How about a trip to mirror-like emerald waters that steal your heart, white sandy beaches that help ignite passion, and breathtaking caves and arches that are clad in a carpet of pristine turquoise blue ocean waters?

If you think you need to travel across the globe to several exotic tropical locations that have all these, then you could not be more far off from the truth. That captivating and almost unreal land is the island of Zakynthos.

If one ever needed a camera to convey the true beauty of a place, the Island of Zakynthos would be the destination. The island is the third largest of the Ionian Islands, covers an area of 410 km, and its coastline is roughly 123 km. Though it’s not too big. In fact, it’s a tiny little drop of ambrosia with the eternal pleasures it has on offer.

The capital town of Zakynthos is accessible by airways, but it is the ferry ride that will leave you wanting for more. As you travel to this island on water a multitude of delights await you. There is never a dull moment with plenty of tourist attractions, natural wonders and even some night parties for those who love to go late into the night.

The island itself is in the heart of a highly active volcanic belt. While this is not great news for its residents who have often seen disastrous earthquakes, this is great news for tourists who get an opportunity to view some amazing geographic formations that stun you with their unique grandeur.

Greece is known for its beaches, but none of them are as good as the ones in Zakynthos. The most famous beach of the island is the wonderful Navagio Beach, which is also known popularly as Shipwreck. It stuns you with its fine white volcanic sand, turquoise waters and the remains of a ship which is emerging from the perfect sand.

Navagio, along with scores of other beaches on the island, will keep you eternally busy. Venture a step ahead and you will see one specialty of Zakynthos that you are sure not to come across anywhere else.

It is on the West cost of the island where Zakynthos offers one of its most stunning views, the blue caves. They are also known as the blue caves ‘of Volimes’ – named after the picturesque village where they are located. Only accessible by sea, it’s a once in a lifetime journey to check out these caves and arches as you pass on calm blue waters .

Much more intense than seeing the Blue Caves from a boat, how about a magnificent underwater experience? It’s a spectacular new experience, even for the best divers in the world. The darkness in many of the caves seems to be interrupted by some rays of light that dye the waters with turquoise shades, creating a dazzling visual show. Don’t miss on that one, it’s simply amazing.

In addition to all these the Laganas beach is also famous for the endangered species of sea turtle (Loggerhead Turtles) and therefore is a part of the National Marine Park. Each year hundreds of Loggerhead turtles come to lay eggs on these shores. The sight of hatched turtles running towards the sea is a treat offered to nature lovers by the perfection that is evolution.

Zakynthos is a world in itself and the island’s unending wealth of treats seems too large to fit into our tiny cameras. Yet every snap that is taken here is a postcard all by itself. It’s one of those place where nature has forgotten to make a mistake, isn’t it?

Images courtesy of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

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