As our yacht zips around the southern side of stingray-shaped Zakynthos, each bend holds a new surprise: a series of caves carved into the sheer coastal cliffs, low limestone arches stretching over the sea, an olive and oak tree-covered islet whose golden beaches draw nesting sea turtles. Our captain anchors in one of the many secluded coves, where the sandy shore is ringed by jade-colored water so clear, you can make out the schools of fish swimming below.
Sipping a glass of Zakynthian rosé on the bow, I glance up at the pockets of pines filling the cracks of the cliffs spilling down like dunes into the sea. A dolphin veers toward our boat as the sun dips below the mountains, painting the sky in blush-colored shades more vibrant than anything I’ve seen in Santorini the many times I’ve huddled with hordes of tourists vying for a sunset view in Oia.
The green island of Zakynthos, or Zante in Italian, is the third-largest in the Ionian off mainland Greece’s western coast. Santorini’s whitewashed buildings and blue-domed churches may be the postcard vision of the Greek islands, but Zakynthos embodies an identity all its own. The island’s colorful past of rulers—including the Byzantines, Ottomans, French, English, and Venetians—left their mark in the form of neoclassical and pastel-hued buildings, as well as the landmark hilltop Venetian castle, where the old acropolis, Psofis, once stood.
Photo: Getty Images
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