Zakynthos: Tips for Travelling in the Low Season on a Budget (Island of the Shipwreck Beach)
Zakynthos is probably more commonly known to tourists as ‘the island of the Shipwreck Cove’, while its other name ‘Zante’, which is more commonly used by the Greeks and Italians. If you’ve ever wondered where that popular instagram photo is from … this is the place! But to capture this perspective involves a little hike to the edge of a cliff… more on that later!
In this article, I’ll share with you some useful tips for travelling on a budget (and in low season), plus my top highlights and favourite non-touristy places on Zakynthos. You’ll find some tips and advice on accommodation, different ways of getting to Zakynthos and transport around the island. Lastly, I’ll end with my honest opinion of the island and a map with all locations pinned.
CONTENT:
Planning your Trip to Zakynthos: Tips and Info
Top Highlights (and Non-Touristy Places) on Zakynthos
Shipwreck Beach: The Most ‘Instagrammable’ Spot
Where to Stay in Zakynthos (on a Budget) ?
How to Get to Zakynthos: Plane or Ferry?
Transport around Zakynthos Island
My Honest Impression of Zakynthos Island
Map of Zakynthos: Locations Pinned
1. Planning your Trip to Zakynthos: Tips and Info
I discovered this island on my third trip to Kefalonia (in October 2018) and spontaneously decided to hop on a ferry and see this island for myself. Not going to lie, I was definitely drawn by the Shipwreck Beach and had heard many mixed reviews about this touristic party island, so I indulged my curiosity.
How long should you spend there?
The island itself is rather small and very quickly explored. Two full days is enough to explore most of the island, but I’d suggest 4 days if you want to see all of the main sights on the island without too much time constraint.
However, the majority of the rugged coast can only be explored by boat - there are numerous secret bays, coves, sea caves and private sandy beaches which aren’t accessible by land - hence why sail boats and yachts are so popular here.
When is the best time to visit Zakynthos?
Peak Season:
If you like the hustle and bustle that comes with crowds of tourists, and you have a little (ahem… a lot) of extra cash to spend
If you’re into partying, the nightlife - the peak months are probably best
Accommodation gets crazy expensive as people double/triple their prices simply because there is such high demand!
Would not recommend this period for backpackers on a budget.
Off Season:
I went during the very end of the season (typical me) but I’m glad I did, because even in October - there was still a surprising amount of tourists on the island!
The downside is that many tourist places start to close down in late September. But many places are still open and nature is never closed!
The weather was great when I went in October, perfect temperature (not too hot and not too cold), perfect for swimming too.
I’d suggest April/May/September as the best months to come if you want to avoid tourists but still have the summer feel.
Who is it suitable for?
In my opinion, it’s perfect for young people who love their parties and booze. However, I saw a surprising amount of families there too and they have built mini theme parks for children - if you know where to go, I suppose it could be considered family friendly too.
Cafe Nintri // Lots of cheeky Greek cats! One of these critters took a good chunk of my pasta and ran off dropping spaghetti everywhere!
2. Top Highlights (and Non-Touristy Places) on Zakynthos
In this section, I’ll be sharing all the places I visited on this island. There will be a mix of both ‘touristy’ destinations, as well as some of the beautiful, secluded spots I discovered.
Agios Nikolaos Port
This is where the ferry from Kefalonia arrives and departs. It’s a very photogenic little port, studded with an island and lined with a few restaurants and cafes. They also have a few boat trips starting from here.
Nord Cap + Skinari Lighthouse
You can see the lighthouse from the ferry as you pass by, but you can also drive/ride there to the end near the Nord Cap, where you can overlook the island of Kefalonia in the distance.
There are some old ruins here and also the boat charter to the Blue Cave starts from here - would highly recommend. Sadly, I ran out of time to experience this.
Gerakas Beach
This famous Turtle Beach is actually a nesting ground for the Caretta Caretta turtles and protected by the National Marine Park of Zakynthos - but for some reason they decided to exploit this sanctuary as a tourist destination.
I was expecting a completely natural untouched beach where humans simply come to observe and just reserve a small corner. But I’m not joking when I say that the entire beach is lined with humans. The extent to which they monetise this place cannot be considered ‘conservation’.
You will see ads all around the island to ‘swim with turtles’ and all I can say is: please be careful to support ‘ethical’ companies who actually care about the conservation of these turtles (and not the ones who exploit them).
Plakaki Beach - Flat Rocks
My secret location!! Ok, not exactly a secret, but I never expected to have such a beautiful piece of paradise all to myself. There was literally NO ONE else here but me!
Tip: come at sunset or early sunrise. The hike down is rather sketchy and that’s probably why many people don’t bother. Lots of steep stairs and uneven terrain. Learn from my mistake and don’t wear jandals… bad idea!
Since I was lugging around my backpack, camera gear, tent, sleeping bag and other camping equipment… it took me a good 20mins to get down there (including photo breaks).
This coast line looks a little like the Apostles in Australia!
I never intended on camping here (because the rocky surface looked like a terrible night of insomnia) but I was so content being the only one here, dancing around in sunset flares and the music of ocean waves… I decided to pitch up my tent.
Verdict? I have to say the uncomfortable night was definitely worth the magic of peeping out in the middle of the night to see a sky full of star trails and waking up to witness a spectacular sunrise. This was my favourite place on the whole island and I will let the photos speak for themselves.
Porto Limnionas
I can imagine this place to be very full during the summer months as it was still considerably crowded during the time of my visit (Oct 2018). The palm trees are numbered so people can keep track of their reserved spaces.
There are some awesome sea caves to check out and the water is just such a beautiful shade of blue. There’s a nice cafe here too with adequate parking.
3. Shipwreck Beach: The Most ‘Instagrammable’ Spot
Navagio Beach is actually the real name of this famous Shipwreck Cove. It’s so popular that they have even dedicated two car parks for this tourist magnet and many charters offer boat rides to see the Shipwreck Cove from the water itself.
While you can explore the actual Shipwreck beach itself, I think the most impressive view is definitely from above. If you follow the cliff like track on the right, you’ll come to a magical viewpoint!
Many didn’t seem to know about this special view point or perhaps were too scared by the steep cliff drop? Either way, there wasn’t much of a crowd, which was nice. But not sure what it’s like in the peak season!
The view is simply magnificent and yes, this place does live up to its hype - incredibly impressive and especially stunning at sunset.
4. Where to Stay in Zakynthos (on Budget) ?
The accommodation prices in Zakynthos sky-rocket during the peak season, but drop drastically after September. Some villas can go from 800 Euros per night down to just 200 Euros per night. So if you want to visit Zakynthos on a budget, I would highly recommend travelling in the low season.
Staying in Laganas - in the low season
The 2nd biggest town on the island after Zakynthos was like a ghost town in the off season. I presume this is the party central as everywhere I looked, there were (empty) bars and many sketchy looking booths.
I didn’t like the vibe of this place at all and think I would like it even less in peak season with all the parties, blasting music and intoxicated humans. However, the location itself is actually very beautiful.
There is an island you can walk out to called Cameo Island, via a bridge. Another popular and beautiful island is the Marathonisi which there are several charters taking you out there to explore the beach and caves.
Villa Spiros
I stayed one night here at the Villa Spiros, which is a Family Owned Apartment in Laganas, quietly tucked away on a side street.
The beautiful design is to be commended: I loved the balcony, the rooms were very spacious (I had two floors to myself with 3 beds for just 30 Euros a night + 7 Euros for a cooked breakfast!)
The owner was super lovely and very accommodating. Overall, would recommend if you’re staying in Laganas.
You can find the link to it here: Villa Spiros
5. How to Get to Zakynthos: Plane or Ferry?
The island has an International Airport near the capital and most people I talked to seem to fly in to the island. It takes about 15mins by car from the airport to the town of Zakynthos.
The cheaper way might be to go via ferry either from Mainland Greece (Killini) or from Kefalonia. You can either reserve your tickets online or I would suggest buying them at the booth 15mins before departure - Greek Style.
Kefalonia (Pesada Port) to Zakynthos (Agios Nikolaos Port) :
Duration: 1 hour 45 mins
Tickets: Pay shortly before boarding (cash). Scooters and cars allowed, costs a little extra.
Prices and Schedule: Ionian Pelagos Ferry Charter
Killini Port to Zakynthos Port:
Duration: 1 hour 15mins
Tickets: At booth by port (cash or card). Scooters and cars allowed.
Prices and Schedule: Levante Ferries or Ionian Group
6. Transport around Zakynthos Island
Quad Bikes
The most common mode of transport on the island. Apart from the fact you look and feel super cool, you can also comfortably ride two people, pack a decent amount of gear into the trunk and it withstands some pretty rough pot-hole streets (which you get a lot of here).
Scooters
The disadvantage here is definitely the struggle and stress of getting down those rough pot-hole streets at a 10% slant. Another thing I should mention, are the very windy roads. Great to cruise around during the day, but a little unsettling at night.
Cars
You’ll find a lot of cars driving around the island. While the roads aren’t perfect, it’s pretty good. I would definitely say that it’s handy having a car around the island.
How I Travelled Around: Scooter
Since I started my journey in Kefalonia, I rented a scooter for two weeks and simply took my scooter with me on the ferry to Zakynthos. It was more stress-free that way. (For that reason, I can’t quite recommend you any of the local companies in Zakynthos.)
En route with my scooter to Plakaki Beach (or Flat Rocks). Beautiful green hilly landscapes everywhere.
7. My Honest Impression of Zakynthos
Overall, I have to say that I noticed a significant difference in the way I was treated in comparison to that on other Ionian Islands. Because they get so much tourism here, I felt extremely targeted as a tourist. Perhaps they’re just used to the majority being here to party. But I feel that mass tourism has changed the mentality of the locals.
The tourists themselves were also pretty cold, I’d smile and wave from my scooter but only got scrunched up faces in reply or simply ignored. The vibes from the party town of Laganas sent chills up my spine and just the overall atmosphere didn’t feel as laid back, happy and chilled as that on Kefalonia or Ithaca. I suppose people are just here to tick off another Instagram location?
What are your thoughts about travelling just to capture that photo or to simply tick things off the list? I don’t think it’s all bad, but I think people shouldn’t forget that connection plays a huge part in travelling.
I find so much joy in connecting with people and having meaningful conversations. Photos for me are snap shots in time to trigger my memories. The more I travel with the intention of connection, the more meaning my photos have.
8. Map of Zakynthos: Locations Pinned
All places mentioned in this article + extra places I would have loved to visit (such as: Blue Caves; Sentinis Bay; Korakonissi; Marathonisi Island) have been pinned on the map below.
Simply zoom in and out, or feel free to share or save it to your own Google Maps for future reference :)
Disclaimer: Affiliate links have been used in this article, which means that if you book through my links, then I will receive a small commission from the company. However, it does not effect the prices for you at all - how great is that?! Thank you so much :)
Have you been to Zakynthos before? What did you think of it and would you go back again? If you’re planning a trip there and have some questions or comments, pop them down below or message me @emilypeilan - looking forward to hearing from you!
