Is it possible to have a perfect day, really? Apparently in Zakynthos every day is perfect (except maybe when it rains a lot during the winter). The water was electric blue. Why is it so blue? The island is built upon limestone white rock that the sun bounces off and emanates a deep electric blue. Science at its best effect.
In my research of the island, I was enticed by Shipwreck Beach – it’s an instagram-magnet but really kind of cool to see a shipwreck up and close on a beach. We were a little bummed to hear that the beach has been temporarily closed due to erosion and landslides. In reality the best view is actually out on the water looking back. I’m not sure I wanted the kids touching the rusty old boat because I’m sure they would have been tempted.
It also turned out that Shipwreck Bay wasn’t even the best thing about Zakynthos. There was so much to see and we knew the best way to see it with only a few hours was by a tour. With our Party of 10, we agreed that a private tour would be best so we could customize the tour we wanted. Hiring local is always the way to go and the team at Nefis Travel has been delivering great tours for more than 15 years. Our tour did not disappoint.
Our tour guide Renske met us right at the dock where we tendered. She had a sign with our name on it and took us right to an air conditioned coach where our driver was waiting. During our trip Renske provided us historical information about Zakynthos, lovingly called Zante. She took us first to a traditional local village where we met a very nice elder women who made us all traditional date bread. We learned about the olive trees on the island and their local traditions.
From there, we drove to the other side of the island to Agios Nikolaos where we boarded our speedboat and met our captain Andwar. Both Renske and Andwar took great care of us and continued to give us great detailed information about the island and pointed out many interesting sites along our journey. Because we got off our cruise ship as early as possible, we were able to beat many of the other larger tour boats to the area. After speeding in the boat for about thirty minutes we reached shipwreck beach. With just a few boats in the area, we were able to take our time getting the pictures we wanted. This is where the blue electric water really shined and we were in awe of its majestic beauty. We kind of forgot all about the ship because the real star is the blue water.
From there, we really started to hit a lot of highlights of the island that you can’t see from land. We ventured into several caves and thru rock formations or archways. Sometimes the cave itself wasn’t the hero but when you turned back around to look back at the opening you saw the perfect picture. Or perhaps you had to look up to see an opening the shape of a heart (or a wolf depending on how you looked at it).
We found an amazing cove to take a dip in the water. The water was a bit chilly but we got used to it quickly and enjoyed the silence of no one else being around us. We continued to explore the island by boat and found another cave for us to explore by swimming into it.
The boat portion of the tour ended and we said goodbye to Andwar. We were back in Agio Nikolaos where our table at the local restaurant was waiting for us. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed their food of greek salad, fried cheese, fish and calamari. Our guide took us to a local roadside shop where we tried local liquors and snacks. Before heading back to the cruise ship we stopped atop the hill overlooking the bay of Zakynthos.
We couldn’t have asked for better weather (maybe warmed water) or a better tour guide. We never felt rushed or like we were on a clock. It’s like we were just on a boat with some friends who had invited us along for a tour of the island. I know we only saw half of what the island has to offer by boat. We saw mainly the east side of the island and heard that the west side is even better. Our Party of 10 all agreed that Zakynthos was our favorite place we visited on this trip and that we all wanted to come back to explore it further. While other islands could be one-and-done, this one is more like “come back and stay while”. While other islands could be one-and-done, this one is more like “come back and stay while”. And if you are looking for a fantastic tour guide, call Nefis – perfect hosts of the island! They have a lot of other tour options including a sunset cruise that I imagine is divine.
