Zakynthos, a beautiful Greek island surrounded by aquamarine-clear blue seas, is a place where ancient olive trees thrive, and many families choose for their vacation. Zakynthos is incredibly kid and family-friendly, making it an ideal holiday spot not only for young families but also for retirees seeking a peaceful retreat during the off-peak season, like in September.
It’s funny how we ended up choosing Zakynthos for our family holiday. I remember it was the winter of 2023 in the UK, and I was feeling quite low. The first two years with our oldest son (who is now 5) had been wonderfully full, followed by a quite stressful pregnancy with our twins, and then the whirlwind of being a ‘super mama’ to three children under 3! My husband looked just as worn out too.
One cold day, I had an idea. I suggested we should travel somewhere sunny, as the UK doesn’t have the long, warm summers we’re used to from our time in Prague. And if you’ve read my other blogs, you know we have two more ‘babies’—our black lab Tony and a border collie mix—who travel with us everywhere, which usually means trips by car. But at that time, traveling with everyone, including the dogs, to Italy or Greece seemed too daunting.
So, I looked at my tired husband, Jacob, and said, “Honey, I really think you need some days off. Why don’t you take Lucas and travel to Italy or Greece?”
The idea of Jacob and Lucas spending a week at a sunny European destination made us both happy. Jacob finally got to rest and enjoy some special time with our son. He flew to Zakynthos in May, and then, in September, my mum and I took our one-year-old twins for a much-needed getaway.
Since we were on a budget and didn’t want to spend too much, we chose a fantastic place called Alykanas Beach Grand Hotel by Zante Plaza, which offered all-inclusive packages (as Jacob isn’t exactly a master chef!). Zante Plaza turned out to be the perfect choice, with its private beach, pool, beach toys for the little ones, and even a playground. It had everything we needed for a stress-free holiday with the kids.
As our holiday in Zakynthos was sunny, our departure from London airport was anything but. As September was well underway, my mum and I found ourselves stuck at Gatwick Airport for six hours, utterly exhausted. I was juggling between keeping the babies in a carrier or pram while listening to announcements of yet another EasyJet delay. When we finally got off the plane, the first day of our holiday ended with us staying at a hotel near the airport. We had to buy new flights with TUI to Zakynthos. We barely got any sleep, as we had to leave early the next morning, but at least we were finally on our way! What a start to the holiday—has anyone else had a similar experience?
Upon arriving in Zakynthos, we were immediately greeted by the warmth of the Greek sun, a welcome change from the chilly, overcast skies we’d left behind in England. Our pre-booked taxi driver was waiting with a smile, and as we made our way to Zante Plaza, he took the time to point out the island’s landmarks and share a few local stories. One of the more concerning issues he mentioned was the intentional wildfires being set to clear land for solar panel developments, something that clearly upset him. It was striking to hear how such a beautiful place is at the center of a shift toward solar panel renewable energy.
Regarding challenges, I feel it’s important to highlight that Zakynthos is still struggling with effective waste management. It’s not uncommon to come across litter, or even illegal dumping, in areas like the ancient olive groves. Unfortunately, even the island’s most photographed spot, the breathtaking viewpoint overlooking Shipwreck Beach, hasn’t escaped this problem. It’s a reminder for all of us to be mindful of our environmental impact, and hopefully, both the local authorities and tourists will soon find ways to address this issue more effectively.
Despite those few drawbacks, Zakynthos is a stunning Greek island and one of the most family-friendly holiday destinations I’ve ever visited. As I mentioned, children’s playgrounds and activities seem to be around every corner, enticing families to different restaurants, tavernas, and cafés. Almost every spot had something for kids—whether it was a toy car, motorbike, soft play areas with slides, or even entire playgrounds. It was amusing to see parents relaxing with their holiday drinks while their kids played mini-golf or ran around the playgrounds. What a clever idea! Haha!
My mum and I fully enjoyed our stay. She would often head down for breakfast and bring back something for us, as my hands were full with the babies, who, thankfully, slept quite late in the mornings. Thanks to her, we could enjoy slow, easy starts to our day. Even I managed to pop down occasionally while Ollie and Victoria were still sleeping. Speaking of breakfast, the Zante Plaza had a lovely buffet, and a lady in the canteen kindly provided me with plant-based milk, which I really appreciated. Zakynthos isn’t yet fully accustomed to catering to different dietary preferences or allergies (though I believe this will change), so finding dairy- and gluten-free options was a bit tricky.
The September temperatures in Zakynthos were perfect for us, especially for the babies—not too hot, but the midday sun was still quite strong. Because of this, we avoided taking long trips around the island or boat tours. However, Zakynthos is an ideal place for such excursions, and nearly everyone wants to see the famous Shipwreck Beach! During our stay, the beach itself was closed due to dangerous falling cliffs, so visitors could only view it from the cliff above or from a boat. Naturally, we wanted to see it too. We booked a car for the next day, only to find out that the rental car owner was on strike and had closed his shop! Haha, I guess you have to expect things like this in Greece. Fortunately, with apologies, we managed to get the car the following day and were able to explore Zakynthos.
Zakynthos is a truly unique island, characterized by its rolling hills covered in small hedges and olive trees, all set against the backdrop of stunning blue seas. On our way from Zante Plaza to Shipwreck Beach, we passed a few interesting spots before finally parking at the cliff. It was a scorching day, and I was surprised to find that the local café marked on Google Maps was nothing more than the ruins of old walls. In its place were two stalls—one selling smoothies (which were fantastic!) and another offering olive oils, nuts, and aloe vera creams. We stopped at the smoothie stand and bought two for the babies, and Victoria especially loved the wild berries! With Ollie in the carrier, I joined the queue to see the famous view of Shipwreck Beach.
It’s like visiting any highly sought-after, Instagrammable spot in the world—you wait a few minutes for your selfie, snap a photo, and there you go: you’ve seen the famous Shipwreck Beach. The view was lovely, but… the whole hill and viewpoint struck me as one of the most underrated and poorly managed tourist spots in Greece. I mentioned the lack of a proper café or restaurant, no toilets, and few other facilities, but what concerned me most were the dangerously steep steps around the viewpoint, with no ramps for wheelchairs or prams. Like many other tourists, I ended up taking a fall—luckily, my mum was there to help, so my baby twin was unharmed, though I wasn’t as lucky. I still have scars on my leg! Definitely not a family- or retirement-friendly spot. Oh, and did I mention the lady selling Greek olive oil at a whopping 500% markup?
I really hope that this beautiful place, with all its potential, will be managed better to give tourists a much more enjoyable experience when visiting Zakynthos’ most famous attraction.
In the end, though, we had an amazing stay. Zante Plaza was an excellent, family-friendly place, surrounded by great pubs and restaurants, with wonderfully kind and helpful staff. As for Zakynthos itself, I think more attention should be given to maintaining tourist spots and reducing litter. With a little care, this island could be an even more stunning place to recharge under the Greek sun, surrounded by crystal blue skies and waters.
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