> Hike the full Zakynthos Trail in 6 days
> Discover the island’s best-kept secrets far from the beaches
> Accommodation before and after in Zakynthos town included
From the olive groves of Laganas to the rugged cliffs above Shipwreck Beach, the Zakynthos Trail shows a completely different side of this Greek island. Think quiet inland villages, ancient paths, hilltop monasteries, and views that drop straight into the Ionian Sea. This six-day trek is your invitation to meet the real Zakynthosbeyond the postcards and beach bars.
This version of the Zakynthos Trail is made for intermediate hikers who want to experience the full island loop on foot. You’ll start and finish in Zakynthos town, and each day brings new terrain, from rolling hills to forest paths and coastal viewpoints. Accommodation is arranged from start to finish, including two nights in Zakynthos town so you can simply lace up and go.
After landing in Zakynthos the warm air and easy island vibe hit you right away. There is no rush, just time to arrive, breathe en let your shoulders drop. Today is all about settling in, finding your feet in the town and enjoying the first glimpses of the bright blue Ionische Zee.
From the airport or harbour you stroll towards the centre, passing small shops, chapels and café terraces. Maybe you pause for a cold drink on the waterfront or wander through the narrow streets around the main square. With an ice cream in hand it already feels like you belong here.
Your accommodation sits in or near the historic heart of town, so everything is within walking distance. After check in you can shower, unpack and head out again for an evening walk along the promenade. In a nearby taverna you raise a first glass to the days of hiking ahead.
You leave the harbour town and wander slowly out of the bustle towards the south coast. The sea stays close by while chapels, cafés and small squares slide past. It is an easy, mostly flat start that lets your legs find a rhythm without asking too much. Perfect as a first real walking day, with plenty of time to look around and feel the island calm sink in.
After the waterfront the route slips into quieter backstreets and residential lanes. You pass bakeries and small shops, then follow calm roads towards the airport, where planes sometimes rumble low overhead. Beyond the runway you weave through Kalamaki between olive groves and holiday houses. The air grows saltier, the traffic picks up a little and the wide curve of the bay appears ahead of you.
Near the first hotels and beach bars you drift into the busy heart of the resort. You follow the main street or a quieter side road until your accommodation appears between the neon signs and palm trees. Once checked in you can drop your pack, trade boots for flip flops and wander down to the long sandy beach for a swim or a cold drink at sunset.
You start by leaving the beach vibes behind and turning your back on the busy shoreline. Step by step the noise fades and the landscape feels more rural, with olive trees, stone walls and sleepy white houses. It is a day that gently pulls you uphill, swapping sun loungers and music for quiet lanes, birdsong and wide views over the bay behind you.
The route follows small roads and paths through the outskirts of the resort and on towards villages like Lithakia. A steady climb of roughly 300 meters draws you away from the coastal plain into rolling hills, never brutal but long enough to wake up your legs. The higher you come, the more the Laganas Bay and the protected turtle beaches spread out below, framed by terraces, chapels and fields full of olives and vines.
Near the end the road becomes quieter and the houses more traditional. A last gentle rise brings you into a compact hilltop village with a church square, a few cafés and slow village life. Your accommodation is tucked between stone houses and balconies, the kind of place where you can drop your pack, sit outside and watch the evening arrive over the valley.
You wake up in a quiet hill village and set off towards the northern coast. It feels like a real crossing of the island, from rougher highlands to softer farmland and finally the sea again. The route is a bit longer and more varied today, with that nice feeling of really going somewhere as views keep opening to different sides of the island.
You roll out of the village on narrow lanes between vineyards, olive groves and scattered farms. The route climbs gently towards the central ridge near the Vrachionas massif, with open views and the smell of pine and wild herbs. After the high point a long descent of more than 400 meters carries you down through greener valleys, orchards and small villages, with the blue shimmer of the sea slowly growing in front of you.
In the last stretch you enter a relaxed seaside village where life turns around the waterfront. You follow quiet streets towards the beach and soon spot your accommodation among tavernas, cafés and small shops. Once checked in you can trade boots for sandals and end the day with a swim or a drink while the light softens over the bay.
Today the route links a relaxed beach village on the north coast back to the island’s main town. It feels like a gentle finale, with easy paths, a few rolling hills and plenty of sea views. You swap sandy bays and quiet streets for a mix of coast, farmland and finally the lively waterfront and church towers of the harbour again.
From the seafront you first follow the shoreline past the salt flats and small harbours full of fishing boats. Later the route turns inland over quiet rural lanes between citrus trees, vineyards and olive groves. A series of short climbs, together around 250 meters, keep the legs active and reward you with regular views over the Ionian Sea and nearby villages like Tragaki and Tsilivi.
Closer to town you pass suburbs and reach the viewpoint of Bochali, with a brilliant panorama over the harbour and tiled roofs below. A final descent brings you down into the familiar streets by the waterfront. Your accommodation is in or near the centre, an easy stroll from the promenade where you can toast the end of the hiking loop.
Your final day on Zakynthos starts slowly, without a route to follow. There is time for one more coffee on the square, a short wander along the harbour and a last glimpse of the hills you crossed. Bags are packed, legs pleasantly tired and your head still half in trail mode, even while everyday life is already knocking on the door.
Depending on your travel plans you stroll through familiar streets towards bus stop, taxi or transfer. The same chapels, cafés and viewpoints that greeted you at the start now feel like old acquaintances. Maybe you grab a pastry from the bakery, wave at a harbour cat or sneak in one last photo of colourful houses and boats before turning your steps away from the water.
At the harbour or airport you reach the true end point of this journey. Check in, drop your pack for the last time and watch the island slowly slide into the background noise of announcements and rolling suitcases. Once you are in the air or on the ferry, Zakynthos shrinks to a patch of blue and green, with your days of walking tucked safely in memory.
