The 2022 vacation brought us to #Zakynthos - Greece. Previous excellent experiences in the capital, Athens and exciting relaxation in Samos, formed the basis for deciding to add this beautiful destination to and then check it off our bucket list. Bright weather, pleasant temperatures and anything but everyday adventures in the last days of September and the first of October. The beginning of autumn - stormy sultry.

I tried to make a selection of the places we visited and, in random order, a top 5 was created. Apart from these locations, the entire island is well worth a visit. Whether you want sun, sea and beach, an active vacation with (water) sports and amazing walks or want to enjoy culinary delights in what makes the Greeks Greek, the leafy landscape, the authentic architecture and the idyllic infrastructure make Zakynthos a paradise place that has won a place in our hearts. Get in our Skoda and let yourself be thrilled - have fun!

The island of Cameo is privately owned and therefore there is an entry fee of five Euro per person. For this amount, a photo is shot that, as a keychain, is a souvenir you will never forget. The island is accessible via a long footbridge and has one tiny beach. In the high season, there are regularly 'white parties' for dance fanatics and the island is also a very popular location for weddings and parties. By the way, it pays to bring your own refreshments, as the uninhabited island also has an unmanned bar. The view is absolutely wide and huge, and impressive, too.

On the headline picture you can see Alikes beach. The characteristic colors of the umbrellas are also reflected in the Greek flag and the sea is pleasantly warm and cool at the same time. At the various restaurants and beach bars, you can rent beds that are available free of charge with a certain amount of refreshments. Just behind this beach, the salt wines are dry at the time of our visit, but definitely worth checking out. Between these two attractions, a long boulevard with many refreshments and forms of entertainment.

Keri is a place name that you'll see no less than three times in Zakynthos. There's Keri Beach, Keri Town and Keri Caves. At this last location, the shot on the right was shot; azure water due to the limestone, beautiful caves due to erosion and ultimate peace because of the silence and vastness of the whole. There is a road of about two kilometers from Keri Town towards the lighthouse, from where you can take in this view. At a later time, we took a closer look at the Keri Caves during a boat trip in search of the Caretta Caretta (turtle), which occupies an extraordinary breeding area here. Keri city has been voted the most picturesque town in Greece and, because of that status, has frozen the time frame. Everything is about the tourist and instagram idiots are well catered for here. Keri Beach is the place to be if you want to book a trip on the water. There are several companies - which don't like each other's eyes - that offer activities ranging from a motorboat (with or without a captain), water sports, organized trips around the island or to specific spots and more of the same. Take a good look at Google or TripAdvisor before you work with a company;

This is the access road to Limnionas Beach. A rocky beach, certainly not a rocky beach, with steep cliffs, high cliffs and clear blue, almost transparent waters. There is plenty of opportunity to take a dip, paddle or sunbathe or sleep in the shade. Sun beds and umbrellas are available in the higher part, the lower and closer the water you get, the more primitive the landscape is. The sea is enclosed like an enchanting bay and has several caves where you can swim and even get a berth in the shelter of the vault. The road there - and back, therefore - is one with many rises and falls, hairpin bends and beautiful views.

The most famous and probably most photographed point in Zakynthos is, without a doubt, Shipwreck Bay. It is a bay, there is a shipwreck and yes, you must have seen it.

Of course, there are plenty of opportunities to walk on the beach in the bay, board the stranded ship and capture yourself like the mastodon, but like busloads of Japanese people, we chose to admire things from above. It takes you half an hour of your life to stand in line before you're behind a tiny gate from where you have just the right angle to take a picture, but if you can see the fun of it and, in addition, if you're trained at Schiphol, it's long on your feet to get somewhere coming, is it really more than worth it. From here you also have a very interesting sunset and, in any case, it is a beautiful part of the island to visit in combination with the nearby monastery, which is still in operation.

The last tip for a trip to Zakynthos is Xigia Beach. A natural spa, a source of inspiration and beneficial to well-being due to the high concentration of sulphur in the water. The beach has 20 sun beds with space for 40 people, and there is a particularly pungent, unpleasant smell. However, when you're through the first ten minutes, you won't smell it anymore. There is a restaurant fifty meters above your head and if you order something to eat or drink there, they lift it down with a wicker basket so you can relax on the beach. From time to time, groups come by bus to immortalize the beach for ten minutes and just as often you see boats sailing by or mooring to catch your breath.

So much for my overview of breathtaking points of interest - more about this island later!