ZAKYNTHOS, GREECE

What do you expect the perfect Greek island to be like? Probably like Zakynthos. Here the main town is a jumble of white houses and lively tavernas. The beaches are gold, the sea aqua-marine and the sky almost always blue. Get into the swing of the place: listen to bouzouki, try ouzo and feast on dolmades and moussaka! As the sun yawns farewell on the horizon, the golden beaches of the south and east coasts take on a rosy glow. Over on the west, cliffs plunge into the frothy surf and the caves below resonate with the echoing roar of the endless crashing swell. Smuggler's Cove, with its half-buried wreck emanates mystery; the Blue Grotto swims in unearthly shifting silver and blue light. Kalamaki Beach is host to the Loggerhead Turtles, quietly nesting under the stars as the distant sound of music and laughter rolls down from the seafront bars and clubs of Lagana. Lively, sporty, fun, but in places intimate, Zakynthos is alive - you can feel it. It's a place of memorable moments: the inviting lights of a taverna after a long day's sunbathing and of boats bobbing lazily in sleepy harbours. Swimmers & Sunners Zakynthos is awash with glorious sandy beaches. Lagana Bay's four kilometres stretches past Kalamaki but gets busier by Lagana. Due to the Loggerhead turtles there are no motorised watersports in Lagana or Kalamaki. Argassi's thin strand is eclipsed by other sandy beaches on the Vasilikos Peninsula. Tsilivi has an endless stretch of pale sand. Sportspeople Activities including horse-riding, mountain-biking, tennis, go-karting and scuba-diving. Argassi, Tsilivi and Alykes offer watersports. Out & Abouters On the northwest coast is Smuggler's Wreck cove. Take a boat from Skinari to the Blue Grotto.Visit the fishing village of Lake Keri for views of Marathonisi Island and the village of Bochali for views of the harbour and Vasilikos Peninsula. Winers & Diners Evenings in Zakynthos Town, which bustles in high season, are great for shopping, a meal in St Mark's Square or a stroll along the harbour front. For burgers, stir-frys and fast food, head for Lagana or Argassi. Night Owls Creatures of the night love the loud and proud resorts of Lagana and Argassi, where bars and clubs abound, particularly in Lagana. Choose a holiday in Lagana and you can party the night away on a Club Freestyle excursion! Ask your Holiday Rep for details of how to loin in! Walking In Zakynthos With Friends of The lonian FOI is a non-profit-making organisation working to improve the quality of tourism for visitors, islanders and the environment. FOI gives information on the endangered loggerhead turtles of Zakynthos, Kefalonia and Corfu, including details of protection projects. It also has trails and information leaflets featuring nearby villages and wildlife. See also: Hellenic Scenic Surprises