Zakynthos

Last June I went to Zakynthos, Greece with my best friend. It's been too long for me to remember all the names, the moments, the places, the people, but here are some pictures.

I also wrote down some thoughts about the trip. You can find them at the end of this post.

The magical Mizithres. Be careful if you seek out this spot: it's VERY dangerous. Definitely don't bring your kids.

Mizithres from another, safer angle

The popular Limnionas Beach was beautiful, but too busy for my liking.

The village of Bocal, where people gather to admire the sunset (and dress bafflingly fancy)

Marathia Beach was secluded & stunning, but difficult to get to.

I often like to think (like many others) that I am ~not like other tourists~, but the famous Keri Caves and our private boat trip there were some of the highest highs of the trip for me. Unforgettable, unmissable. And barely anyone else was there, actually, even though it's very popular.

Tsilivi at sundown was a wonderful vibe. I actually miss this night surprisingly much.

When it comes to turtles, my Barbados experience is difficult to beat. But it really is such a moving, humbling, beautiful thing to see these creatures in their natural habitat. Every single time.

This was taken at one of the small, quiet villages up on the mountains. 

Even though Zakynthos was a beautiful experience, it was also one of the most "tourist-y" trips I've taken. It's partly because I now place comfort much higher on my list than I used to, and I'm not ashamed to admit that (though the younger me would cringe). For my next trip, whenever and wherever that'll be, I'd like to find a more fulfilling balance between being comfortable and being the adventurer I am at heart.

That being said, we did explore the island independently quite a lot. That is actually my tip to anyone heading to Zante: rent a car and hit the road for at least one whole day. The views around the island are breathtaking beyond what I can describe – and not just the beaches and the turquoise Mediterranean, but the mountainous inland, too. There you'll also find sleepy villages with no tourists, and you don't even have to try.

(And yes, I write in English now. I think my next trip and the subsequent blog post will show if this will be a permanent change, but for now, this feels right.)