The Greek Orthodox Easter – “Pasha” rarely falls on the same day as the Easter of the Catholic and Reformed. But the real problem behind the present situation arose in the 16th Century when the Gregorian calendar replaced the Julian in 46 BC. It took some time until all countries appropriated this calendar (Greece until the early 20th century!). Until today however, the Orthodox churches use the Julian calendar to calculate the so called “Spring day and night equally“ (meaning this special  time when day and night have exactly the same hours) and the subsequent full moon. Therefore they come to a different date, in principle however, they calculate both the Passover as the same: This is always held on the first Sunday after the first full moon of spring (meaning after March 20th).

Green Monday, “Clean Monday” as the Greeks say, is the beginning of Lent. The duration of fasting before Easter, in accordance with the biblical claim of forty days that Jesus Christ is said to have spent in the desert. Only the elder Zakynthians really stick to this fasting. You waive at this time on meat and dairy products. In the “strict” fasting, even oil should not be used for cooking. Also fish and all animals that carry blood are not supposed to be eaten in this period. It has naturalised in the last few years that most people fast only during the Holy Week.

Today “Clean Monday“ is usually with the family, and they either go out for a meatless meal or they go for a picnic – especially families with children. They take homemade paper kites with them and let them fly. They hope their kites rise as high as possible, this will promise good fortune for the coming year. “Clean Monday” is celebrated traditionally outdoors, it symbolises the end of winter and the beginning of the New Year.

The feast of all feasts for the Greeks is Easter. Everyone is trying to celebrate Easter at home with their family. And so many of the Greeks are travelling back to their home villages where the families live, for example Zakynthos.
As from Thursday, the day before Good-Friday, most of the Greeks go to church. On this day, the 12 Gospels are read.

On Good-Friday, early in the morning, the coffin of Christ (the so called „Epitafios“) is decorated, if this has not been done already on Thursday evening after the Mass until the early morning hours. People bring flowers to the church, which are then tied around the “Epitafios”. Later, the flowers are distributed in the “Ikonostasi” for the next Easter.

Midday at 2pm, the hour where Jesus was said to have died, they bear the emblem of the crucified Christ, and start a procession through the city, beginning in the Church of Agios Nikolaos tou Molou – a custom which is otherwise unknown in Greece. By 4 o’clock in the evening or early next morning another procession takes place. Now with the decorated “Epitaph”, the symbol of the tomb of Jesus.

On Saturday, the bells are ringing again to prepare for the celebration of the resurrection. In Zakynthos Town it takes place at midnight on St. Mark’s Square. Here the bishop has to win a race against time. The words of the liturgy, he has to speak so slow or so fast that it is exactly finished by 12pm with the words “Christós anésti” (Christ has risen from the dead). Now the holy light is lit and distributed to all – candle to candle. Bells are ringing in all the city churches, the ships in the harbour toot sirens and firecrackers are lit. All hug each other and pray the “Christós anésti. Then, at home or in a tavern, the traditional Easter soup “Magirítsa”, consisting of lamb offal, rice and egg-lemon sauce, served with red eggs, and much more is eaten. The red eggs are to symbolize the blood of Jesus.

Almost every family slaughters or buys a slaughtered lamb, or a little goat. These are grilled on a long spit on Easter Sunday. In order to have it ready for lunch they start grilling early in the morning.

So Easter for the Greeks is as important to them as Christmas is to us – in the meaning of a celebration for the whole family and a gathering of the complete family.

If you arrive unprepared into the Zakynthian carnival, you will be very surprised in what your eyes will see. It does not seem to be Greek at all, with all that is happening in the streets.  More or less three weeks per year are covered by the carnival, with dances, parties, parades and theatrical performances. Not only in the capital, but on the whole island.

The history of carnival in Zakynthos
The Zakynthian carnival goes back to the Venetian rule over the island. It is believed that it is an imitation of the Venetian carnival and the Italian Commedia dell`Arte. At least one performance of the Commedia dell’Arte is proved to have taken place in 1611 in Crete. After the fall of Handakas (Heraklion) in 1669, many Cretan artists fled to Zakynthos, and had a great influence on art and music, literature and theatre of the island. Wherever the origin of the Zakynthian carnival is, its similarity to the Venetian is obvious.

In the carnival of the 17th Century, it was allowed for the inhabitants to cover their faces with masks and saunter down the streets and squares. The rich organized dance balls, the common people amused themselves in so called „omilies“.
That is the purest and most complex form of popular theatre folk poems, love stories and satires with some current political implications. All roles, including the female, were played by men. They were presented on Zakynthos since the mid-17th Century onwards (1. Omilia took place in 1666 on the main square of Zante town, since 1780 they are also played in the villages. Originally, the performances started on a Sunday morning, at noon on other days. Usually they were held in front of the houses of the rich, and after the performance two masked men collected money from the spectators on the street and on the balconies. Greek and international classical stage plays, broadcasted by local folk poets in Zakynthian dialect, were performed as „omilies“ for example, Erotokritos, Erofili, Romeo and Julieta, The Sacrifice of Abraham, The Hasis, Gianniotes, The lover of the shepherdess, Esme , the Turkish woman, Eugena, etc.

Modern continuation of the tradition
Until the beginning of the 19th Century, the Zakynthian carnival was very famous and visitors from the Peloponnese and from around the country came to this event onto the island. Thereafter, the tradition gradually fell into oblivion until it was successfully revived in recent years. In the villages they rehearse the omilies from Christmas on, and on carnival – from the Thursday before Carnival (Tsiknopempti) until Cheese Sunday (Kyriaki tis Tyrinis) they perform them.
Carnival starts every year on the Sunday of the customs officers and Pharisees, the fifth Sunday before lent. In the three weeks prior to carnival Monday people stop eating meat (Latin carne = meat and vale = goodbye), they are followed by 40 days of fasting, which are called „Sarakosti“, in preparation for Easter.
1. Sunday (Tou Asotou – Gourounokyriaki)
The proclaimers go through the streets and announce the beginning of the Zakynthian carnival. This is followed by the days of the omilies and village funfairs.
Thursday before Carnival (Tsiknopempti)
The king of carnival enters into the capital of the island.
2. Sunday (Piccolo Carnival)
Parade of the street carnival.
3. Friday – Cheese Sunday (Kyriaki tis Tyrinis)
Big Carnival parade with many satirical sketches. Two old Zakynthian traditions were revived in recent years: the „giostra“- a sporting contest on horseback, and the Venetian wedding, both with gorgeous costumes and masks, and with lively participation of the population. Even the special carnival dance, the so called „Gaitanaki“ is performed again. The day ends with the burial of the mask (Povero Carnival). The magnificent funerary reaches down to the pier of the harbour, where the carnival king is burnt.
Green Monday
During the last week of carnival, you can buy octagonal kites everywhere. Now on a Green Monday, people go up to the hills and let them fly. If the weather allows it, a picnic will also take place – as a last dining experience before lent.

Carnival dates Greece 2011:
Tou Asotou – Gourounokyriaki: Sunday, 20 February
Tsiknopempti: Thursday, 24 February
Piccolo Carnival: Sunday, 27 February
Carnival weekends: Friday, 4 March – Sunday 6 March
Green Monday: Monday 7 March

[Zeige als Diashow]

In August the average temperature is 27 ° C in January around 11 ° C. The rainfall in winter on the island is very high (average annual rainfall 984.5 mm). The image of a snow-covered island is rare. The winters are mild and the summers are warm, a compound that promotes the growth of sensitive crops like grape vines, fruit trees, especially citrus trees, and vegetables.

Zakynthos is blessed with numerous wild flowers that show their blooms between March and into June all over the Island. Wild orchids and lavender bushes are one of the richest landscapes in Europe. Only in a small part of the Island will you find forests. In the fertile flat and hilly country the culture of vegetation has dominated for centuries: olives, grapes, currants, orange, lemon, fig, almond, walnut, cherry, apricot, pear and pomegranate trees on the roadside. There are also the occasional sycamores, poplars, tamarisk and mulberry trees.
Characteristic of the highlands is the maquis. Evergreen sclerophylls or stunted trees which vary up to 3m high. In addition to spurge plants and rare roses herbs such as sage, thyme and oregano grow. They all give a very special smell in the summer.

Herbs, spices and wild greens – you can find them everywhere: anise, basil, cardamom, dill, fennel, capers, mint, wild leek, bay leaf, dandelion, oregano, rosemary, sage and thyme. Also, the aromatic mountain tea can be found here.

[Zeige als Diashow]

Christmas is the biggest Christian festival after Easter in Greece. However, unlike for example in Germany, Christmas presents are not exchanged in Greece. This is the job of the Holy Vasilios, which is celebrated on the 1st of January.
Christmas in Greece is also a celebration with the families.  They all come together and it is traditional to eat and celebrate.

On December 25th the whole family goes to the church. Back at home they will then eat the famous “Afgo Lemono” (Zakynthian Food), a special egg-lemon soup with chicken.
The traditional lunch on December 26th on the island of Zakynthos is turkey.

Meanwhile the houses and properties are illuminated colorful and festive. There are flashing lights, climbing Santa’s and colorful illuminated palm trees and shrubs – as nearly everywhere in the world.

New Year’s Eve is celebrated today mostly abroad. In Greece, people gather in the taverns with live music and welcome the New Year in together. In the old tradition men will play cards until dawn (eg, poker or blackjack). They say, the one that wins is lucky at cards for the coming year.

On December 24th and the 1st and 6th of January children will go from house to house, performing their “Kalanda” (Christmas songs). Proceed with their instruments (triangle, guitar and accordion), similar to the carol singers on 6th of January in Germany. They receive a salary for their efforts, which in general is money.

In 1776, Zakynthos counted 93,274 olive trees – statistics from 1880 comes to 413,505 trees! Even the Venetians financially supported each newly planted olive tree with 5 drachmas. Therefore they made sure that the oil yield was increased and more olive oil could be exported to Venice.

Today, about 5 to 7 thousand tons of olive oil is produced on Zakynthos. The quality of the oil is good to very good. Much of the oil is exported to Italy, there it is bottled and often sold as Italian olive oil. In the past few years the Italians have succeeded in achieving higher prices for oil than the Greeks. All over the world Italian olive oil is classed as high quality.

Olive trees usually bear fruit every two years. There are trees on the island of Zakynthos that are older than 2,000 years, and yet always carry a regular fruit.

The olive harvest begins around the end of October. An olive is first green and turns black when it is ripe.

The most popular varieties of olives used for oil production on Zakynthos are:

• DOPIES – they mature very quickly and the oil is black.
• KORONEIKES – come from Koroni (a town on the Peloponnese). They remain green much longer.

The two types are mixed together, but usually they result in the Zakynthian olive oil.

The best-known olive varieties that are suitable for consumption are:

• LEMONOLIES – The name was given to this olive because it has the shape of a lemon.
• KARIDOLES – they have the shape of a walnut.
• MOTHONEIKES – come from Methoni (Peloponnese) and are very thick.

Harvest:
For the harvest, meshed nets are put under the olive trees and the olives are stripped with rakes and beaten with wooden sticks so they fall down on to the net. At the same time the tree is pruned to grow well, and to carry fruit again in 2 years. The olives on the net are collected and placed in sacks. These sacks usually weigh around 50 kgs and bring 7 – 12 litres of olive oil.

In almost every village on Zakynthos, there is an olive press. Each farmer brings his olives there for pressing. To obtain a good quality olive oil, there should be no more than 3 days between the harvest and going to press. The press is usually paid in kind, ie. that about 8% of the virgin olive oil is entitled to the press owner.

Pressing:
First the olives are washed by a machine that also removes the leaves. They are then mashed together with the olive pit. This olive paste is put in a large cylinder, in there the olive paste is rotated for up to 2 hours. This process supports the separation of oil from the fruit. This mass is forced through a thick tube in a centrifuge. Here the separation of oil and water takes place. In the end you have on one side, only the dry remains of the pulp, which serve as fuel or as animal feed, and on the other side, the oil. At the end, the oil passes through several filters that removes all the impurities, thus remains the pressed olive oil. The cold pressing (maximum temperature at 27° C) is considered high-quality edible oil, you can tell by the name “Extra Virgin Oil”. Presses at higher temperatures are used only for low grade oil. This oil may then be used for making soap.

Mythology says that the goddess Athena brought the olive tree to Greece. It is originally from southern Asia, but it was already cultivated in the Minoan period (from 3000 BC) in the Aegean region and in the heyday of classical Athens, it contributed greatly to the richness of the city.
The olive branches were regarded both as a symbol of peace and of victory. Therefore an olive tree branch was presented to the winners of the Olympic Games.

The olive tree is one of the oldest cultivated plants in the Mediterranean and dominates the
typical landscape of Zakynthos. The gnarled evergreen tree reaches 3 to 7 m in height, the tough leathery leaves are dark green on top and the bottom filled with light gray hair and thick scales, so that they shine silver in the sun.
It has branched taproots that reach up to 6 m in depth, which can also supply moisture when the water table has dropped in the summer. As for the soil, the olive tree is very undemanding. However, they only tolerate a few days of frost and must not get colder than -5 ° C maximum.

The Mediterranean is perfect for the olive tree plantations. In summer it needs the drought and lots of sun and in autumn / winter it needs some strong downpours. The yellow-white flowers are visible from May to June. The olives then mature between September and November.
It takes a lot of patience in olive tree cultivation. It does not matter whether you gain it from cuttings or seeds. A tree will carry it’s earliest fruit after 5 years (it may take up to 10 years). The highest yield is achieved after 20 years. With proper care it can survive several centuries, still having a good harvest each time. Olive trees can grow very old.

In addition to olive oil, wine is another important produce of Zakynthos.

Traditionally, the cultivation of grapes is one of the main concerns of the Zakynthians. This comes from ancient times. Even then, Zakynthos was famous for its wines. The Venetians took care of it at the time of their rule to the intensive cultivation of wine grapes.

The wine region starts in the middle part of the north, in the bay of Alykes, and extends to the Gulf of Laganas. Here is the fertile plain of the island where the Zakynthians grow the grapes from which the tasty, local wine is produced. It should be emphasized how important the wine and its culture was, even in ancient times. There were only two crimes that were punishable by death; betrayal, and the black market in wine grapes!

The soil of Zakynthos gives the grapes a very special flavour, so the local wine, Verdea, is much requested. People love to drink it with local feta, served with olive oil. There are currently five major wineries on the island and they produce a very good white wine: Komoutos, Callinico, Oenolpi, Solomos and Korianitis. However, it is mostly red wine grapes that grow on the island. The Zakynthian wine is becoming more and more popular, therefore the wineries are now seeking to export the wine.

The Greeks drink about 45 litres of wine per year. The German wine consumption per head is about 25 litres. Therefore a lot of wine is produced in Greece. Each tavern offers bottles of wine but also their house wines. House wine is usually sold by the kilo, this is equivalent to a litre. The wine is often produced by the tavern owners themselves. Traditionally in Zante they produce a strong rose wine. In the last few years they have concentrated more on making white wines and now more and more red wine is produced. Almost every family makes their own wine. This is something still done in the traditional way: the wine is stamped with the feet.

Wine is usually harvested from the beginning of September. It is mainly the varieties “Skiadopoulos”, “Pavlos”, “Kazakoulias” and “Asproudi” which are harvested at that period. Another variety is harvested at the end of August, this wine is known as “Avgustiatis”.

The patron of the island of Zakynthos:
Agios Dionysios

The Island feast (24.8.)

Backgrounds
The Holy Dionysios was born in 1547 in Zakynthos, son of Nutzios Sigouros and Pavlina Valvi. He was baptized in the name of Draganigos and is of aristocratic descent (one of the leading families of the island).

Since his youth he had been interested in the church. At age 20 he turned away from worldly life and entered the imperial monastery on Strophaden (a small island group in the south of Zakynthos) as a monk.

He became a priest and received the name Daniil, later he was appointed as Archbishop of Aegina and Poros, and given the name Dionysios. Later, he left his throne and returned to Zakynthos, at the Church of Agios Nikolaos tou Molou to act as a simple priest (1583-1586). At old age he retired as a monk in the monastery of Anafonitria until his death on 17 December 1622.

At his request he was buried in the monastery on the Strophaden.
In 1703, the patriarch Gabriel canonized him. August 24th of 1717 his relics – that were kept  in a silver shrine – were brought to the main church of Zakynthos town, which was then named after him and he then became the protector of the island

Today
The coffin will be open five times a year:
at 17.12. – His name day on Theofania (Three-Kingship), Easter, Christmas and on 24.8. – Transfer his relics from the Strophaden to Zakynthos, now the Island feast.

The locals often give their children his name to honour St. Dionysios.
If someone falls ill, the priest will come to cure him with the help of St. Dionysios.

Processions
On the 17th of December – the anniversary of the death of the local patron of Zakynthos – the locals commemorate the saint with a big procession. His relics are borne on this day in a procession accompanied by a band through the city.
The 24th of August, the second major holiday of the patron of Zakynthos, is after Easter, it is the biggest festival on the island. In the afternoon there is a magnificent procession through the streets. It follows a two day festival.
This annual procession is an important event for all believers, not only for the locals, but also for many other Greeks. In 1953, only 11 days after the catastrophic earthquake that  razed the city to the ground, the procession took place every year. The locals all went into the streets and wept for the suffering of the Holy Dionysius and the earthquake and fire that had destroyed their houses. In the procession you find political dignitaries, the ministers, the islanders and many pilgrims who come for the procession in Zakynthos. The Holy Dionysius is also considered a healer. On the streets where the procession passes, dozens of believers kneel down in the faith that they will be cured if the relics pass them. This nocturnal procession is really fantastic. The coloured lanterns light up the night, the priests sing psalms, and bear their solemn priestly vestments and the illuminated tower of the church of St. Dionysios dominates the city, while the locals throw fireworks in the air, to honour the saints.

Agios Dionysios church

In the earthquake of 1953 the church was one of the few buildings in the city that was barely destroyed. The firm conviction of many of the locals is, that St. Dionysios kept his hands protectively over the church. Zakynthos is a place that is closely connected with religion and hence the tradition of the procession.

In August, sometimes even into September, we see the currants spread all over the island infront of the houses. In former times they were put on square wooden frames. Today they use great awnings or meshed networks.

They originally come from the region of Achaia on the Peloponnese, but mid-16 Jh they were also brought on the island of Zakynthos. The Venetian rulers did not like this at all, as since then the back of the cereal production (then still the main crop) was dramatic. However, the currants brought the farmers at that time a lot more profit than the grain.

Currants are produced from small, seedless, black, blue and very sweet grapes. When these are ripe, the harvest takes place in August. Then they are put about 20 days in the hot summer sun, exposed to dry. Even a small rain shower that can occur this time of year, fortunately very rare, can damage the fruit laid out and push its price considerably. If the currants have largely lost their moisture, they will be cleaned with the help of special machines and free of stems and leaves. In former days this was done with a kind of broom, with which they were stirring it for hours. When they are clean, they are packed in bags and taken to the cooperative. A local farmer receives about 80 cents per kilogram currants from the cooperative. Today they are mainly exported to other EU countries.
However, currants from Zakynthos are well known in the UK since the 16th century.
Even in those days they were exported to the UK and sometimes even a special wine was produced out of these sweet grapes.

The “Caretta Caretta” (loggerhead turtle) is still one of the most common turtles in existence. It is found in all tropical and subtropical seas and also in the Mediterranean.

Zakynthos, and especially the Bay of Laganas are among the most important breeding grounds in the Mediterranean. The turtles back is reinforced up to 120 cm and they can reach a weight of 110 kg. They feed mainly on jellyfish, sea urchins and crabs. Like all reptiles they inhale into the lungs and therefore regularly need to get to the surface for air. But it can easily spend several hours under water, for example to sleep.

In recent decades they have been intensively hunted because of their fat (e.g for cosmetics), their meat and eggs, which is now threatening theirr extinction. The WWF (World Wide Fund For Nature) and the Greek Association ARCHELON (the sea turtle protection society of Greece – founded in 1983) now guard, and have done for several years to protect the nesting beaches and teach the tourists as to what should be considered for the preservation of this particular species.

The beaches of Laganas, Kalamaki, Vassilikos, Dafni, Sekania and the islands Marathonissi and Pelouzo are among the most important habitats of Caretta caretta in the Mediterranean. On these beaches you will find find small wire enclosures that look like inverted baskets, they potect a nest in which there are turtle eggs.

In 1999 the “Zakynthos National Marine Park” (ZNMP) was founded and together with local authorities have developed an action plan to protect these reptiles. In the Bay of Laganas (from Keri to Gerakas) there are special drawing rights for development of land, the behavior of man on the beaches as well as sea going vessels.

If the females have reached the age of 20 to 30 years they become sexually mature. They lay their eggs during May to August. The females come to the beach at night, dig a hole about 50 cm deep into the soft sand and lay up to 120 ping pong ball sized eggs, they cover them with sand to camouflage them. This process can be repeated up to three times a season. In general, each female lays her eggs on the same beach where itself was born. This delicate system is seriously disrupted, especially on the beach of Laganas. They shun the beach now completely because of the hype and the buzz in the area. Before tourism began on the island, Lagana beach was one of the largest breeding sites on Zakynthos.

If the females are disturbed during oviposition by lights, noise or  other obstacles (eg tavern lights, sunbeds, umbrellas etc.), they fail to lay their eggs. They may try the same place once more. If still they find no peace to lay their eggs, they will switch to a nearby beach. In the worst case she looses her breeding in the sea.

The hatchlings are usually 3-5 cm small  and come out of the sand at night and orientate on the most brightly lit area – the sea refelcting the moon light.

If the small turtles are irritated by lights on the beach (coming from hotels, bars etc), they run in the wrong direction and die painfully as they dry out. In addition to this human-induced risk, the small turtles are threatened with natural predators such as seabirds and larger fish and their still-soft armor is of no use. It is estimated that of 1000 hatched turtles only one reaches adulthood.

Behavioral measures at the designated nesting beaches:

• Between sunset and sunrise is prohibited to stay on the beach
• Lights that shine from the coast of the sea, are prohibited (car headlights, flashlights etc.)
• Digging in the sand (sandcastles etc.) can destroy nests or can become a deadly trap for the newly hatched turtles
• Umbrellas in the sand can destroy nests that are located below. The shade it prdoduces also reduces the temperatures in the sand so that the natural conditions of the tire and hatching are greatly changed
• Parasols and deck chairs are prohibited on all nesting beaches, with the exception of some well-defined sections in Kalamaki and Gerakas
• The established nest fences should not be removed
• Newly hatched juveniles should not be touched! They must necessarily handle the way to the sea alone, as hard as it sounds
• When driving a boat please note the special laws in the bay of Laganas
• Please keep beaches and water clean, as turtles often mistake plastic bags with jellyfish. If they eat a plastic bag, it will lead to a fatal blockage of the intestine
• For more information visit the information centers that are in operation at various beaches, or check with the administrative center of the Marine Park of Zakynthos Town

Thanks to all the protective measures in the last few years, the welfare now counts an average of 1.300 nests per summer on approximately 5 km of nesting beaches

Regulation on the navigation of the Bay of Laganas with boats:

Maritime Zone A: This zone is completely forbidden for any kind of boats. Furthermore, it is forbidden to anchor or fish by any means.
Maritime Zone B: This zone is the speed limited for boats and water vehicles by 6 knots maximum. It is also not allowed to anchor.
Maritime Zone C: In this zone the maximum speed limit for boats and water vehicles is 6 knots. It is allowed to anchor.

In Dafni there is a very interesting museum that tells visitors all about the sea turtle Caretta Caretta (www.nmp-zak.org).

25 km north of the capital of Zakynthos is the village of Alykes which was a former fishing village. It has now become one of the biggest holiday resorts on the island.

The old fishing port of Katastari has become a popular seaside resort. It lies in a wide sweeping bay. Fortunately it is not yet overcrowded but offers lots of possibilities to enjoy life. On the sandy beach you will find many tourist facilities as well as a big variety of watersports.

The beach of Alykes separates itself from other beaches on the island by a unique facility, the beach is handicapped accessible! It has special “water chairs” with wheels, handicapped persons can cross a special built wheelchair  sheeting over the sand and into the sea.

The name of the village Alykes is derived from the salt mines operated in the vicinity and one is still available to see, they look like a sea beyond the coastline. The salt flats were still in operation until 1995, then they were closed because the returns were too low. Today the area lives almost exclusively from tourism.

A big variety of tourist attractions can be found in this area: Package holiday makers from various countries, Greek tourists and also individual tourists from all over Europe. As soon as the last tourist has gone, the shops and tavernas are closed along the main road. The owners go back to the village of Katastari to spend the winter up in the hills.

The best attraction is the wide sandy beach with two piers. Further north is older and smaller, the newest one is located at the southern end. From this place the locals offer boat trips around the island or to the blue caves and the shipwreck. In the area of Alykes you can find one of the health spas of Zakynthos its name is “Kolosourtis. Along the river “Skourtis” you find the main road leading to Alykes, which is lined with eucalyptus trees. One can cross the river on the beautiful picturesque “Pentakamaro” Bridge (a stone bridge with arches) from the Venetian period.

The beach is especially popular for families with children as it is sandy and shallow. If you walk into the shallow sea and turn around you have a wonderful panoramic view of the western mountains and the village of Katastari. The north end of the beach is quite pebbly but more secluded, you can also see the neighbouring Island of Kefalonia from here.

In each curve of Alykes you encounter paved and unpaved roads leading to small coves and beaches of various kinds:

• Amboula
• Drosia
• Psarou

to name just a few of the many wonderful beaches that are well worth seeing.

Many of these beaches can be reached by bus or taxi. Of course you can also rent cars and bikes in this area to discover them by yourself. You can get boat trips to the “Navajo-wreck” and the” Blue Caves “. In addition, there is also a campground.

Among the water sport activities offered in Alykes you can find:

• Paragliding
• Jet Ski
• Ringo
• Banana Boat
• Fly-Fish
• Water-Ski
• Pedal boats

Enjoy!