Where to Stay in Zakynthos (Zante): Best Resorts and Areas Compared

Zakynthos, also known as Zante, is one of the most popular Greek islands with UK travelers, and it has a resort for almost every kind of trip, from the round-the-clock nightlife of Laganas to quiet coves where loggerhead turtles come ashore to nest. It’s also compact: the airport is close to the main town and the busiest resorts, and you can drive from the southern tip to the northern cape in about an hour. Choosing where to stay comes down to what kind of holiday you want.

Zakynthos areas at a glance

Area	Best for	Pros	Cons
Zakynthos Town	Short stays, culture, no car	Port, squares and restaurants, buses to the resorts	No real beach; not a resort
Laganas	Nightlife, young groups	Huge choice of bars and clubs, long sandy beach	Very loud in summer; also, the beach is a protected nesting site
Kalamaki	Families, couples	Quieter than Laganas, sandy beach, close to the airport	Aircraft noise
Agios Sostis and Keri	Couples, boat trips	Cameo Island, Keri caves, Marathonisi boat trips	Smaller resorts, so fewer facilities
Vasilikos peninsula	Beaches, nature, villas	Green, including some of the island’s best beaches	Spread out, so you’ll want a car
Tsilivi and Planos	Families	Calm sandy beach, as well as lots of family hotels near town	Busy, especially in peak season
Alykes and Alykanas	Families, quieter holidays	Long shallow beach, relaxed atmosphere	About 30 minutes from the airport
The north (Agios Nikolaos, Volimes)	Peace, Blue Caves, Navagio views	Rugged scenery, boats to the Blue Caves	Remote; few hotels; a car is essential

Before you choose: Zakynthos turtles and Navagio

Laganas Bay in the south of the island is the heart of the National Marine Park of Zakynthos, one of the most important nesting areas for the loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) in the Mediterranean. Several popular beaches, including Laganas, Kalamaki, Gerakas, Dafni and Marathonisi, are nesting beaches with special rules in season. They’re open to visitors only from about 7 am to sunset, there’s no access at night, and the park asks visitors to stay close to the waterline and use only the designated zones for sunbeds and umbrellas. Sekania beach is permanently off-limits to the public. Check the Marine Park’s current rules when you arrive, and never approach turtles or nests.

The island’s most famous view, Navagio (Shipwreck) Beach on the north-west coast, is closed to visitors because of the risk of rockfalls. Under a Greek government decision in force until October 31, 2026, landing on the beach and swimming in the cove are banned, and boats may not approach or anchor within 50 meters of the shore. You can still see it from the official viewing area on the cliffs above, where the observation platform is open, or from the water on a boat trip that stays within the permitted zone. Check for updates if you’re traveling in 2027, because the authorities review the rules each season.

Zakynthos Town

After the 1953 earthquake, the island’s capital and port rose again with arcaded streets, the large Solomos Square and the church of Agios Dionysios, the island’s patron saint. It’s not a beach resort, but it’s a pleasant, lively base for a night or two, with good restaurants and buses to the main resorts. It’s also where ferries from Kyllini on the mainland arrive, after a crossing of about an hour.

So if this area suits you, find hotels and apartments in Zakynthos Town (affiliate link).

Laganas

Laganas is Zakynthos’s party resort, with a strip of bars and clubs that stays busy through the night in July and August. It’s popular with young groups, while families and couples generally prefer to stay elsewhere. Its long, sandy beach is a turtle nesting site, so the rules above apply, and boat trips from here visit Marathonisi and the Keri caves.

Then, if you like the sound of it, find hotels and apartments in Laganas (affiliate link).

Kalamaki

Next door, Kalamaki is a much quieter resort than Laganas, with a sandy beach and a good choice of family-run hotels and apartments. It’s very close to the airport, which keeps transfers short but means you’ll hear planes during the day in summer. The beach is also a protected nesting site.

Also, to compare prices here, find hotels and apartments in Kalamaki (affiliate link).

Agios Sostis, Limni Keriou and Keri

At the western end of Laganas Bay, Agios Sostis is a small resort facing Cameo Island, which a wooden footbridge links to the shore. Further along, Limni Keriou is a little harbor where you can rent a boat or join a trip to the sea caves at Keri and to Marathonisi, the islet nicknamed “Turtle Island”. Up in the hills, the village of Keri also has a lighthouse with a famous sunset viewpoint.

So if this is your pick, find hotels and apartments in Agios Sostis (affiliate link).

The Vasilikos peninsula

East of Kalamaki, the green Vasilikos peninsula has some of the island’s best beaches, including Porto Zorro, Banana Beach, Agios Nikolaos and, at the southern tip, Gerakas, a protected nesting beach with strict opening hours. Hotels and villas spread across the peninsula rather than clustering in a single resort, so this is an area for travelers who want space and quiet and are happy to drive.

Then, to check availability, find hotels and apartments in the Vasilikos peninsula (affiliate link).

Tsilivi and Planos

About 5 km north of Zakynthos Town, Tsilivi is one of the island’s main family resorts, with a sandy, gently shelving beach, water sports and plenty of hotels, restaurants and shops. Nightlife is more relaxed than in Laganas. Neighboring Planos and Bouka offer similar, slightly quieter options.

So if this area suits you, find hotels and apartments in Tsilivi (affiliate link).

Alykes and Alykanas

On the north-east coast, Alykes and Alykanas share a long sandy beach with shallow water, which is ideal for small children. The resorts are relaxed, with a good mix of hotels and apartments, and you’re well placed for trips to the north of the island. Allow about 30 minutes from the airport.

Then, if you like the sound of it, find hotels and apartments in Alykes and Alykanas (affiliate link).

The north: Agios Nikolaos and Volimes

The north of Zakynthos is rugged and much less developed than the south. From the small port of Agios Nikolaos (Skinari), boats run to the Blue Caves at Cape Skinari, where the water glows bright blue in the morning light. Near the mountain village of Volimes is the road to the Navagio viewpoint. Accommodation consists mainly of small hotels and villas, and a car is essential.

Also, to compare prices here, find hotels and apartments in the north of the island (affiliate link).

The west coast of Zakynthos

The west coast faces the open sea, with cliffs, small coves such as Porto Limnionas and some of the island’s best sunset views at Kampi. There are few hotels here, mostly villas and small guesthouses, so a day trip by car is the best way to explore it.

Which area of Zakynthos is right for you?

• Nightlife: Laganas.
• Families: Tsilivi, Alykes and Alykanas, or Kalamaki.
• Couples: Agios Sostis, Keri, the Vasilikos peninsula or a villa in the north or west.
• No car: Zakynthos Town, Tsilivi or Laganas, which have the best bus links.
• Nature and quiet beaches: the Vasilikos peninsula.

Zakynthos: good to know

• Season: most hotels open from about May to October, and that’s also when direct UK flights operate. As a result, many resorts are very quiet in winter.
• Getting around: KTEL buses link Zakynthos Town with the main resorts, but services to smaller places are few. Renting a car, or a quad in the resorts, is common. Drive carefully, because roads are narrow and winding.
• Currency: euro (EUR).
• Mobile data: EU visitors can usually roam at home prices, but many UK mobile plans now charge a daily fee in Greece. Check your plan before you go, or buy a local data eSIM in advance, for example a Greece eSIM from Airalo (affiliate link).
• Plugs: Greece uses two-pin European plugs (Types C and F), so bring a UK adapter.

Getting to Zakynthos

Zakynthos International Airport “Dionysios Solomos” (ZTH) is about 4 km south-west of Zakynthos Town, close to Kalamaki and Laganas. Most resorts are within 10 to 30 minutes by car, and the far north is about 45–50 minutes away. Taxis wait outside the terminal, or you can pre-book a private transfer with GetTransfer (affiliate link). For UK airlines, airports and season dates, read flights to Zakynthos from the UK.

Plan the rest of your trip

• Flights to Zakynthos from the UK: airlines, season and transfers
• Where to stay in Corfu, the Ionian island further north
• Flights to Athens from the UK, for year-round connections
• Where to stay in Athens

How we research: this guide is based on official sources and published airline and transport schedules, not on a sponsored visit. We checked this information on October 8, 2026. Schedules, routes and prices change, so confirm with the airline, operator or venue before you travel.

Sources

• National Marine Park of Zakynthos (visitor rules for nesting beaches): nmp-zak.org
• Joint Ministerial Decision on access to Navagio beach, Government Gazette of the Hellenic Republic (2026), enforced by the Municipality of Zakynthos
• Greek National Tourism Organisation: visitgreece.gr
• Fraport Greece (operator of Zakynthos airport): zth-airport.gr
• KTEL Zakynthos (bus and ferry-bus services): ktel-zakynthos.gr

Featured image: Navagio (Shipwreck) Beach seen from the clifftop viewpoint, Zakynthos. Photo: kallerna, August 19, 2025, via Wikimedia Commons (file “Navagio beach Zakynthos 1.jpg”), CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0). Resized and compressed.