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A villa terrace with plunge pools above a turquoise cove on Zakynthos

Villas in Zakynthos (Zante)

Planning a villa holiday in Zakynthos

First, the name: Zante and Zakynthos are the same island. Zante is the old Venetian name that stuck in Britain; Zakynthos is the Greek one. Either way it is the southernmost of the main Ionian islands, green in the way only the Ionian is, with white cliff coves in the north, long sandy bays in the south, and the Mediterranean's most important loggerhead turtle nesting waters in between.

The island has two reputations and both are true. Laganas runs the famous strip: a long run of bars and clubs behind a nine kilometre sweep of sand, the package holiday party centre of the Ionian. And barely twenty minutes away, the Vasilikos peninsula and the west side of Laganas Bay are protected, quiet and slow precisely because the marine park limits what can be built and how boats behave. A villa holiday here works when you choose your side of that line deliberately.

Start with what your evenings should look like, then choose your coast. The quiet south east, the family east and the strip are three different holidays on one small island.

Marathonisi, the turtle island, in the protected waters of Laganas Bay

Where to stay in Zakynthos

Vasilikos and the quiet south eastA long green peninsula of scattered hamlets, olive groves and the island's best swimming, ending at Gerakas, a protected nesting beach inside the marine park. There is no strip here and the conservation rules are the reason it stays this way. The classic quiet villa choice.A sea-cave arch in the white cliffs near Keri, ZakynthosKeri and Limni KeriouThe south west corner: sunset cliffs, boat trips to the caves and Marathonisi from the little harbour, and villages that empty of day trippers by evening. Note the two Keris on listings: Limni Keriou is the waterside hamlet, Keri village sits uphill.Tsilivi, Planos and TragakiThe east coast's family resort strip in the better sense: long sandy beach, restaurants, and villa country in the lanes behind. Livelier than the south, far tamer than Laganas.Alykes and AlykanasThe north east's easy going family bays, a good base for reaching the Blue Caves and the northern boat trips.Agios Dionysios and the Zakynthos Town waterfront below the Bochali hillsZakynthos Town and BochaliThe working capital, rebuilt after the 1953 earthquake, with historic buildings, waterfront cafes, a lively evening scene and Bochali's balcony view above it. Choose it for evenings with locals rather than beach at the door.Laganas and KalamakiLaganas is the strip; if big nights are the point of the trip, it delivers, and if they are not, stay elsewhere and visit on your terms. Kalamaki next door shares the bay but not the nightlife, and its beach frontage is nesting ground, which keeps its nights dark and quiet by law.

The full base by base comparison, with honest trade offs for families, couples and groups, lives in our guide: Where to Stay in Zakynthos.

Zakynthos and Zante villas with private pools and sea views

Start with a first selection below, or narrow it to the stay you have in mind. Accommodation type is always labelled: a suite never renders as a villa.

Villa-only results. Add dates to check live availability.
Explore by locationReviewed public locations for villas in this result set.

Why visit Zakynthos?

It starts with the colour of the water, bright and almost unreal, and the way the cliffs drop straight into it. Few islands put this much contrast in forty kilometres: sheer white cliffs and the Mediterranean's most famous shipwreck cove on one coast, a protected bay where loggerhead turtles have nested for millennia on the other, and green farming country with its own Venetian flavoured kitchen in between.

The marine park is not a footnote; it is the island's character. Laganas Bay is the principal nesting ground for the loggerhead turtle, Caretta caretta, in the Mediterranean, and the rules that protect it, from boat speed limits and zoned waters to beaches that close at sunset in season, are exactly what keep the southern coast calm. If you want quiet, the turtles are the reason it exists.

The white Mizithres sea stacks below the Keri cliffs on the west coast of Zakynthos

Honesty about the rest: the strip is real, Navagio is currently a view rather than a beach day, and July and August are busy everywhere. The island rewards choosing your base well and going north or south against the crowds' clock.

Things to do in Zakynthos

The famous sights are spread around the coasts, so pair them into boat days and viewpoint drives rather than criss crossing the island.

See Shipwreck Beach the way it can actually be seen

Navagio, the famous cove with the rusted freighter on its sand, is closed to landing and swimming through 31 October 2026 under the current ministerial decision, the fourth season of closure since the 2022 landslide. What remains is still worth the trip: the reinforced clifftop viewpoint near Anafonitria is free and extraordinary, and boats may hold off the bay at a distance of at least fifty metres. Treat any "land on Shipwreck Beach" promise as the red flag it is.

Meet the marine park on its terms

Boat trips from Keri and Laganas Bay run to Marathonisi, the turtle island, and around the protected waters at the park's mandatory slow speeds. Turtles live wild here; sightings are common in season and never guaranteed, and the better operators are the ones who keep their distance and say so. In nesting season the protected beaches open from 7am to sunset and close overnight for the nests.

The Blue Caves and the north

Sea carved arches at Cape Skinari where the water reflects the light in a way that gives it that signature electric blue colour. Boats leave from Agios Nikolaos, the little port in north Zakynthos rather than its bigger Cretan namesake, and from Cape Skinari itself; mornings are calmest. Pair the trip with the Navagio viewpoint road through Volimes.

Swim at Xigia

A small cove on the north east coast where sulphur springs seep into the sea, leaving milky turquoise water and a faint spa smell. It is a curiosity worth the stop, not a day long beach.

Navagio bay and the shipwreck seen from the clifftop viewpoint near Anafonitria

Which Zakynthos beach should you choose?

The south east has the island's gentlest swimming, the east and north east carry the family flags, and the west coast is cliffs: its quieter viewpoints and hidden coves belong to boat days. Laganas has the nine kilometre strip sand, busiest by far. Every beach inside the marine park follows the nesting rules in season; that is what quiet costs, and it is a good deal.

Gerakas

A protected arc of sand at the tip of the Vasilikos peninsula, with turtle nests below the dunes and sunset closing in season.

Protected | gentle swimming

Banana

The long organised stretch along the Vasilikos peninsula, with space to spread out beyond the sunbed rows.

Organised | space

Tsilivi and Alykes

The family beaches of the east and north east: long, sandy and backed by resorts at a far tamer volume than the strip.

Family | organised

Xigia, the small sulphur cove in the north east, is the island's curiosity swim. In nesting season the protected southern beaches open from 7am and close at sunset, so plan late swims elsewhere.

Food and drink in Zakynthos

Venice left its accent on the kitchen here. Order sartsa, beef braised in a garlicky tomato sauce; skordostoumbi, aubergines baked sweet and sour with vinegar and plenty of garlic; and finish with mandolato, the island's almond nougat. The local white is Verdea, a traditional blend with its own protected geographical indication, and the island makes its own spicier goat's cheese matured in olive oil. Much of it is served in small, family run tavernas: relaxed spots along the coast at lunch, and a livelier dining scene in Zakynthos Town in the evenings.

What to order

Sartsa, skordostoumbi, grilled fish, the olive oil aged goat's cheese, Verdea by the glass and mandolato to finish.

What to check

Fresh fish is often priced by weight: confirm the weight and the total before it goes to the kitchen. Tavernas on the protected southern beaches close earlier in nesting season than the resort strips do.

Who is Zakynthos best for?

Families have the easiest time of any Ionian island here: Tsilivi and Alykes are built for them, Vasilikos adds quiet, and the turtle story gives children a reason to care about the rules. Couples take the south west: Keri's sunsets, Limni Keriou's little harbour, dinner above the water. Groups who want big nights have the strip; groups who do not should simply base south east and never see it.

Weaker fits, honestly: anyone who booked for Shipwreck Beach itself needs to know it is a viewpoint this year, not a towel spot; and light sleepers should not book near central Laganas in July or August. Say what your nights should look like at enquiry and we will steer the shortlist; the strip or silence question is exactly what we ask first.

When is the best time to visit Zakynthos?

June and September are the best months for most villa stays: warm weather and fewer crowds than the peak summer season. May and October are gentle, green shoulders, and July and August are the island at full volume.

MayAround 24°C, green from the winter rain, sea freshening up; nesting season begins and the protected beaches take on their summer rules.
JuneWarm, long evenings, everything open, short of peak crowds.
July and AugustHot, low 30s, the fullest months on the strip and the busiest boats; villa demand peaks. Book far ahead.
SeptemberWarm sea, days around 28°C, thinning crowds; many people's pick.
OctoberMild, around 24°C, hatchlings finishing their season as the island winds down.
November to AprilThe rain that keeps the Ionian green; resorts close and the island rests.

Getting to Zakynthos and getting around

Zakynthos has its own airport and a year round ferry link to the mainland. The best way to continue depends on your base, not the distance.

Flights from the UK

There are direct flights to Zakynthos from several UK airports, with airlines like Jet2, TUI, easyJet and British Airways offering routes in season, roughly spring to autumn; routes change by year. Flight time is around three and a half hours. Outside the season, connect through Athens; the onward hop takes about an hour.

By sea

The year round ferry links Zakynthos Town with Kyllini on the Peloponnese in about an hour and a quarter, several times daily. In summer, a seasonal boat crosses from Agios Nikolaos in the north to Pesada on Kefalonia.

Getting around

Hiring a car is the easiest way to explore, and for a villa stay it is close to essential: the quieter beaches, the Vasilikos peninsula and the viewpoint roads all reward it. Buses run between the main towns, though services are more limited in quieter areas. Take precise journey times from your villa's own directions.

Talk to a Zakynthos (Zante) villa specialist

Tell us who is travelling, when you want to go, where you would like to stay and what matters most.

Speak to a Zakynthos (Zante) villa specialist

Questions about Zakynthos (Zante)

Where is Zante?

Zante is the Greek island of Zakynthos, in the Ionian Sea off the west coast of the Peloponnese, south of Kefalonia. The two names refer to the same island: Zante is the Venetian era name still common in Britain, Zakynthos the Greek one. It has its own airport and a year round ferry to the mainland.

Is Zante in Zakynthos?

They are the same place. Zante is not a resort or a region within Zakynthos; it is simply the island's other name.

Is Zante a party island?

Partly, and only where you choose it. Laganas runs a genuine party strip and delivers big nights, but the island is not lively everywhere: it also has quiet family resorts, and the marine park keeps the whole southern nesting coast calm by law. Base in Vasilikos, Keri, Tsilivi or Alykes and the strip may as well be on another island.

Where is the strip in Zante?

The strip is in Laganas, on the south coast: a long run of bars and clubs behind Laganas beach. It is easy to find if you want it and genuinely easy to avoid if you do not; Kalamaki next door already lives at a different volume, and Vasilikos and Keri are another world.

Can you visit Shipwreck Beach?

Not on foot this year. Landing and swimming at Navagio are prohibited through 31 October 2026 under the current safety decision, after the 2022 landslide. You can see it superbly from the reinforced clifftop viewpoint near Anafonitria, and boats may view the bay from at least fifty metres offshore.

What is the weather like in Zante in May?

Warm and green: daytime highs around 24°C, a sea still on the fresh side, and the island at its lushest before high summer. May is when the turtle nesting rules begin on the protected beaches.

When can you see turtles in Zakynthos?

Loggerheads are in the bay through the summer, with nesting from May and hatchlings into October. Boat trips in the marine park see them often, but they are wild animals and no honest operator guarantees a sighting. Watch from a distance, and never touch or chase.

When is the best time to visit Zakynthos?

June and September are the best months for most people: warm weather and fewer crowds than the peak summer season. July and August bring the fullest season, and May and October are gentle, green shoulders.

How many days do you need in Zakynthos?

Four to six days covers the essentials; five to seven suits a villa stay best, with room for a north coast boat day, the viewpoint, the marine park and slow days at the villa. A full week suits families best.

Do I need a car in Zakynthos?

Yes, in almost every case: many of the best beaches and viewpoints are easier to reach by car, and the island's best corners are spread out. Tsilivi and Alykes support more walkable weeks if a car free stay matters.

Is Zakynthos good for families?

One of the best in the Ionian, especially in the quieter areas: sandy east coast resorts like Tsilivi and Alykes where the pace is more relaxed, calm protected bays, the turtle story, and a short flight. Choose Tsilivi, Alykes or Vasilikos depending on how much quiet you want.

Explore the Zakynthos (Zante) guides

Practical guides for planning your stay.

Where to Stay in ZakynthosWhere to Stay in ZakynthosRead the guide When Is the Best Time to Visit Zakynthos?When Is the Best Time to Visit Zakynthos?Read the guide Where Should Couples Stay in Zakynthos?Where Should Couples Stay in Zakynthos?Read the guide

Verified guest reviews

Service reviews collected independently by Feefo.

Verified guest reviewFeefo
“I cannot speak highly enough of the Bnbstay team really. I told them I needed a villa in Santorini Oia and they were able to find us the perfect holiday, they sorted out transfers, private chefs, car hire, pre stocking. Thanks again!”
am, May 2026