A Weekend Getaway in Zakynthos
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After a few long weeks staying with family in the Peloponnese — slow days in my grandfather’s village, cheap meals, familiar rhythms — my mom, my brothers, and I decided we needed a little break.
Not an epic island-hopping adventure. Not a bucket-list itinerary with color-coded plans. Just a quick weekend escape to Zakynthos: an island we’ve visited so many times that the “must-sees” don’t even cross our minds anymore.
This time, it was simply about relaxing on a beautiful island getaway. A reset. A breather. A nice change of scenery.
This post is all about our Zakynthos trip.
Zakynthos Trip
Day 1 — Poolside Reset
We arrived at Zakynthos Town by ferry — the usual shuffle of cars squeezing onto ramps they have no business fitting onto, scooters weaving between everyone, people dragging suitcases, and that unmistakable mix of diesel fumes and sea salt that defines every Greek ferry ride in summer.
The island’s familiar Zakynthos town greeted us with a “we’ve been here enough times to not panic about where to park” kinda way. Kind of crazy that I can say that about places in Greece, I’m so grateful.
We made our way to the next town over, where our apartment rental was waiting. It wasn’t fancy — we’re not luxury-travel people — but it was quiet, breezy, tucked against a hill, and had a killer balcony view. It even had a pool.
After settling in and dropping our bags, none of us felt like doing anything ambitious. This was the whole point of the weekend — no schedule, no pressure, no “we need to see this before sunset!” stress. So we just sank onto the sun loungers and stayed there.
My brothers immediately jumped into the pool like overgrown kids. I planted myself in a lounge chair with my Kindle (lowkey obsessed with it, my luggage is so light now without having to lug around so many books). The sun was warm, the breeze was gentle, and for a few hours it felt like the world slowed down.
When evening rolled around, we got ready and wandered down the hill into town for dinner. This should’ve been simple. Dinner usually is. But instead, we immediately experienced sticker shock — the classic “welcome to the islands” moment.
Just the day before, we were eating full meals in my grandfather’s village for the price of a single appetizer here. Suddenly, menus were full of prices that made us double-take.
We walked in circles, reading menus, and laughing at the ridiculous prices.
Eventually, we found a spot with halfway reasonable prices. The food was nothing life-changing, but perfectly fine.
After dinner, we took our tired selves back up the hill to the apartment, already leaning into the slow, cozy rhythm of the trip.
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Day 2 — Running, Cliff Diving, and the Bluest Water
I woke up early the next morning, determined to squeeze in a run before the island fully came alive. The sunrise was beautiful — that soft, pale morning light that makes everything look gentle, even the most aggressively touristy streets.
But the run also reminded me exactly how touristy Zakynthos can be. Even before 8 a.m., the signs were already there: shops selling inflatable flamingos, beach bars advertising “British Breakfast” and fishbowl cocktails, and menus written in five languages. It’s Greece, but it’s not village Greece.
Still, the quiet streets, the waking island, and the smell of the sea made it a peaceful run. It set the tone for the day.
After breakfast and another lazy pool session — because apparently that was our personality this weekend — we packed into the car and drove about 45 minutes across the island to a rocky spot known for relatively safe cliff diving called Potamitis Dive Spot.
By the time we arrived, I was starving. So while my brothers went exploring, I made a beeline straight to the restaurant called Windmill, perched above the “beach” area. Except calling it a beach is generous.
There was no sand, just a series of flat rocks and cemented ledges carved into the cliffside, each dotted with lounge chairs belonging to the restaurant.
I ordered a pizza — the Greek kind that’s a little softer, a little saltier, and somehow always hits the spot even though you know it’s not authentically Italian. Simple, filling, exactly what I needed.
Once I’d recovered, I made my way down to the water.
The cliff-diving setup had a jump for every bravery level, from “I fear nothing” to “I fear everything.” My bravery level, unfortunately, leans heavily toward the second.
I stared at the high jumps, talked myself into them, talked myself out of them again, and after a dramatic internal battle, I ended up at the baby one.
Then I stood on the edge for what felt like three hours, trying to convince myself to just leap.
When I finally did it, I let out a completely unnecessary scream — and then immediately burst out laughing.
Once I was in the water, all hesitation vanished. The sea here was deep, cool, and so blue it didn’t feel real. I stayed in for at least an hour, floating, swimming, diving down just to see how far I could go, and filming nearly everything on my action camera (with a waterproof case).
It was peaceful and adventurous in a way that only the sea can be.
When the sun dipped behind the hill and the water shifted into that darker, late-afternoon shade, I climbed out and headed back up to the loungers. My brothers were asleep, stretched out like lizards. I pulled out my Kindle again and read while our swimsuits dried in the sun.
We stayed until we were completely sun-warmed, salty, and relaxed in that delicious way only a beach day can create.
On the way back to the apartment, we grabbed takeout gyros — the perfect no-effort dinner — and wrapped up the day exactly how a summer evening should end.
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Skip the overwhelm — I pulled together the must-knows so you don’t have to dig through a million sites.
Day 3 — One Last Run + Returning to the Peloponnese
The next morning, I attempted another early run. This time… not so magical. I hadn’t hydrated properly, the humidity was heavier, and my legs felt like cement. But honestly? It was still a run on a Greek island. Hard to complain too much.
We packed up slowly, did the classic “did anyone leave a phone charger plugged in?” sweep, and headed back to Zakynthos Town.
The ferry ride back to the Peloponnese felt quieter, calmer. There’s always something refreshing about returning to family life after a little escape.
Final Thoughts on our Zakynthos trip
This weekend wasn’t about sightseeing or checking things off a list. It wasn’t about searching for the most photogenic beaches or the “top 10 things to do.” Instead, it was about the reset that happens when you take a familiar place and let it be simple.
Pools instead of plans.
Pizzas instead of reservations.
Quiet swims instead of Instagram hotspots.
Zakynthos can be touristy, chaotic, and definitely pricier than the mainland — but it can also be soft, slow, and unbelievably beautiful if you let it be.
And for a quick getaway with my family, that was exactly what we needed.
