Zakynthos
Position, Land and Climate

Zakynthos is the southernmost and third largest in both size and population of the Ionian Islands. It is situated 8,5 nautical miles south of Kefalonia, 9,5 nautical milew west of the Peloponese and approximately 300 kilometres west of the capital of Greece, Athens.
Its geographical position ensures easy travel to the other islands and even the mainland of Greece. A short journey across the Peloponese brings one to the ancient city of Olympia, the birthplace and original venue of the Olympic Games. Due to the islands location, it is an ideal base to link up to the larger cities of Greece such as Patras, Athens and Thesaloniki.An island full of contrasts, Zakynthos consists of mainly woodland, with an abundance of pine tree covered mountains and fertile plains.
In the north, east and south numerous picturesque beaches can be found, whereas in the west the imposing, rocky landscape has a number of sea caves such as the famous Blue Caves on the north-west of the island.

The climate in Zakynthos is mild mediterranean with both heavy rainfall during the winter monthw and brilliant sunshine in the summer. The rich vegetation is probably due to this, and has resulted in the nicknames of Fior di Levante (Flower of the East) and Iliessa (full of woods) by the Venetians and Omiros respectively.
It is productive island agriculturally, supported mainly by the cultivation of olives, raisins, citrus fruits. Apart from this, the main source of local income is from the recently developed business of tourism. The island has a wealth of history as for many centuries it was the crossroads for numerous nations and cultures. Zakynthos map

Strofadia islets

In Zakynthos district also belongs the two islets of Strofadia.They lie 22 nautical miles south of the island of Zakynthos and they can be reached by boat from Zakynthos port.

How to come in Zakynthos

All year round flights leave daily from Athens West Airport which take approximately 45 minutes. During the tourist season (April to October) there are direct charter connections between Zakynthos and a number of European cities. The airport is situated 2 kilometres from Zakynthos town which is easily accessible.
KTEL Zakynthou, the Zakynthian offices of the national bus company, runs a daily coach service with direct connections to the cities of Athens, Patras and Thessaloniki via a short journey on the Zakynthos-Kyllini ferry, which takes about an hour. The ferry runs approximately every hour during high season and five times a day during the rest of the year. The island of Kefallonia can also be reached from the little port of Agios Nikolas at Volimes.

History of Zakynthos

..During the era of Homer and the Trojan War, the island of Zakynthos formed part of the kingdom of Odysseus, king of Ithaca. The prevailing view now is that its founder was Zakynthos, son of Dardanos, King of Troy. The modern historian P.Chiotis, having investigated the work of past historians, came to the conclusion that the settlers who went to Zakynthos were Arcadians from the Arcadian town of Psophis and argued that Dardanos was of Arcadian origin but had migrated to Asia Minor. From there, his son went to Zakynthos, gave his name to the new city, and called its citadel Psophis. The special talent of the ancient inhabitants in music and their cult of the goddess Artemis were characteristic HISTORY features of the Arcadians and testify to this link.

..After the Trojan War, the Zakynthians gained independence from the kingdom of Ithaca and established a democratic political system. The island was ruled democratically for about 650 years. During this period, Zakynthos flourished, its population grew and its first colony, named Zakantha, was established in Spain. During the Persian Wars, the Zakynthians maintained a neutral stance, but in the Peloponnesian War, they were on the side of the Athenians. Zakynthos was then subjugated by the Macedonians and later by the Romans who gave them some autonomy.

..Christianity was propagated on the island in 34 AD either by Mary Magdalen who landed there on her way to Rome or, according to another tradition, by St Beatrice. During the Byzantine period, the island suffered many raids by pirates, aspiring conquerors, and barbarians. The Ionian Islands likewise endured many hardships during the Crusades. Zakynthos, together with the other islands, was captured successively by the Venetians, the Franks, the Angevins, the kings of Naples, and the Tocco family, who were princes of Florence. When the rest of Greece was conquered by the Turks, Zakynthos and the other Ionian Islands were ruled by the Venetians (1484).

..During the period of Venetian rule, Zakynthos (which the Venetians called Zante) came under the influence of the Renaissance and the Enlightenment. The Venetians settled and organized the island's capital, constructed the citadel (Castro), and built infrastructure works; thus the new town began to spread beyond the walls of the Castro, outside the ancient settlement of Psophis and down to the coast, where in time a large commercial port came into being. But the Venetians brought with them the typical aristocratic oligarchic political system and the population was divided into nobles, citizens and common people (popolari). This was why, when French republicans arrived on Zakynthos in 1797, they were welcomed enthusiastically. But the French could not solve the island's social or economic problems either, so the Zakynthians sought new protectors. In 1798 the oligarchy returned under the Russians and the Turks (1799-1807). They were succeeded by officials of the French Empire (1807-1814) and finally by the British (1814-1864). The English conquerors took care to modernize the administration and public works. The new ideas of the times and Greece's independence from the Turks created a strong radical movement, whose activity contributed to the union of Zakynthos and the other Ionian islands with Greece on 21vMay 1864, at which time the Greek flag was definitively raised over the island.

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