Where to Stay in Zakynthos: Best Areas & Hotels Honestly Ranked
Zakynthos has a reputation for being one of the most beautiful islands in Greece — and it earns it. It also has a reputation for Laganas, which earns that too. The area you choose will determine whether your trip means quiet evenings and remote beaches or a 2am DJ set you didn’t plan for. This guide breaks down every area honestly, so you can choose the right base for your trip.
The short version: if you have a rental car, stay in Zakynthos Town. If you don’t, you need to be near a beach — and that means making a real choice about what kind of trip you want.
Table of Contents
Quick Area Comparison
| Area | Vibe | Best for | Beach quality | Noise level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zakynthos Town | Authentic, local feel | Explorers with a car | Mediocre in town — spectacular nearby | Low |
| Laganas | Party strip | Nightlife crowd | Long sandy beach, crowded | Very high (peak season) |
| Tsilivi | Family resort | Families, first-timers | Good, sandy, organized | Moderate |
| Vassilikos / Gerakas | Natural, remote | Nature lovers, quiet trips | Excellent — protected beach | Very low |
| Alikes | Calm, scenic | Couples, slow travel | Good, uncrowded | Low |
| Kalamaki | Quiet compromise | Those who want calm with amenities | Good, sheltered | Low to moderate |
Zakynthos Town — Our Pick, and Why
We stayed in Zakynthos Town and we’d do it again without hesitation. It’s the most interesting base on the island — a proper Greek town with a real waterfront, good local restaurants, and a pace that has nothing to do with the tourist strip. If you want to feel like you’re actually somewhere rather than inside a resort bubble, this is it.
The town itself is worth exploring: the Venetian castle above the old quarter, the main square at Agios Markos, and the harbor lined with boats rather than beach bars. It has character. The rest of the island doesn’t always.
Where we stayed: Palatino Hotel. Breakfast was included and genuinely good — not the standard buffet you’d skip given the option, but something we actually looked forward to. We also had lunch there on a couple of days, and the food held up. The room was spacious with a mountain view. It’s quiet, well-run, and the kind of place where nothing feels like a problem. We’d both book it again.
Check availability and current prices at Palatino Hotel here.
Reality check: Zakynthos Town beach is not the island’s best — and that’s fine if you have a car. You’re 15–20 minutes from some of the most beautiful beaches in Greece. The town beach is useful for an easy morning swim. It’s not why you’d choose this base.
Local tip: Zakynthos Town streets are narrow. If you’re driving in for the first time — especially at night — go slow and expect tight corners. An automatic transmission makes this noticeably less stressful than a manual.
If you’re based in town, a rental car makes the whole island accessible. We cover costs, what we rented, which roads to expect, and what we’d do differently in our Zakynthos car rental guide.
Choose Zakynthos Town if:
- You’re renting a car and want to explore the whole island
- You want local restaurants over tourist strip food
- You prefer a quiet base over a resort atmosphere
- You want to actually see the town, not just sleep near a beach
Avoid Zakynthos Town if:
- You’re not renting a car — the town beach won’t satisfy you for a full week
- You want to be steps from the water
- You’re looking for a pool-heavy resort holiday
Laganas — The Party Strip, Plain and Simple
Laganas is exactly what it sounds like. In peak season it’s one of the loudest resort strips in the Greek islands — beach bars running all day, clubs going until early morning, the whole infrastructure built around a crowd that isn’t there to sleep. That’s not a criticism. It’s a description. If that’s the trip you want, Laganas is the right place to have it.
The beach itself is genuinely long and sandy — one of the longer stretches on the island, and wide enough that it doesn’t feel as chaotic as the streets behind it. The water is clean. The infrastructure is thorough: sun loungers, water sports, everything you’d expect.
What Laganas is not: a quiet base, a place to escape the crowds, or somewhere that will give you an authentic sense of Greece. It’s a resort town that happens to be on a Greek island. Know that going in and it delivers exactly what it promises.
Reality check: In July and August, Laganas at night is genuinely loud. If you’re a light sleeper or traveling with kids, this matters more than the hotel’s star rating.
Choose Laganas if:
- You’re in your 20s, traveling with a group, and want nightlife
- You want a long sandy beach within walking distance
- You don’t mind noise and prefer a lively atmosphere
Avoid Laganas if:
- You’re traveling as a couple or family looking for a relaxed holiday
- Noise at night will bother you
- You want to experience actual Greek island life
Browse hotels in Laganas here.
Tsilivi — The Family-Friendly Default
Tsilivi sits north of Zakynthos Town and is the island’s main family resort area. It’s significantly calmer than Laganas — the nightlife exists but it’s low-key, and the crowd skews toward families and couples rather than party groups. The beach is sandy, well-organized, and good for children. Water sports are available, there’s a decent range of restaurants, and the whole area is built for comfortable, uncomplicated beach holidays.
It doesn’t have the charm of Zakynthos Town or the dramatic natural beauty of the south, but it’s reliable. Everything works, it’s walkable, and it gives you a decent base even without a car — though you’ll still need transport to reach the island’s best beaches.
Choose Tsilivi if:
- You’re traveling with young children and want a calm, walkable resort area
- You want a sandy beach within easy reach of your hotel
- You want some restaurants and amenities but not a party atmosphere
Avoid Tsilivi if:
- You’re looking for authentic Greek atmosphere — it’s firmly tourist-oriented
- You want dramatic, remote beaches — those require a car and a drive south or east
Traveling with young children and still figuring out the logistics? Our guide to traveling with a toddler covers what actually makes the difference — from packing to keeping the days manageable for everyone.
Browse hotels in Tsilivi here.
Vassilikos Peninsula and Gerakas — The Quiet, Natural Choice
The Vassilikos peninsula is the quietest and most naturally beautiful part of the island. It stretches south from Zakynthos Town into a series of small beaches, olive groves, and quiet villages. There’s almost no nightlife, limited tourist infrastructure, and that’s entirely the point. If you want to disconnect, this is where you go.
Gerakas, at the tip of the peninsula, is one of the most important sea turtle nesting beaches in Europe. The beach is genuinely beautiful — broad, pale sand, clear water, backed by low cliffs. Part of the beach is off-limits to protect the nesting areas, but the accessible section is large enough and far less crowded than anything near Laganas or Tsilivi.
Local tip: The nesting area is fenced off — don’t go behind the barriers. But if you visit in late summer during hatching season, you may spot baby turtles making their way to the sea. It’s one of those things that stays with you. Worth the drive down.
Staying in Vassilikos means you’re based in the area rather than commuting to it. The trade-off is limited choice in restaurants and services compared to the resort towns. For some travelers, that’s a feature, not a drawback.
Choose Vassilikos / Gerakas if:
- You want the quietest possible base with beautiful beaches nearby
- Nature and wildlife matter to you
- You’re comfortable with limited nightlife and fewer restaurants
Avoid Vassilikos / Gerakas if:
- You want walkable restaurants and evening entertainment
- You’re not renting a car — this area has no real public transport
Browse hotels and villas on the Vassilikos peninsula here.
Alikes — Calm, Beautiful, and Underrated
Alikes is in the north of the island and is genuinely one of its most underrated areas. It’s calm, the beach is long and uncrowded, and the atmosphere is completely different from the busy resort south. The village is small, quiet, and has a local feel that’s hard to find in the more tourist-heavy parts of Zakynthos.
Our boat trip to Navagio — Shipwreck Beach — departed from Alikes. It’s one of the best starting points for the trip north toward the Blue Caves and the shipwreck, and the morning light on the water from up here is something else entirely.
If Navagio is on your list — and it should be — booking a boat tour from the northern harbors is the most straightforward way to do it. Small group, morning slot, real reviews.
Browse Navagio boat tours departing from the north of the island here — look for morning departures and small group options.
Choose Alikes if:
- You want a calm, local atmosphere far from the resort crowd
- You’re planning to visit Navagio or the Blue Caves
- You want a long beach without the Laganas or Tsilivi crowds
Avoid Alikes if:
- You want a range of restaurants and nightlife nearby
- You’re not renting a car — Alikes is remote enough that you’ll be limited without one
Kalamaki — The Quiet Compromise
Kalamaki sits between Laganas and the quieter southern parts of the island. It’s calmer than Laganas but has more going on than Vassilikos — a handful of good restaurants, a sheltered beach, and a pace that suits couples and families who want some amenities without the resort circus.
The beach at Kalamaki is also a turtle nesting site, though less well-known than Gerakas. Swimming is restricted in parts at night during nesting season, but during the day it’s a good, uncrowded beach. If you want proximity to Laganas for a night out without actually staying in it, Kalamaki is close enough to manage that without the noise.
Choose Kalamaki if:
- You want calm evenings but a proper beach within walking distance
- You’re somewhere between wanting a resort and wanting to avoid one
- You want easy access to Laganas without sleeping inside it
Avoid Kalamaki if:
- You want a wide choice of restaurants and entertainment — the village is small
- You want the most beautiful or dramatic beaches — those are elsewhere
Browse hotels in Kalamaki here.
What We’d Do Differently
Nothing, in terms of where we stayed. Zakynthos Town and the Palatino Hotel was the right call — we’d book it again without any hesitation. The breakfast alone would be reason enough.
The one thing we’d add: if you’re staying in town, book the car at the same time as the hotel. The two decisions are connected — Zakynthos Town works best as a base precisely because a car makes the whole island accessible. Lock in the car early; automatics go fast in peak season.
The Bottom Line on Where to Stay in Zakynthos
Where to stay in Zakynthos comes down to one honest question: are you renting a car? If yes, Zakynthos Town is the best base on the island — genuine character, good food, quiet evenings, and every beach within reach. If no, you need to be near a beach, and the right choice depends on what kind of trip you want: Tsilivi for families, Kalamaki for something calmer, Laganas if nightlife is the point.
Vassilikos and Alikes are worth considering if you specifically want to escape the resort infrastructure. Both reward the effort of getting there.
Whatever you choose, book with free cancellation. Prices on Booking.com for this island shift noticeably as the date gets closer — it’s worth rechecking before your trip. Our guide to booking hotels like a pro explains the free cancellation strategy and how to time your booking for the best rate.
For paying in Greece without losing money on conversion fees: our travel money card guide covers Wise and the other options worth having before you land.
Not ready to book yet? Save this guide for later — or read next:
- Car Rental in Zakynthos: Do You Actually Need One? — costs, what we rented, and what roads to expect
- Zakynthos Itinerary: How to Spend 4 Days on the Island [link when article is ready]
- Zakynthos Travel Costs: What a Week on the Island Actually Costs
- How to Plan a Trip — so nothing gets missed before you leave
