Zakynthos, due to mild winter rainfall, is an extremely lush island; the Venetians who conquered it referred to it as Il fiore del Levante-- the Flower of the Levant. March-May is a particularly rewarding time to visit; the island is relatively low on tourists, the Easter parade takes place and the island blooms spectacularly with a myriad of colorful flowers and lush green hills.
Zakynthos, like its neighbour Kefalonia, was heavily affected by the massive earthquake of 1953 and subsequently a lot of its stunning Venetian architecture was sadly destroyed. Ruins still lay in some parts of the island due to this. The main town was completely rebuilt and still has an uncanny resemblance to Venice's San Marco square; it is well worth taking a look at.
The beautiful white cliffs that plunge into azure seas towards Keri have to be seen to be believed; the water is wonderfully clear and it is worth hiring a boat to see such sights.
cape skinari
The very northen edge of Zakynthos is labeled Cape Skinari. Here you can get a panorama view of the sea, having both the calm waters of the east and the windy of the west within view. At the location there are also some ruins from the great earthquake in 1953.
blue caves
East of Cape Skinari, on the northern part of the island, are the Blue Caves. A series of geological formations have created the seascape. Natural arches have been carved out by erosion, but these caves are most famous for the color of the water in it's deepest hollows, a deep azure color which is most striking in the morning when the light is at it's brightest, hence the name Blue Caves. Kianoun cave is the biggest of the caves. In order to reach there you can hire a boat or go on a tour.
You can't miss ads by the tour operators. There are actually Blue Caves at 3 locatins around the island:
At Cape Skinari on the northern tip of the island - these are the most spectacular. There are several boats offering trips from Agios Nikolaos Port, also from Makris Gialos Alikes and Alykanas. You can hire a "self-drive" motorboat for the day from from several operators in Alykanas to visit the blue caves and then spend a leisurely afternoon exploring the north-east coast on your way back. These caves are also on the itinerary of the large round-the-island cruise ships operating out of Zakynthos Town.
Keri - also pretty good
Porto Vromi - Not as spectacular, you will visit these as part of the tours to the ship wreck.
shipwreck (navagio)
Originally a smuggler ship, which lost engine power in 1981 and was washed ashore in a magnificent small bay. Featured in Greek tourist ads, it is on the west coast and best visited by going there from Porto Vromi. Go there either early in the morning or in the afternoon >15:00, as in the time between the big around-the-island cruise ships anchor there and the beach is heavily crowded - its not rare to have 20 boats all moored each putting a few hundred people ashore at once. Going there in off-peak times ensures you will have the beach pretty much to your own. Be aware the wreck is very sharp and its very possible to injure yourself if not carefulFor the ultimate picture, follow the signs to the Agios Gergio Kremnao monastery - when you arrive there, use the road to your right to get to a small viewing platform some 600ft above the wreck and is where most of the picture postcard shots are taken from. It can actually be nicer to see it from this perspective than up close and personal on the beach itself.