Zante Holidays

How to holiday in Zante

Come for the Insta moments: Shipwreck beach, mermaid-blue waters and Keri Lighthouse sunsets that render everyone silent. Stay for the off-map magic: Europe’s protected caretta caretta sea turtles, endless olive groves and tiny villages where seasoned souls still serenade with mandolins.

Everyone should charter a small boat or yacht for a day (or two). Lesante Hotels even has their own fleet, so you can glide under sea arches, reach the Blue Caves and drop anchor for snorkelling and swimming. You might not be able to disembark at Shipwreck beach anymore but you can drift up close enough for jaw-dropping photos that feel straight out of pirate history. If real-deal local life is your thing, head inland to the mountain villages. Sun-drenched, slow-paced little places where you taste honey drizzled over hot doughnuts and Zante’s tangy local cheese.

For peace, quiet and privacy?

Laganas has become popular as the party town but there's a whole other side of Zante. Head for the pebbly little beach coves. Great if you’ve got older kids or if it’s just the two of you (pack the water shoes). They’re not the classic flat white beaches, but that’s the appeal. No sand stirring up the waters which is why they’re so super super clear. The rocky coves are usually framed by pine forests or cliffs too, making the scenery even sweeter. And they're harder to find, which tends to filter out the crowds. 

The side of Zante some don't get to see

High above the shimmering coast, Zante’s mountain villages show off a soulful Greece. Stone lanes, sun-bleached squares and the smell of thyme and pine. Visit Exo Chora, Loucha and Kiliomenos and you’ll find artisans selling handpressed olive oil and cheese made that morning. 

Conservation and turtles

Zante’s Marine Park, an underwater wildlife paradise, covers the southern coast of the island up to Gerakas beach. It’s nesting ground for nearly all of Europe’s endangered caretta caretta sea turtles, so pretty special. The easiest way in is on a boat trip but you can also drive to the south of the island and wander in on foot. What you’ll see? Turtles, monk seals, Marathonisi Island and the Keri Caves. Plus the clearest and quietest water you’ll ever float, snorkel and swim in.