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Zakynthos, also sometimes called by its italian name Zante, is located in the southern part of the main Ionian island chain and is around 250 km from Athens. The island was named ‘Flower of the Orient’ by the Venetians, due to its rich and luscious countryside, which consists of olive groves, lemon trees, rolling hills and mountain forests. As well as its impressive interior, the island boasts an incredible coastline with plenty of sandy golden and white beaches, all with the most crystal clear water.
It is recommended to hire a car to see as much of this stunning island as possible and hiring a car is the best way to discover the stunning island beyond the all-inclusive resorts. You’ll find fantastic deals for your car hire in Zante with Enjoy Travel, plus pre-booking online is completely convenient and hassle-free. For example, a Fiat Panda or other economy-size car starts at about £5.50 per day in off-peak season, a mini-size Hyundai i10 starts from £4.49 a day, while a spacious, standard-size Ford Focus Wagon (which is an estate-style vehicle with plenty of room for throwing day trip gear in the back) starts from just £27.47 a day off peak! Pre-book your hire car online with Enjoy, so you can enjoy Santorini by air-conditioned, independent transport coupled with affordability and peace of mind.
It is an island strongly divided into two halves: the south and the east are dominated by all inclusive tourism packages and the western and central regions being composed of rich and luscious countryside, which consists of olive groves, lemon trees, rolling hills, mountain forests, as well as stunning beaches and ancient buildings.
The island can be dated all the way back to Neolithic times, when Homer mentioned the island in the Iliad and the Odyssey, the island first being inhabited by the son of King Dardanos of Troy whose name was Zakynthonos around 1500 BC. The island was then under the rule of Kefalonia and the King Arkeisios. Zakynthos then lost its independence to Lacedaemoniona rule which was followed by a period of roman domination, before gradually gaining more and more autonomy. The Venetian domination followed and the island remained so, even when the rest of Greece was under the control of the Ottoman empire.The Venetians promoted the island’s cultural heritage, hence the island being the birthplace of many famous greek writers and poets. The island was then taken over by the french followed by the english from 1814 to 1864. During the Nazi occupation of Greece in World War II, the mayor and bishop of Zakynthonos refused to turn in a list of the community’s jews as per the Nazi orders and it is believed that all the jews on the island survived the war. Contrastingly, 80% of Greece’s jews were deported to concentration camps and were killed during the Holocaust.
Zakynthos town is perched on a stunning bay with crystal clear water and is a working port. The town is full of lively restaurants and has a great atmosphere. A venetian fortress at the top of the hill watches over the town and its large squares, arcaded streets and neoclassical buildings.
After all the island is renowned for its stunning beaches, here is a compilation of the best beaches and why:
It is also highly recommended to take a boat trip to visit Turtle island, where you will increase your chances of seeing these marvelous creatures in their natural habitat. The Loggerhead Sea Turtle feeds off the healthy reef that surrounds the island. Boat trips will often also stop at the Blue caves, where the wave erosions have created natural arches in the cliffs. The turtles can also be viewed at the Zakynthinos Marine Park where they often come on to the beach to lay their eggs between dusk and dawn.
The island is also a hugely popular place for a deep dive: there are 12 dive sites and a spectacular selection of sea creatures, including turtles and monk seals. Marzelou and Elephant reef are home to a whole range of big fish.
The scenic village of Bochalli holds the island’s Venetian castle as well as a pine forest and Strani Hill, where Sionysios Solomos was supposedly inspired to write the Greek national anthem when he heard the cannonades coming from Mesologgi during Greece’s fight for independence.
The island is also famous for its fine wines and if you drive on the road to Machairado you will see a selection of vineyards that may be worth visiting, including Oenolpi winery or Augostoustiatis Liastos wine.
The island's rich and diverse history means there is plenty of sites to visit:
If you are looking for local specialities, look no further than Malanos, which is an authentic, family-run taverna in the middle of the countryside where you will feast on local game. Mesathes is incredibly near the Byzantine Museum and you will eat the most delicious mediteranen food accompanied by the owner playing guitar. Lithies Tavern also offers an incredibly authentic experience in a courtyard surrounded by olive groves and banana palms on the family farm.The restaurant was created by a family of farmers who use their local, high quality produce to create the most delicious greek and zakynthonian recipes.
Alitzerinoi is a restaurant particularly popular amongst the locals and is hidden away in the mountain hamlet of Kiliomeno, which focuses on the use of local produce and where you will eat inside the 18th century stone house or on the terrace which overhangs the hillside, all accompanied by live music. Similarly, the mountain village of Agios Leon is home to Taverna Porto Limnionas, where the charming owner grills his freshly caught fish over a charcoal grill.
Prosilio is a gourmet style restaurant with a refined interior decor and idyllic courtyard, which takes an inventive twist on Greek food. For another rather upmarket option, feast on the delicious seafood at Komis. The restaurant used to be a hangout for the local fishermen and has now been transformed into an incredible seafront culinary experience.
If you are spending the day at Gerakas beach, make sure you visit Gerakas tavern which serves all the classic dishes at low prices in an ideal location.
If you are looking for a wild party scene, Laganas is the place to go. Bars such as Rescue Club, Zeros Club, Waikiki and Pure host late night parties on a regular basis. They all play top hits and serve delicious cocktails and hoste events with DJs from around the world.
Zakynthos airport is located 6 km to the southwest of the main town.It hosts both domestic flights (from Athens, Kefalonia, Preveza and Kythira) as well as international flights to a few destinations across Europe.
Ionian ferries operate between four and eight ferries per day to Kyllini in the Peloponnese, as well as the occasional international ferry to Italy. Chionis Tours also run ferries to Kefalonia. The journey from mainland Greece is about an hour and fifteen minutes.
KTEL operates regular buses from the harbour to the bus station, as well as long haul buses to Athens, Corinth, Patra and Thessaloniki.
It is worth hiring a car in Zakynthos to discover the more remote spectacular locations around the world. It is a mountainous region, where a short drive normally equates to an incredible view. The main cities are all connected by major highways but all the other roads are rather narrow.
● A great number of users found rental cars in Zakynthos for less than £30 per day. If you're looking for cheap car rentals begin your search here.
● With a Zante car hire you'll be able to go everywhere on the island, even the most remote parts. The must-see places if you get a hired car are the West Coast, Zante town, hidden gems such as the islands remote beautiful beaches and Zakynthos port. You will not be able to reach Navagio by car though, one of the island's, and the whole world's, most popular beaches. For that you'll need to take a ferry.
● Some of the most popular car hire companies offering the most competitive car hire rates on the island are autounion car rental, surprice car rental and enterprise.
● Booking your rental car in Zakynthos in advance even if it's by at least 1 day before your trip will net you cheap car hire prices. This below below average price car hire deals.
● Zakynthos is one of those destinations where renting a car in the Zante Airport is actually more expensive than other Off-airport rental car locations such as the city centre of the Greek Island.
● The convenience offered by going for a Zakynthos car hire in the Zakynthos Airport can be deciding though. The pick up location is as soon as you set foot on the island and will allow you to begin your journey exploring the entire island immediately.
● The car hire companies found in the Zante Airport are easy to find and access, and offer a wide variety of car rental options. If the car hire company you're interested in cannot be found in the Zante Airport, you should try the island's capital, also known as Chora.
● As mentioned earlier in the city you'll find more car hire agencies and the best car hire deals in the entire island.
● Economy hire car models in Zakynthos are overall more than 50% cheaper than most other vehicle types.
Name | Review | Rating |
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Ben Edwards | Visited Zakynthos with some friends in the summer, and we hired a Suzuki Vitara from the airport. It was ideal for getting around the whole island, rather than just walking to the same beach every day. | |
Brad Potter | Went to Zakynthos in June with my family, and we hired a Nissan Qashqai through Europcar from the airport. It was spacious, roomy, and the team on hand was super friendly. | |
Tina O’Riley | I visited my daughter in Zakynthos in September, and I hired a Toyota Aygo from the airport. It was very reasonably priced and perfect to help the two of us get around. | |
Colin Simpson | On a trip to Zakynthos last year, I made sure to hire a car from the airport. I rented the Citroen C3 through Selecta, and it was ideal. Nice and comfortable, and I was able to see much more of the island than I’d otherwise have seen without it. | |
Tom Wilkinson | Been to Zakynthos a few times, but when I went in May, I rented a car for the first time through Enjoy Travel. It was a breeze – the booking took just seconds to confirm, and everything was as I expected. Top service. | |
Alan Green | Rented a Citroen C3 when I was in Zakynthos last Christmas, and it was a great decision. Lots of the island shuts down after the summer season, so we needed the car to travel around the island – it’d have been a miserable holiday if we hadn’t hired the car. | |
Natalia Wells | I went to Zakynthos with the girls in summer, and we hired a BMW X3. It was perfect for getting around the island, and meant that we weren’t just stuck at our hotel all day. | |
Jamie Harris | I decided to rent a car from Zakynthos airport when I went in February. The car itself was fine, but there was quite a lot of paperwork that I wasn’t informed about when I got there. Aside from that inconvenience, the hire car was great. | |
Rebecca Glass | In March, we visited Zakynthos for the first time and initially didn’t want to hire a car. However, two days into our holiday, we decided to, and it was the best decision we made. We managed to see the quieter side of the island that was our favourite part – would’ve been impossible without a car. | |
Emily Calvert | I went to Zakynthos in August with my boyfriend and we hired a car from the airport. Not only did we get straight to our hotel without having to rely on taxis or buses, but we got to see so much more of the island than we ever thought we would. | |
Mel Wilson | I would definitely recommend hiring a car if you visit Zakynthos. My husband and I just got back from our trip there in April, and hiring a car enabled us to have the freedom to come and go as we pleased. Made the holiday so much better. | |
Katie Hughes | My partner and I hired an Opel Astra from Zakynthos Airport when we visited in July. The car was the perfect size for the two of us, and it was so easy to drive around the island. | |
Mike Booth | Normally, we just sit on the beach or at the hotel pool for a week when we go to Zakynthos, but we hired a car when we went last summer, and wow, what a difference! I saw parts of the island I didn’t know existed. I’ve already re-booked car hire for when I go back next time. | |
Kayleigh Marshall | I’ve never hired a car abroad before, so I was a bit nervous about doing so in Zakynthos in the summer. Fortunately, the Enjoy Travel team were super helpful, and the VW Polo I hired at the airport was ready and waiting for me when I landed. Great company – thanks again. | |
Billy Evans | I went to Zakynthos in March with my girlfriend and we hired a Fiat Tipo from the airport. It was ready to go as soon as we landed, couldn’t have been a smoother process. I’d definitely hire through Enjoy Travel again. | |
Rory Thomas | Went to Zakynthos with my dad in August, and we hired a Toyota Auris from the airport. Neither of us had ever hired a car abroad, but we’re so glad we did. Made travelling around the island an absolute breeze. Loved it. | |
Louise Miller | Worked for a summer season in Zakynthos when I was at uni, and returned for a holiday last summer. Hired a car to do more exploring, and it was great. The booking process was so easy and I was so grateful to see more of this beautiful island in a week than I’d seen in 3 months working there at uni. | |
Beth Perry | Visited Zakynthos for some winter sun, and because the island is much quieter in the winter, we hired a car. We were able to make the most of the quiet roads and visit places we’d never been to before. Highly recommend it. |