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About Zakynthos
by Best Tour Travel and Tourism services |
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 Zante
is the southern and third in size island of the Ionian
Islands. The island’s magnitude is 406 square kilometers
of coast longitude amounting in 123 kilometers and its
population amounts in 35.000 residents.It is located
at 8. 5 sea miles on the south part of Kefalonia, 9.
5 sea miles on the west part of Peloponnese and about
300 kilometers on the south part of the capital, Athens.
Its geographical position allows to the traveler to
visit easily the other islands of the Ionian Sea or
even travel to the opposite coast of the Peloponnese
where, among others, you may find the ancient town of
ancient Olympia where the Olympic Games took place in
the ancient years. Furthermore, its direct communication
connection renders easy its communication with the largest
cities of Greece such as Patras, Athens and Thessalonica. |
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Zante, an island
full of oppositions, is at its largest part mountainous,
with pine- clad mountains and fertile plains. On the north,
east and south it is full of innumerous picturesque beaches,
whereas on the west, in its imposing and rocky coasts
one may find numerous sea caves such as the sea Blue Cave
on the north- west part of the island. Zante’s climate
is benign Mediterranean with lots of rain and great sunlight.
Obviously, it owes to these elements its all along wealthy
flora, something that explains its designations “Iiessa”
( landscape full of flowers ) and “ Fior di Levante” by
Homer and the Venetians respectively. It is an island
with a wealth agricultural production mainly based on
the culture of olive, citrus trees and raisins with a
developed entrepreneurial activity mainly on the tourism
section and with a rich historic tradition since the island
has been for lots of centuries the crossroads of people
and civilizations. |
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Capital
and port of the island, Zante is expanded on the foot
of the hill under the Castle. The destructive earthquakes
of 1953 and the fire that followed destroyed the beautiful
old town with the high villas and the imposing buildings.
Some of the buildings and manor houses with the picturesque
color of ochre, lodges and Venetian arcades steel remain
untouched.  Do
not miss out walking in Strata Marina on the beach,
the famous Rougha, the commercial center with the picturesque
arcades and the paved central square of Saint Marcos
assembling the biggest traffic. You may also find the
Post- Byzantine Museum of Zante, the Library and the
church of Saint Nikolaos of the Mole, a renaissance-
type building of the 17th century with a Byzantine campanile.
In the center of the square dominates the statue of
Dionyssios Solomos, national poet of Greece. The coast
road, Strata Marina ( K. Lomvardou ), is the busiest
point of the city during summer months. |
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Cafés,
restaurants and tourist shops attract a great number of
tourists and of locals as well. The road begins from Solomou
square to end in Saint Dionyssos’ church, protector of
the island. As you leave from the port, a few streets
away from Solomou square and walking to the inner part
of the city, you reach Saint Marcos’ square. Here you
may find the Catholic Church of Saint Marcos and the Museum
of Solomos, Kalvos and of Eminent People of Zante. It
is also worth visiting the churches of Faneromeni and
of the Lady of Angels, with remarkable works of local
people and ??e?tt?? painters of holy icons. Close to the
church of Faneromeni, where the paternal house of Grigorios
Xenopoulos is located; you may also find there the Museum
which is dedicated to the famous writer.
The region of Bochali, under the castle, will fascinate
you with its small, peaceful alleys and old houses with
courts drawn in jasmines, with original traditional coffee-
shops where you can hear the old Zante’s music. Above
Bochali dominates the Venetian Castle with the magnificent
panoramic view on the actual town of Zante and the Ionian
Sea. |
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