Ionian Islands
Zakynthos Town
Choose the island's calm capital over the Laganas party strip: stay near Solomos Square or up in Bochali, hire a car for a couple of days, and book the Navagio and Blue Caves boats rather than queueing at a clifftop.
Best length
7 nights (package week) or 4-5 on a flexible trip
Airport
Zakynthos 'Dionysios Solomos' (ZTH), ~5km southwest of town
Airport to town
Taxi ~15 min (about €25); KTEL bus ~20 min but no weekend service
Best base
Zakynthos Town / Bochali for a calmer stay; Laganas for nightlife
In short
Zakynthos Town at a glance
Zakynthos Town is the island's capital and ferry port, and the most sensible base if you want Greek-island life rather than a party strip: stay near Solomos Square or up in Bochali, hire a car for two or three days to reach Navagio and the south, and book the Shipwreck Beach and Blue Caves boats rather than driving to a clifftop and queueing.
The short version
- Base yourself in Zakynthos Town or Bochali for a calmer, more Greek stay; pick Laganas only if 18-30 nightlife is the whole point of the trip.
- You cannot land on Navagio (Shipwreck) Beach since the 2022 landslide closure, so book a boat that approaches the cove for photos rather than expecting to set foot on the sand.
- Hire a car for two or three days: the bus network is thin, weekend airport buses don't run, and Navagio, Keri and the Blue Caves are all a long way from town.
- Combine the Blue Caves and Navagio on one northern boat day, and Marathonisi (Turtle Island) and Keri caves on a separate southern trip from Laganas or Keri.
- A week here works on £700-£1,000 a head outside peak August once flights, a mid-range room, two boat days and a few car-hire days are in.
Most UK trips to Zakynthos are package weeks that funnel people straight to Laganas or Kalamaki, but the capital — Zakynthos Town, or Chora — is the better base if you want a Greek island rather than a strip of British bars. Rebuilt in arcaded stone after the 1953 earthquake flattened it, the town wraps a working harbour with marble Solomos Square, a couple of small museums, and the island’s only real bus hub. It is a town to live in for a week, not a beach to flop on: the sand is elsewhere, which is exactly why the evenings feel local rather than staged.
The two things everyone comes for sit at opposite ends of the island, and neither is a walk from town. Navagio — the Shipwreck cove with the rusting freighter — has been closed to beach landings since a 2022 landslide, so the honest version now is a boat that swings into the bay for photos, usually bundled with the Blue Caves on a northern run. The loggerhead turtles are the southern counterpart, best seen on an eco or glass-bottom boat into protected Laganas Bay rather than chased from a crowded beach. Hire a car for two or three of your days to stitch these together; the rest of the week, climb up to Bochali for the harbour view and the tavernas locals actually use. The structured planning below — where to stay, the boat days, airport transfers and a realistic budget in pounds — picks up from here.
Keep a first trip focused: book the big timed sights, then leave room for neighbourhoods and food.
Top things to do in Zakynthos Town
Blue Caves
The Blue Caves are sea caves at the northern tip of Zakynthos where the water glows an electric blue when the morning sun hits it. You reach them only by boat, either a short cave-only circuit from about €10 or a longer day trip that also takes in Navagio (Shipwreck) Beach. Go early on a calm day — the colour and the calm both fade as the day wears on.
Marathonisi (Turtle Island) and Keri caves
Marathonisi sits in protected Laganas Bay, the loggerhead-turtle counterpart to the Navagio day. A glass-bottom or eco boat from Keri or Laganas pairs turtle-spotting with a stop at the islet's pale beach and the nearby Keri sea caves, all without the long drive north. Trips start from around €25 per adult. Go early for calmer water and a better chance of turtles near the boat.
Where to stay first
The areas that make a first visit easier — not an exhaustive directory.
Zakynthos Town (Chora)
££ mid-rangeThe arcaded capital and ferry port: real shops, a working seafront and the easiest base without a car, with the island's main bus terminal on your doorstep. It is a town rather than a beach resort, so you trade sand-out-your-door for a more Greek, year-round feel.
Best for: First trips, no-car stays, couples wanting island life over resort life
Bochali
££ mid-rangeThe hill village a 10-minute climb above town with the headline harbour view, the Kastro and the better evening tavernas. Quieter and cooler than the seafront, but you will want a car or short taxis to get down to beaches.
Best for: Views, slower evenings, repeat visitors
Argassi
£ valueThe closest resort strip to town, a short hop east along the coast road. Cheaper rooms and plenty of tavernas and bars, with an easy run into the capital, though the beach itself is narrow and the main road is busy.
Best for: Value, families wanting town nearby, no-car stays
Laganas
£ valueThe big package and nightlife strip on a 9km golden bay, geared hard at the 18-30 crowd with clubs, bars and shallow swimming. Lively and cheap, but choose it only if you want the party; it is the opposite of a quiet base.
Best for: Nightlife, groups, young package holidays
Airport to city centre
| Option | Time | Cost | Book ahead? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taxi to Zakynthos Town | ~10-15 min | about €25 (around €13 on the meter in light traffic, but airport runs are usually a fixed higher fare) | Simplest with luggage and late flights |
| KTEL bus to the town terminal | ~20 min | about €1.80-€2.20 single | Cheap but no Saturday/Sunday service and long gaps between buses |
| Pre-booked private transfer | ~15 min | usually £20-£30 per car | Worth it for groups or a guaranteed night arrival |
| Car-hire pickup at the airport | drive ~10 min | from about £30-£45/day | Best if you plan to explore the island yourself |
When to go
Sweet spot: May, June, September and early October are the sweet spot: sea warm enough to swim, full taverna and boat-tour season, and none of the August crush or peak package pricing.
July and August are hot, busiest and dearest, with Laganas at full tilt and boats to Navagio packed by mid-morning. Loggerhead turtles nest from late May into August, so the marine-park boats are best then. Out of season, from November to April, much of the resort infrastructure simply shuts and flights thin to charters.
What it costs
UK return flights to Zakynthos (ZTH) are typically £80-£180 in May, June and September when booked ahead; school-holiday August and last-minute summer fares can climb past £250, and winter is largely seasonal-charter dead time.
Daily budget per person
A taverna main runs about €12-€18 (£10-£15) and a gyros around €3-€4.50; the seafront and Agios Markos square restaurants are the priciest, so walk one street back from the promenade or head up to Bochali for better food at lower prices.
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Where to stay
Tours & tickets
Airport transfers
Car hire
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Zakynthos Town FAQs
Should I stay in Zakynthos Town or Laganas?
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