We've just come back from a 1 week holiday in Zakynthos. We'd never been before so didn't know what to expect. Naturally we thought it couldn't compete with Plakias. Well, I have to say we thoroughly enjoyed our stay and found it was better than Crete for some things. Unfortunately our last minute deal meant we were in the centre on Tsilivi. Not a bad resort but earplugs definitely needed if you want some sleep. That aside, the weather was glorious. Being a small island, there is less chance of clouds forming and we didn't see one the whole week (other than in the distance, over Kefalonia). The food was excellent and prices were lower than I remember in Plakias. Not more than 30 Euro, typically for the two of us, including a litre of house red. Mythos was 2.50 Euro for 500cl. We hired a car for 3 days - plenty to see, very quiet once out of the resorts and stunning scenery on the west coast. It was great not having the long distances you can face, getting anywhere in Crete. The shorter flying time and a 20 min. transfer time were big plusses for a 1 wk holiday. The only down side was the lack of decent naturist beaches. We didn't get to Garakas but the one east of Kalamaki was a long walk to a desolate strip of stones. Walking was quite good although not up to Plakias standards. We would certainly consider Zakynthos again, but going to a quieter resort like Keri or Vassilikos
