If you fancy chilling out on a Greek island, Zakynthos or Zante as it is has become known, is well worth a visit. First off, trawl the car hire compare sites and grab yourself a good deal on a set of four wheels. You’re going to need them to get to some of the remoter and arguably better parts of this lovely island where the locals couldn’t be any friendlier if they tried.

Zante lies west of the verdant Peloponnese region of the mainland, in the Ionian sea. While home to countless package tours and nylon rucksacks, the western part of the island caters for those of us who value a quieter and altogether more relaxed pace of life with spectacular beaches. Some such as the famous ‘shipwreck Cove’ are only reachable by boat. The Vassilikós peninsula offers some of the very best countryside and beaches, including the exquisite Yerekas.

This said, the town bearing the same name as the island, shouldn’t be overlooked. It stretches beyond the length of the wide harbour with Platia Solomou at the northern end and the church of Avios Dhionysios at the  southern end. If you’re into churches, you’ll find this one worth a visit if only for its fine gilt-work and modern murals. There’s also a relatively new museum that houses some fine paintings and icons.

The town square, Platia Solomou is named after the island’s poet, Dhionysios Solomos and here you’ll find a museum devoted to his work. The town’s library can also be found in the square, along with the impressive Byzantine Museum, which houses a sizeable collection of paintings from the Ionian School, as well as an impressive model of the town before the earthquake of 1953.

The town’s other main attraction is its ruined Venetian fort that commands an impressive position looking down on the town and the sleepy hamlet of Bohali. Here you’ll find dungeons, armouries and fortifications aplenty. But the real reason for coming here is to take in the magnificent views in whichever direction you look.

Set off by car to the northern towns and make for Alykes. This is the second largest settlement on the island but it’s not geared up for tourism, so you’ll get a pretty good idea of authentic Zakynthian life. Its huge rectangular church of Yperavia Theotokos boasts a twin belfry and new amphitheatre for festival performances.

A couple of kilometres south is the pretty hamlet of Pighadhakia where you’ll discover the Vertzagio Cultural Museum and its collection of agricultural and folk artefacts, not to mention the miniscule Ayios Pandeleimon chapel, which has the bizarre feature of a well beneath the altar.

Take a well earned break at the nearby Kai Rahi tavern and sample the tasty local cuisine.

Volimes is the centre of the island’s embroidery industry where you’ll find countless shops selling the town’s local output. From here you can drive south to the Anafonitria monastery, thought to have been the centre of the island’s patron saint, Dhionysios. Come here between August 24 and December 17 and you’ll be fortunate enough to experience the festivals in his honour.

Alex Pearl is a freelance copywriter and author of Sleeping with the Blackbirds.

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