Zakynthos Southern Peninsula: Vassilikos Quiet Beaches, Turtle Lake Keri, Porto Koukla Bay, Agalas Cave and Village, Keri Lighthouse Sea Views, and the Peninsula Boat Tour
The Zakynthos south peninsula day covers the quiet beaches of Vassilikos, the Keri turtle lake protected wetland, Porto Koukla sheltered bay, the Agalas cave and traditional village, the Keri lighthouse cliffside viewpoint, and the boat trip from Keri port around the southern cape to view the sea arches.
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Vassilikos Peninsula: The Quiet Beach String
The Vassilikos peninsula south of Zakynthos Town, the most undeveloped coastal area accessible by road in the island with the string of quiet beaches from Agios Nikolaos to Gerakas over 8 kilometers of coastline, provides the alternative to the organized resort beaches for the visitor who rents a car or scooter and explores independently. The Vassilikos peninsula beaches of Banana, Ionio, and Porto Roma each have the combination of the clear water, the natural setting, and the low infrastructure that the northern resort beaches have lost to the sun lounger economy.
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Keri Turtle Lake: The Wetland Sanctuary
The Keri lake wetland at the base of the Keri hill, the brackish lagoon formed by the natural asphalt springs and the fresh water drainage from the Keri hills, is one of the smallest and least visited protected natural habitats in Zakynthos but one of the most ecologically significant, with the loggerhead turtle occasionally observed in the lake and the waterbird community using the reed beds. The Keri lake is accessible on foot from the village and provides the most intimate wetland wildlife experience in the island.
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Porto Koukla: The Sheltered Bay
Porto Koukla on the southwest coast of Zakynthos, the sheltered bay accessible by the road from Agalas village, is one of the few genuinely quiet beaches on the island accessible by car, with the pebble beach, the clear water, and the fishing boats providing the most Ionian atmosphere of any beach on the southwest coast. The Porto Koukla taverna, serving the catch of the day at the tables on the concrete jetty above the water, is the most genuine fishing village dining experience available on the Zakynthos circuit.
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Agalas Cave and Village: The Schiza and Damianos Caves
The Agalas village in the hills above Porto Koukla, the most traditionally agricultural village in the southwest of Zakynthos, contains the Schiza and Damianos caves - the two largest and most accessible natural caves on the island, with the stalactite and stalagmite formations and the bat colonies providing the most unusual natural interior experience in the Ionian. The Agalas village itself preserves the pre-earthquake vernacular architecture in the stone farmhouses and the olive press that the earthquake did not reach.
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Keri Lighthouse: The Southern Cape Views
The Keri lighthouse on the southernmost cape of Zakynthos, standing above the 200-meter sea cliffs, provides the most dramatic sea view on the island with the open Ionian extending to the Strofades islands 60 kilometers south and the sea arches and the sea stacks visible below the cliff edge. The sunset from the Keri lighthouse is the most unobstructed sunset viewpoint in Zakynthos and the most frequently recommended natural viewpoint by the local residents.
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Keri Boat Tour: The Sea Arches Circuit
The boat trip from Keri port around the southern cape of Zakynthos, visiting the sea arches, the sea caves, and the Blue Lake sea cave at the base of the cliffs, is the most spectacular small boat excursion in the island and the one that reveals the scale of the sea cliff landscape that the land perspective from the lighthouse fails to communicate. The boat trip from Keri is shorter and less crowded than the Navagio excursion from the north and the geological landscape of the southern cape is the most impressive coastal scenery in the Ionian Islands.