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Nightlife:
 Zante
is a vibrant island, offering a wide variety of tavernas, bars and
night clubs.
The livelist resorts are in the south of the island. Argasi
and Laganas are the two main
resorts which cater for a younger audience.
Laganas is the nightclub centre
of Zante, where competing clubs blast out dance music from their
open-fronted bars onto the Laganas "strip". This isn't
a resort for a good night's sleep although there have been recent
moves to restrict loud music in the early hours. Tsilivi,
Alikes and Kalamaki
have a good range of entertainment in the evening for a broad age
group. All three are lively resorts without becoming too hectic.
For more information on clubbing in Zante, head for the Clubbing
section. Alternatively, check out the latest clubbing news at
Club Zante.
Cultural
Activities:
 Zakynthos
Town dominates the cultural life on the island. The pre-eminence
of the major churches and local government is evident in the range
of activities within the capital. The
town's relatively modern appears in due to the devastating earthquake
and fire of 1953. Great attention was paid to the recontruction
of the town in a mixture of neo-Classical and Venetian styles.
The
Museum of Byzantine Art (Tues - Sun 8.30am - 3pm €3).
The Byzantine Museum can be found in Solomou Square and offers collections
by Doxaras, Koutouzis Damaskinos, Tzanes and Kandounis. This is
one of the best collections of the Ionian School and is well worth
a visit for its realistic depictions of religious subject matter.
The Solomos Museum on Platia Ayiou Markou (Mon - Sat 8.30am
- 3pm Free) contains a collection of manuscripts by Dionyssios Solomos
(1798-1857).
The Museum of Zakynthos (Tues - Sun 8.30am - 3pm €3 ) is
an interest collection of local historical artefacts.
Sport:
 Major
sporting facilities can be found in Zakynthos
Town. In the resorts, sports are limited to watersports.
A sporting alternative on terra firma is biking. You can hire mountain
bikes in most resorts and head for the hills. Be careful though,
keep off the roads wherever possible and insist on helmet hire just
in case. The best areas for mountain biking are the hills inland
from Vassilikos and the
central mountain range east of Zakynthos
Town.
Another alternative is to bring your own bikes to the island. In
principle the only difficulty is arranging for the charter airlines
to carry the bikes in the hold.
Watersports:
 For
watersports, head for St Nikolas beach in Vassilikos.
You'll find jetskis for hire as well as a whole host of novelty
watersports such as bananas - not for the faint hearted!
Argasi:Beach
of Argasi Watersports 06950 44250
Tsilivi:Tsilivi Watersports,
Mavrias Kostas, Tsilivi 06950 23999
Please note that watersports are prohibited in the Bay of
Laganas and Kalamaki
due to conservation measures.
Scuba
Diving:
 Zante
is a great island for Scuba diving and facilities are available
in a number of locations.
For more information on how to contact diving centres on Zante,
please visit our diving section here.
Festivals:
 Zakynthos
holds a number of festivals, most of them religious. Saint Dionysios
(St. Denis), the patron of the island is now celebrated twice yearly
on 24 August and 17 December. One of the highlights of the year
is the Holy Week celebration. Easter starts on Holy Tuesday when
the St. Denis choir chant the traditional Psalms. On Good Friday,
the main procession through Zakynthos
Town commences at 2pm. The procession starts at St Nicolas of
Molos and solemnly tours the town before returning to St. Nicolas.
For more information on the festivals, held throughout the year,
visit the Culture section here.
Shipwreck:
 Probably
the most recognisable sight on Zakynthos - the famous Shipwreck,
otherwise known as Smuggler's Bay or Navagio.
No trip to the island would be complete without a visit to this
remarkable location in the north.
For more information on the shipwreck and how to get there, visit
the Shipwreck section here.
Turtles:
 Zakynthos
is one of the few remain mating grounds for the endangered Loggerhead
Turtle, also known by its Latin name, Caretta Caretta.
You can see these beautiful creatures in the Marine Park of Laganas
and off the coast of Kalamaki.
For more information, please visit
the Turtles page and for more information on conservation
efforts here.
Kefalonia:
 Take
a trip over to Zante's beautiful neighbour to the north, Kefalonia.
Scene of Captain Corelli's Mandolin, highlights include:-
* The beautiful fishing town of Fiskardo
* Melissani lake (pictured to the left)
* Myrtos beach
Island Cruises:
 Explore
the entire island by sea on a one-day cruise. It's the best way
to enjoy the stunning coastline of Zante and stop off at some the
island's beaches which are only accessible from the sea.
There are plenty of cruises to choose from, most departing from
Zante Town.
Highlights on your cruise may include:-
A visit to the blue caves
A stop at the shipwreck
Sighting dolphins out at sea
Spotting a loggerhead turtle!
For more information, visit our
island cruises page here.
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