Zakynthos or Zante is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea. It is the third largest of the Ionian Islands. According to Greek mythology and reports in the Iliad and the Odyssey of the ancient Greek poet Homer, the island was said to be named after Zakynthos, the son of the legendary Arcadian king Dardanus, who first inhabited the island with his army.
The island's nickname is "the Flower of the Levant", bestowed upon it by the Venetians who were in possession of Zakynthos from 1484 to 1797.
The mild Mediterranean climate and plentiful winter rainfall endow the island with dense vegetation. The principal agricultural products are olive oil, currants, grapes and citrus fruit.
The Bay of Laganas is the site of the first National Marine Park and the prime nesting area for loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) in the Mediterranean.
Zakynthos hosts millions of tourists from around the world, especially during the summer time, who wish to explore the natural beauty of the island including its famous beaches such as the shipwrech beach (Nauagio), which is listed among the best beaches in the world