614
See the detailed hotel description on the web-site
ZAKYNTHOS – THE FLOWER OF THE EAST !
GEOGRAPHY
Zakynthos is the third largest island of the Ionian chain
located in the Ionian Sea. The island’s area is of 402 sq
km with the coastline of 123 km. The landscape of the
island is mostly mixed with steep mountains on the West
and fertile plains on the Southwest.
CLIMATE
The Mediterranean climate of the island features hot
summers and mild winters with few rainfalls. During sum-
mer months rainfalls are very rare. The average tempera-
ture in summer is about 28 degrees Celsius, and in winter
- 18 degrees Celsius.
TRANSPORT
Zakynthos has its own international airport. It handles
flights from different countries from all over the world.
It is also possible to get there by a ferryboat from Killini,
a small port in West Peloponnese.
MYTHOLOGY AND HISTORY
Once Apollo and his twin sister Aphrodite were so much
enchanted by the island’s beauty and charm that they
made it the place to rest. For some time it even belonged
to Odysseus.
It got its name after the grandson of Zeus. Zakynthos was
a son of Arcadian leader Dardanus.
First signs of human activity on the island can be traced
to the Neolith period. During Persian Wars Zakynthos took
a neutral position. In Peloponnesian War the island fought
with Athenians. The Romans granted Zakynthos partial
autonomy. Tradition follows the belief that Christianity
was brought to the island by Mary Magdalene when she
stopped here in 34 B.C. in the 15th century Zakynthos was
conquered by the Venetians. This time it mostly suffered
from pirate raids. During the period of Napoleonic wars
the island found itself under the rule of French Republic.
However in the period from 1800 till 1809 Zakynthos
became part of the Septinsular Republic that was founded
with the support of illustrious Russian naval commander
and admiral Ushakov. After Napoleonic Wars the island
became a British protectorate. Only after the War of Inde-
pendence of 1821 it joins Greece along with other islands.
One of the recent events that somehow changed the
island is the disastrous earthquake of 1953. But gradu-
ally Zakynthos managed to restore and rebuilt the ruined
buildings as much close to their original as possible.
Here is another bright star in a constellation of
Greek islands. There is something in the magical
atmosphere of Zakynthos filled with barely
perceptible scent of flowers that makes it so
different. Impressed by the magnificent scenery
of the island the Venetians called it “The flower
of the East” (“Zante, fiore di Levante”). And
even today the wonderful sea and sun-drenched
beaches are not the only reasons that make
visitors come here from year to year.
Z A K Y N T H O S - D E S C R I P T I O N
