Zakynthos, or Zante, as it’s known locally, is
one of the more emerald isles in the Ionian
Sea. In times gone by it was called ‘the
Venice of the East’ because of its buildings,
which resemble something out of a Canaletto
painting – you almost feel like casting about
for a gondola to take a ride in.
Like many Greek islands its tenure has
been mixed and colourful, running through
Roman, Ottoman, Byzantine, Turkish and
British rulers. The old town of Zante was
reduced to rubble in the earthquake of
1953, but luckily the locals loved it enough
to do a great restoration job, one that St
Dionysios, the island’s patron saint, would
be justifiably proud of.
Every August the islanders hold a festival
to celebrate their patron saint St Dionysios
(aka St Dennis). This night-time festival
sees the atmosphere charged with Greek
Orthodox fervour as the long-deceased,
strangely preserved, saint is led through the
candle-flickering streets safe and snug in a
glass cabinet – rather like an old-fashioned
Pope-mobile.
But, before you get stuck into Zakynthos’
cultural highlights, you’ll be needing to set
up camp. If, on hearing Tartaruga Camping’s
pack of ferocious guard dogs heralding your
arrival you think Cerberus is at your heels,
be reassured, you couldn’t be further from
Hades; in fact, you may have just happened
upon the Elysian Fields.
Run by Veit and Anna Santner, Tartaruga
boasts one of the best views of any
campsite in Greece; you can gaze down
at the epiphany-inducing sea from the
giddy heights of their al fresco restaurant,
unblemished but for the odd deserted island
and occasional puttering fishing boat.
As if to qualify its pedigree, loggerhead
turtles have chosen the turquoise waters
beside the campsite as a safe enclave in
which to play their mating games. There’s a
floating platform to swim out to and wait on
for the turtles to come, or use Veit’s goggles
and fins, which he leaves by the rocks for
anyone to borrow. There are old diving shots
from the seventies pasted on the walls of
the basic eaterie, which also doubles as a TV
room when there’s a sporting event on.
In summer, when the witchy olive trees are
crawling with children, there are weekly
table-tennis tournaments, with ice cream for
the lucky winners. Anna is a brilliant cook –
if food is made with love, then Aphrodite has
certainly taken up residence in her kitchen.
The menu contains whatever Anna brings
back from her daily visit to nearby butchers
and fishermen, and you can be sure there’ll
be plenty to get your taste buds going.
The mainland feels a long way away, even
though you can see it just over the water.
So, too, do the trampled, over-harvested
tourist traps like nearby Laganas. But here
on the campsite, amongst the chattering of
cicadas, the hypnotic scent of thyme and
calm whispering of pine trees, you could
easily have travelled back 30 years. And
since you’re on the island’s southern tip you
benefit from a much-needed breeze.
When it comes to putting up your tent,
you have a considerable choice of pitches.
You can try a spot in the shadow of pines,
the light around you dappled like a Monet
painting; or set up near the beach where a
fallen olive tree, bleached whalebone-white
by the sun, lies surrounded by sentinel rock
sculptures that look as if they’ve been filched
from the Tate Modern.
Zakynthos or Zante, St Dionysios or St
Dennis – whichever you prefer, Tartaruga
Camping is a tenters’ paradise. Come on in,
the water’s lovely.