Kalamaki (Zante)

Holidays to Kalamaki are all about peace and quiet. With soft sand and some of the best tavernas on the island, this is Zante at its most laidback.

Traditional charm

Kalamaki is on the south-east coast of Zante, just a couple of kilometres from the airport. The resort has no obvious centre – just a few easy-to-get-around streets and some traditional tavernas dotted about the place. It’s the charm and laidback appeal that rack up its popularity – plus a first-rate beach.

A long stretch of beach

The long stretch at Kalamaki does a kind of beach-share with neighbouring Laganas, so once you’ve gone through the 3 kilometres here there’s plenty more sand to go round. The sea stays nice and shallow, so it’s great for kids. The famous Caretta Caretta turtles like to breed here, too, so if you’re lucky you’ll see one or two out about in the water.

Easy nightlife

Unlike its party-hard neighbour, Kalamaki likes to keep things pretty quiet. A couple of main streets give the place a bit of a buzz, but it’s basically more cocktails at sunset than hard-core nights on the tiles. Poking around the backstreets for hidden tavernas is about as fast as things get in this neck of the woods.

Close to Zante Town

Fifteen minutes by bus and you’re in Zante Town, with its pavement cafés, designer shops and airy museums. It’s quite small for a capital so you’ll easily get round the place in a day. If you follow the narrow streets to the top you’ll find a fortress surrounded by a wood. And there’s always time for a glass of ouzo back at the quayside.