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Discover Zakynthos Town
Zakynthos Town is the beating heart of the island — a harbor capital of arcaded streets, Venetian squares and bell towers set against the green slopes of Bochali hill. Rebuilt with love after the great earthquake of 1953, it kept its soul: the evening stroll along the waterfront, the music drifting from the cafés, the scent of jasmine in the side streets. And the best part? When you stay at Plateia Suites, all of it begins the moment you step out the door.
The Two Squares
Our building stands between the town’s two most beloved landmarks. Solomos Square, open to the sea, is the grandest public space on the island — a wide marble expanse named after Dionysios Solomos, the Zakynthian poet who wrote the Hymn to Liberty, the Greek national anthem. Locals cross it on their evening volta, children chase pigeons past the statue, and the cafés along its edge are made for long, unhurried hours.
A minute away lies Agios Markos (San Marco) Square, the town’s oldest gathering place — small, lively and full of character, watched over by the Catholic church of St. Mark, a reminder of the island’s centuries under Venetian rule.
Museums & Culture
Zakynthos wears its history proudly. On Solomos Square, the Byzantine Museum houses a remarkable collection of icons, carved wooden altar screens and church treasures rescued from the earthquake — a moving record of the island’s artistic golden age. Just off San Marco Square, the Museum of Solomos and Kalvos honors the island’s two great poets, with the tomb of Solomos itself in the ground floor mausoleum. Zakynthos also has a distinctive musical tradition: the kantades, romantic serenades sung in harmony, which you may still hear floating out of a taverna on a warm evening — often unplanned, always unforgettable.
Agios Dionysios & the Waterfront
A pleasant stroll along the harbor brings you to the church of Agios Dionysios, the island’s patron saint, whose tall Venetian-style bell tower is the landmark of the town’s skyline. One of the few buildings to survive 1953, it holds the saint’s relics and some of the finest interior decoration in the Ionian. The waterfront itself is an attraction in its own right — fishing boats and ferries, the evening promenade, and views across the strait to the mountains of the Peloponnese.
Bochali Hill & the Venetian Castle
Rising directly behind the town, Bochali is where Zakynthians go for the view. The little square at the top, ringed with cafés beneath the pines, looks down over the whole town and harbor — magical at sunset, when the lights come on below. A short walk further up, the ruins of the Venetian Castle stand quietly among the trees on the site of the ancient acropolis. On the way, Strani Hill is where Solomos, listening to the cannons of the besieged Missolonghi across the water, was inspired to write the anthem. From Plateia Suites you can walk up in around twenty minutes — or take a five-minute taxi and stroll back down.
Shopping & Local Flavors
Alexandrou Roma, the town’s main shopping street, runs right through the center with everything from boutiques to bakeries under its arcades. Look for the things Zakynthos does best: mandolato (soft nougat with almonds), pasteli, fragrant thyme honey, olive oil and the island’s famous ladotyri cheese. The town’s tavernas serve Zakynthian classics — try sartsa, beef in a rich local tomato sauce — while the cafés around the squares cover everything from Greek coffee to cocktails after dark.
Easy Day Trips
The town is also the perfect base for the island. The beaches of Tsilivi and Argassi are minutes away; boats leave the harbor for the Blue Caves and the world-famous Navagio (Shipwreck) Beach; and the protected bay of Gerakas, nesting ground of the loggerhead sea turtle, lies at the island’s southern tip. Go out and explore all day — your suite in the middle of town will be waiting.
