Passengers traveling by ferry to Zante, arrive at what the Venetians call “the Blossom of the Orient”!
The naming of course does not only refer to the landscape full of flowers but also to literature and arts in general which shaped the romantic image of the island. Several significant Greek poets like Dionysios Solomos and Andreas Kalvos were born on the island. Despite the flourishing of painting in the 17th century and the foundation of the school of Zante, music still holds the first place in the hearts of the people of Zante. Zakynthian Kantada (local type of song) is still being sung all over the island.
Tourists traveling to the destination Zante have plenty to see. Many sights are waiting for the visitors to be admired. The Solomos square, the Byzantine Museum, the Agios Markos square and many churches like Agios Nikolaos tou Molou, Agios Dionysios, Agios Markos and Agios Georgios are only some of the sights worth seeing. The enormous earthquake in 1953 unfortunately destroyed major parts of the island but luckily, the sights mentioned above were spared from the catastrophe.
Ferry routes to Zante start from Kyllini, in the Peloponnese peninsula. Tourists can travel to Kyllini by bus or by train. During the summer months, tourists have the opportunity to take a boat ride from Zante to Kefalonia Island. That is easy because the distance to Kefalonia is only 8 nautical miles. The distance between Zante and Kyllini is 10 nautical miles.