Car Hire Zante - Zakynthos: Zante Town

Helping you to get the most from your car hire.

Destination Zante Town
Type of place island capital
Island Zante, Zakynthos
Distance from Zante Airport 5km



One essential trip that must be made is to visit Zante town. Public transport links the resorts with the town are good though if you live off the beaten path you’ll need to hire a car for Zante. Likewise if you are planning to stay late in town for a meal or a wander a car hire to get home can also be a good idea.

You will need to park at the edge of town as the main street is now pedestrianised. There is usually car parking to be found along the sea front road.

About the town

Very little is left of the original Zante Town, the capital of Zakynthos. The whole town was shaken to ruins by the huge earthquake that hit the whole Ionian from Corfu down to Zante in 1953. Those buildings that were not destroyed by the actual earthquake itself were burned down in the fires that still burned over a week later. Only a handful of buildings survived in the whole of Zante Town.

Immediately after the earthquake, parapigmata, or temporary dwellings, were built to house the residents. These houses were built from corrugated iron and were intended as temporary accommodation. A few of these parapigmata can still be seen around Zante Town. The whole town was finally reconstructed on top of the rubble of the old town and you can get an impression of the amount of rubble generated when you see one of the few buildings that did survive, the Church of our Lady of the Angels. To be found on Louka Karer Street, the church is actually set down some four foot belowthe road.

Today, Zante Town has about 30,000 residents and is the residential, political and economic centre of Zakynthos. In the summer, the town is busy with tourists and who come to see the sights of Zante Town. The town also has big local population who seem frantically busy in the day and totally relaxed in the evenings.

The town has four main squares. The wide plateia of Solomos Square, with the church of St Nicholas in the seaward corner, painstakingly reconstructed by marking all the stone building blocks with numbers so they all be relaid in exactly the same place. The stone itself was quarried in Gerakas. St Markos Square is home to Greece's first bank, together with many cafes and tavernas, their tables and chairs spreading out across the pretty stone flagged area. The tiny Kalvos Square (set near the high school) has the ruins of an ancient church at its centre. Bochali square, perhaps the most stunning for its views, can be found above the main part of the town and can be reached by the old, narrow cobbled pathway known as Toe Kondi. There are fantastic views over Zante Town and its harbour from up here.

The streets of the main town are lined with collonaded walkways, keeping rain off in the winter and sun off in the summer. A few years ago, the main shopping street was paved with stone flags and pedestrianised, making it a much more pleasant place to wander around. Its is best to park your Zante car hire up near the sea at the northern end of Zante Town and go on foot.

Unlike some of the other towns of the Ionian that were rebuilt in a haphazzard fashion after the 1953 earthquake, the residents of Zakynthos tried hard to preserve some of the grandeur of its Venetian past, to rebuild the town in the same style as the original town. So although most of the buildings are concrete, the town does retain some of its former charm.

Things to see and do

You will need to park your hire car and explore Zante Town on foot. Many people who visit Zante Town just come for a spot of shopping in the many food and gift shops. If you are looking for a few gifts to take back, visit the tiny Mandolata factory on Eleftheriou Venizelou, where the special Zante nougat is still made in the traditional way - it is thoroughly delicious and the owners will even show you how it's done. Click here for a great deal on Zante car hire.

There are three museums in Zante Town should you wish to learn a bit more about the history of Zante and the Ionian region - Museum of Byzantine art in Solomos Square with a large collection of paintings, icons and artifacts. The Solomos Museum is to be found in St Markos Square and has manuscripts from Dionysis Solomos, the National Poet of Greece. Finally, there is the Cultural Centre of Zakynthos, close to Solomos Square, which houses a library and small gallery. All are open 8.30 - 15.00, every day except on Mondays.

Towering above Zante Town is the Venetian fortress, or Frurio, that is practically invisible amongst the pine trees that were planted on the hillside to protect the town from landslides. With its huge towering walls, the residents of 17th Century Zante Town would have retreated to the fortress during times of attack, mainly from the pirates that patrolled the Mediterranean in search of slaves and anything else they could cart off. You can walk up to Bochali up Toe Kondi, or else take your car hire up to Bochali square and park up. There are great views of Zante Town from here.

The Toe Kondi Trail will also take you to the peaceful gardens of Lofos Strani, where Dionysis Solomos is said to have written the Greek National Anthem. There are great views out over the hinterland of the island from here. FoI have also published a trail that will lead you around the main centre of Zante Town to give you an insight into the history of the town and a real sense of place.

There are many cafes and tavernas, so it is well worth visiting Zante Town in the evening when the locals come out for their evening walk. Why not visit one of the ice cream parlours in Bochali Square in the evening for a fantastic view over town. Arekia Taverna, on the main road out of Zante Town towards the headland of Akrotiri and Tsilivi, is one of the most famous eateries on Zakynthos, serving very good food. From 10pm each evening, you will be entertained with traditional Arekias or Kantathes, mandolin and guitar music with its mellifluous and lyrical singing.

Friends of the Ionian are keen to help you get the most out of your car hire. We want you to get the best value for money when you hire a car by having plenty of good idea for routes and excursions across Zante.

Every car hire comes with a free map and DVD/CD Zante Explorer Pack. Just email with your car hire confirmation and address. Email us here

Friends of the Ionian are a not for profit company. For the past 17 years we have been working to bring about sustainable development in the Ionian islands of Corfu, Paxos, Lefkas, Ithaca, Kefalonia and Zante, Zakynthos.

We always encourage visitors to use public transport where possible though on Zante car hire to visit some of the remoter villages is essential. Friends of the Ionian offer competitive rates for car hire on Zante with free maps and Information packs included.