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Zante Greece: Discover the beautiful island of Zante |
Zante is the most
southern island of the six other Ionian Islands and the third largest
after the Ionian Islands of Kefalonia and Corfu.
It is the eleventh bigger island of Greece with a total area of 406 square kilometres and the second in population for it has approximately 35.000 inhabitants. The island of Zante is lying at 17 nautical miles west of the Peloponnese and 13 nautical miles south of the island of Kefalonia. The Venetians gave to Zante the name of “Fioro di Levante”, meaning “Flower of the Orient” because the island is characterised by a rich and dense vegetation as well as pine covered mountains and a lot of fertile plains. |
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This rich vegetation
is created by the climate of the island which is mild and Mediterranean,
characterised by many rainfalls in winter and a lot of sunshine during
summer. Zante is a fertile island with an important agricultural production. Olives, vineyards and citrus are the main cultivations of the island. Apart from the agriculture, the inhabitants of Zante live from the growing tourism.
The island of Zante is famous because it is welcoming the endangered specie of sea turtle called Caretta-Caretta which goes on its beautiful beaches during their reproduction period. |
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The international agreements and the Greek legislation are protecting
the sea turtleZante is also famous for its superb golden sandy beaches
such as Vassilikos, Laganas, Tsilivi and Alykes. Many of the beaches
of the island have been turned into lively beach resorts which are
proposing various hotels, cafes, bars and restaurants; fortunately,
others have been declared protected areas for the reproduction of
the Caretta-Caretta and, like this, have managed to keep their natural
beauty and wildness.
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