How to spend the time
- Day 1 Arrive and settle in
- Day 2 Navagio (Shipwreck Beach)
- Day 3 Blue Caves
- Day 4 Laganas Bay turtle habitat
- Day 5 Vasilikos beaches
- Day 6 Navagio (Shipwreck Beach)
- Day 7 Onward ferry or flight home
Getting there
The port sits right in Zakynthos Town, so no transfer is needed after landing, and most hotels are within easy reach on foot or by short taxi. The island has its own airport, with seasonal charter and scheduled flights arriving through summer. Ferry travelers reach it via Kyllini on the mainland Peloponnese, the same gateway used for Kefalonia, a crossing of roughly an hour rather than a long open-water run.
Where to stay
Zakynthos Town is the practical base, with the ferry port, shops, and most services all within easy walking distance of any hotel in the center. Vasilikos, in the south, sits closer to the turtle-nesting beaches and the calmer coves, a better fit for travelers prioritizing beach time over town life, ideally with a rental car for the drive back and forth.
When to go
May, June, and September are the named best months, warm enough for the beaches without the peak crowds at Navagio and around Laganas. July and August bring the busiest boat traffic to the shipwreck cove and the highest demand for sun loungers in the south. This is also loggerhead turtle nesting season, which shapes some beach access rules along the south coast through summer.
Good to know
Navagio, the shipwreck beach, has no road access. It is a boat-trip destination or a clifftop viewpoint stop, not somewhere to simply drive down to. Laganas and Gerakas beaches enforce nesting-season rules, including restrictions on sunbeds, lights, and noise after dark, to protect loggerhead turtles, so check current signage before setting up for the day. Cash still helps away from the main resort strips.
Where the spare days go
These islands connect directly, so a second stop costs one crossing rather than a wasted day.
Frequently asked questions
Is 7 days enough for Zakynthos?
Zakynthos earns 3 to 3 nights, so 7 days leaves you room. Rather than stretch one island thin, most travellers do better adding a second one by ferry.
What is there to do in Zakynthos?
Navagio (Shipwreck Beach) · Blue Caves · Laganas Bay turtle habitat · Vasilikos beaches
How do you get to Zakynthos?
The port sits right in Zakynthos Town, so no transfer is needed after landing, and most hotels are within easy reach on foot or by short taxi. The island has its own airport, with seasonal charter and scheduled flights arriving through summer. Ferry travelers reach it via Kyllini on the mainland Peloponnese, the same gateway used for Kefalonia, a crossing of roughly an hour rather than a long open-water run.
Times, prices and frequencies are indicative and change by season and operator. Always confirm the live timetable before you book.