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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

The cultivation and development of olive trees is favored by the Mediterranean and temperate climate of Zakynthos, the frequent rainfall and the without large fluctuations temperature. Climatic conditions contribute to the production of olive oil with excellent organoleptic properties, high quality and high content of polyphenols.

An important role in the production of quality olive oil in Zakynthos plays the sunshine, the soil moisture that exists during the critical season of fruiting and fruit ripening, and the high relative humidity of the atmosphere. The soils of Zakynthos are very fertile and relatively high in calcium.

Olives are cultivated almost all over the island and the main olive variety is the Koroneiki, which produce olive oil of exceptionally low acidity, with a deep, bright green color with a bittersweet taste and a smooth taste feeling of various fruits. Also called “the queen of olives”, Koroneiki olives are considered and are recognized globally as one of the preferred varietals for oil production.

 

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