Zákynthos: South and Inland

South of Zákynthos Town, beaches line the rugged eastern Vassilikós peninsula under Mount Skopós, especially beyond Argássi, with its assembly line of hotels and tavernas.

Further along, there’s wide, sandy Pórto Zórro (aka Banana Beach), strewn with sea daffodils, which emit such a strong fragrance that they may have been the origin of the island’s nickname, Fiore di Levante. This is followed by Ag. Nikólaos, Mavrándzi and the thinnish crescent at Pórto Róma, all with tavernas.

The 17th-century mustard-coloured Domenegini Tower, a rare survivor of the 1953 earthquake, was built shortly after the fall of Crete (1669) by the Domeneghini family who took refuge on Zákynthos. Frequently visited by Dionysios Solomós, it was famously used during the Greek War of Independence for covert operations by the Friendly Society, which sent men and supplies over to the Peloponnese, including one of the masterminds, Theodóros Kolokotrónis.