Sea Turtle Rescue & Information Center has set itself the task of educating tourists about this endangered species of turtle and teaching them about species-appropriate behavior on Zakynthos.
Numerous tours are offered on the island, both by boat and on the beaches. On these, visitors can observe baby turtles hatching or adult animals swimming. That’s why I think it’s important to communicate how harmful such tourist attractions can be for the animals. Unfortunately, the proximity of boats or people to the hatcheries often leads to turtles being injured or even dying. Accordingly, I recommend that anyone visiting the island inform themselves at the Zakynthos Sea Turtle Information Center about appropriate behavior during a stay on site.
5. Porto Limnionas Beach
For me, the most beautiful bay and definitely one of my favorite places on Zakynthos was Porto Limnionas Beach. Our drive there first took us through the picturesque mountain village of Agios Leon, from where a well-signposted road led directly to the sea. There is a large paved parking lot and the “Porto Limnionas Taverna,” which is not only known for its food, but also rents out sun loungers and deckchairs.
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 incidence of light from the sun, the water shimmered in various shades from deep blue to bright turquoise—even today, I probably have over 50 photos in my photo album on my cell phone of just the water in this bay. There are several caves around the bay, which offer plenty of opportunities to explore, especially for snorkeling enthusiasts. But even without snorkeling equipment, you can spot numerous fish with the naked eye thanks to the clear water.
6. Porto Roxa Beach
One of the most extraordinary places I visited on Zakynthos is Porto Roxa Beach. Instead of sand, you will find a rugged, rocky coastline where the waves break impressively. What may not sound very inviting at first turns out to be a real insider tip: thanks to the numerous free sun loungers, it is a wonderful place to relax 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 for a wonderful swim despite the many rocks. Another plus point for this beach is that it is still relatively unknown and therefore not overcrowded. If you want something to eat in between, you can have your order conveniently delivered directly to your lounger. 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 was the Loukoumades store near our hotel. Loukoumades are small, deep-fried balls of dough that are often coated with honey or syrup and sprinkled with nuts. I tried this typical Greek dessert for the first time on Zakynthos and fell in love with it straight away. 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 plenty of them on offer on the island. We were lucky enough to have booked a fairly small boat for the tour, which meant that the local captain was able to take plenty of time to tell us lots of interesting facts about the island during the trip. As we had previously learned at the Sea Turtle Rescue Center that the south of the island is used by hawksbill turtles as a nesting site and should therefore be avoided, we made sure that our tour only took place in the north of Zakynthos. This is actually where one of the biggest attractions is located: Navagio Beach. You used to be able to walk on it, but as there is a high risk of landslides on the beach, it was closed due to safety concerns. However, it is enough to admire it from afar to take beautiful photos.
However, the absolute highlight of our tour and one of my favorite places on Zakynthos were the caves, which can only be reached by boat and into which you can swim. The water reflections in the caves create an incredible play of colors in the most diverse shades of blue, making them seem almost surreal.