Zakynthos

Christened the Flower of the Levant by the Venetians, Zakynthos is the southernmost of the Ionian Islands and one of Greece’s most visually stunning charter destinations. Also known as Zante, the island is famous for its dramatic coastal cliffs that drop into impossibly blue waters and rich interior landscape covered with vineyards, orchards, and olive groves. One of its most iconic destinations, only accessible from the water, Navagio Beach (known worldwide as Shipwreck Beach) is home to the rusting hull of a smuggler’s boat that ran aground in the 1980s. Resting on white pebbles beneath towering limestone walls, it is one of the many reasons the island is favored by charterers. Nearby, the Blue Caves at the island’s northern tip reward early-morning visits by tender, when sunlight turns the water within an extraordinary luminous blue. Zakynthos is also known for the National Marine Park of Laganas Bay, a protected site and one of the most important nesting grounds for the endangered loggerhead sea turtle. During a Zakynthos charter, guests are more than likely to spot a turtle or two from the water. Ashore, Zakynthos Town features the Venetian Castle above the harbour and the Byzantine Museum on Solomos Square, perfect for an afternoon of exploration, whilst the therapeutic sulphur springs near Keri and the panoramic summit of Mount Vrachionas offer a natural retreat. Located within easy cruising reach of Kefalonia, Ithaca, and the mainland Peloponnese, Zakynthos serves as a natural southern gateway for an extended charter itinerary through the Ionian Islands.