Zakynthos, also known as Zante, is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea that became world-famous through a single photograph — the rusting shipwreck sitting in the turquoise water of Navagio Bay. But the island has far more to offer than that one shot: Blue Caves, a protected sea turtle coastline, and a town tucked between green mountains and the sea.
✈️ Flying from Tbilisi to Zakynthos
There's no direct flight from Tbilisi to Zakynthos — the most practical route runs through Athens, followed by a roughly 50-minute domestic hop to Zakynthos Airport (ZTH) on Aegean Airlines or Sky Express. An alternative is a bus from Athens or Patras to the port of Kyllini on the Peloponnese, then a ≈1.5-hour ferry across to Zakynthos.
Seasonal charter flights sometimes run directly from a handful of European hubs to Zakynthos in summer — worth checking a few months before you fly.
🛂 Visa and money
Greece is part of the Schengen area, and Georgian citizens with a biometric passport can enter Schengen visa-free within the 90/180-day rule — see the visa-free countries guide and the 90/180 rule explained. Currency is the euro.
🚢 Navagio — the famous bay you can only see from the water
Navagio Bay isn't reachable by land at all — the only way in is a day boat tour from Porto Vromi or Zakynthos Town. Above the bay, on the clifftop, sits the famous panoramic viewpoint where the turquoise water and the shipwreck are visible from above — and that spot is reachable by road.
- Boat tours usually run 4-6 hours and often stop at the Blue Caves too
- An early morning tour in summer means the smallest crowds
- The clifftop viewpoint is free and reachable by car or taxi
💙 The Blue Caves and the island's northeast
Near the village of Volimes, at the island's northern tip, sunlight refracting through the water gives the Blue Caves their striking color. Tours leave from here too, often bundled together with a Navagio stop.
🐢 Laganas Bay — a sanctuary for sea turtles
Laganas Bay National Marine Park is one of the most important breeding grounds in the Mediterranean for loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta). Some beaches restrict nighttime access during summer to protect nesting turtles — please respect the local rules.
🏘️ Zakynthos Town and the Bochali viewpoint
Rebuilt almost entirely in Venetian style after the 1953 earthquake, Zakynthos Town is a pleasant place to wander, with red-tiled roofs and grand cathedrals. Above the town, the Bochali hill offers the best panorama of the town and bay, next to the ruins of a Venetian fortress.
🗓️ Best season and budget
May-June and the second half of September are the best windows — the sea is already warm, without the crowds and heat of July-August. Mid-range hotels run ≈$60-130 a night in season, and a rental car is close to essential for exploring the island.
For other Ionian and Aegean islands, see Tbilisi to Corfu, Tbilisi to Santorini and Tbilisi to Rhodes. Arrange travel insurance before you fly, and search fares on Travel365's price calendar.
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