The number of people who want to relax on the Greek islands is not decreasing. The popular tourist destinations are the islands of Crete, Rhodes, Corfu, Ithaca and others. The majority of tourists choose to visit them. However, Greece owns many other islands, no less beautiful and comfortable for relaxation. They are gradually gaining popularity as sea resorts: work is underway to expand the tourism infrastructure and develop the hotel business. We only know about the city of Corinth from textbooks of ancient history. It is located in the southernmost part of mainland Greece on the Peloponnese peninsula and is the capital of the prefecture of the same name. Not far away is the island of Zakynthos: very quiet and calm, ideal for families.
Zakynthos Island (Zakynthos)
From Corinth, the capital of the Peloponnese, the islands of the Ionian Sea can be reached by ferry, for example, to the aforementioned picturesque Zakynthos. Surely many people first hear the name of this island. Nevertheless, it is a magnificent seaside resort with wonderful beaches, beautiful nature and cozy small hotels. Recently, holidays in Zakynthos are beginning to gain popularity with our compatriots. Regular flights depart from Moscow weekly to the island’s capital airport, which means that in the near future Zakynthos may become a favorite vacation spot for Russians.
What is interesting in Zakynthos?
This small island in the Ionian Sea is considered the most creative in island Greece. Zakynthos gave the world the greatest Greek poet Dionysios Solomos. Andreas Calvos, a no less talented minister of Euterpa, the muse of lyric poetry, was also born here. In the XVII century, the Zakynthian school of painting was born on the island. As for music, the locals always treated it with special warmth and love. In the evenings, under the starry sky of the island, the melodious sounds of bouzouki and other Greek instruments playing the famous cantatas are heard. This gives Zakynthos a special flavor, an atmosphere of cordiality and carelessness. Fans of excursions will find on the island a lot of interesting routes to attractions that Zakynthos is proud of (a photo of the beautiful island is in our article). Moreover, if you rent a car (the cost of rent per day, depending on the brand of the car, is from 25 euros), then you can go around the whole island and explore every corner of it. Museums and Orthodox shrines will tell about the rich history of the island. Tourists have the opportunity to visit the most beautiful and secluded beaches, get acquainted with rural traditions, taste the local cuisine, the diversity of which is famous for Zakynthos (as Zakynthos is called in the Greek manner). Prices in restaurants and taverns are quite affordable. Dinner for two can cost 25-30 euros, and you will be sure that all products are fresh and environmentally friendly. By the way, the islanders came up with a very interesting promotion for tourists: ordering two identical dishes, you will receive a significant discount. Fans of water entertainment can visit the giant water park. Ticket price is 21 euros for adults and 15 euros for children.
How to get there
Recently, holidays on the Greek island of Zakynthos, which is located in the Ionian Sea, has become popular with Russian tourists. In season, weekly scheduled flights are made from Moscow and St. Petersburg to the island's international airport. The flight time is about 3.5 hours from Moscow, and about 4 hours from the northern capital. In addition, you can fly to the island with a change in Athens, Tripoli, Corfu, etc. So if you bought a tour to one of the wonderful hotels on the island of Zakynthos, for example, Iliessa Beach Hotel 3 *, then you can get there by any means having previously discussed the road with your travel agent.
Iliessa Beach 3 * (Zakynthos / Argasi): location and general description
This wonderful 3-star hotel is located in the Argasi area. Golden fine sandy beaches stretch over 120 km. The hotel has a small but private beach. The entrance to the sea is gentle. Between the beach and the territory of the Iliessa Beach 3 * hotel, a wall with access to the sea is built. The hotel is a cottage complex, which consists of ten two-story buildings. Ilessa Beach was built in 1988. Reconstruction was carried out in 2001-2002. This is a modest but very comfortable hotel, adapted for families. Of course, this is not an all-inclusive hotel, but it is quite decent. A large green area with olive trees, exotic plants and flowers, children's and adult pools, slides and a playground for games is very popular with guests. From Zakynthos Iliessa Beach 3 * to the international airport on the island, only 8 km.
Number of rooms
As already noted, the hotel complex consists of several two-story cottages. The total number of rooms is 80. All of them are almost the same and belong to the “standard” category. It is small, with an area of 13 m2, designed for a maximum of three people.
Description and services
In Iliessa Beach 3 * all rooms are equipped with a small kitchenette with the necessary utensils, stove, refrigerator (20 euros per week), microwave, tea and coffee making facilities. Some have a cozy patio, while others have furnished balconies with sea or garden views. The bathroom in the rooms is tiny, but very neat. Some tourists in their reviews complain that the soul is quite crowded, but this is the layout of the hotel and there's nothing to be done. In addition, the rooms have air conditioning (central), a radio, a paid safe (15 euros per week), a telephone, satellite TV, an iron and ironing board (free of charge, but on request, like a hairdryer), wireless Internet connection (Wi-Fi ), although, again in the reviews, tourists complain that the communication signal in the rooms is very weak, and you can use the Internet only on the balcony. The rooms are cleaned daily, and linen and towels are changed once a week (more often, but only upon request).
Infrastructure
The Iliessa Beach 3 * hotel has free parking, a 24-hour front desk, restaurants and bars, and a tour desk. There are no shops on the territory of the complex - they are located next to it, so if tourists need anything, you can shop at any time in a nearby supermarket or small shops. The same goes for taverns: in the immediate vicinity of the hotel there are many cafes where you can always eat deliciously.
Types of food
As already noted, the Iliessa Beach 3 * hotel operates on the “BB” power system, which means breakfast compulsory for all tourists. A buffet is served every morning on the covered terrace , which consists of various snacks, scrambled eggs and omelettes, hot drinks, juices, jams, preserves, honey, dairy products, hot pastries, sausages and sausages, cheeses, fruits (watermelon and grapes), vegetables (tomatoes and cucumbers), etc. In their reviews, many tourists express satisfaction with the organization of a morning meal, while others, on the contrary, complain about the monotony and lack of cereals. As for dinner, for those who choose the half-board option, the hotel restaurant also serves a buffet of Mediterranean and international dishes. However, those who have already visited this hotel, in their reviews and comments recommend each time to visit different taverns and restaurants outside the hotel and order everything they want, each time trying different dishes of local cuisine. The hotel's snack bar serves a variety of snacks and desserts, which Greece is famous for, and the pool bar serves ice cream and soft drinks.
Entertainment and sports
Iliessa Beach 3 * has few places for entertainment, so this hotel is considered ideal for lovers of a quiet and secluded vacation. Nevertheless, there is entertainment here, for example, a swimming pool (adult and children), around which there are sun loungers and umbrellas. Many tourists like to sunbathe here, among the lush flowers, and not on the beach, because it is very small. The hotel has a TV room, billiards and a children's playground. From time to time, evening outdoor shows with Greek songs and dances are organized for holidaymakers. Guests are invited for hiking and horseback riding around the hotel, boat trips around the island. Despite the fact that the hotel has an excursion bureau, former vacationers do not recommend using its services in their reviews, but advise you to join the group with a Russian-speaking guide - an employee of one of the travel agencies that can be found in Argasia. However, as noted above, the best option for exploring the island of Zakynthos is an individual trip on a rented car.
Excursions
In the capital of the island, in the same city of Zakynthos, tourists will be interested to see the beautiful building of the belfry of St. Dionysius. This is the first thing that catches your eye, if you get to the island by water. On the largest square of the city, Solom, stands a monument to the poet Solomos, and the magnificent building of the Byzantine Museum in architecture. Here is the city library with a rich collection of unique books (about 50 thousand volumes). Another Zakynthos square - St. Mark's - is famous for the majestic Catholic Cathedral, next to which is the Solomos House Museum. And the church of St. Nicholas Mola is notable for the fact that St. Dionysius served as a parish priest here. Some of the interesting attractions include the Keri Sea Caves. In them, the water is so pure and emerald that it is difficult to tear your eyes from it. Other natural monuments are the Big and Small Arches of Maratias. They look like real bridges formed by rocks over the sea. But the peak of perfection is the Cote d'Azur, where you can sail by boat.
Conclusion
Having chosen the island of Zakynthos for holidays, tourists will get a lot of unforgettable impressions, have a good time on the coast of the Ionian Sea, take a break from the hustle and bustle of megacities.