Kalamaki

Why Go

Just twenty minutes from the airport, families love the atmospheric Zante holiday resort of Kalamaki, with its picturesque olive groves and gardens and its soft sandy beach you'll share, now and then, with visiting loggerhead turtles. It's a quiet and sophisticated place, perfect for leisurely summer holidays in Greece and not much given over to showy histrionics.

Its position, close to the capital, and closer still to the island's busiest resort, the lively pleasure zone of Laganas, makes it ideal for those who don't want to sacrifice creature comforts, a dash of excitement and all those facilities you'll need to keep boredom at bay, while, at the same time, ensure a relaxing break.

Nightlife is relatively low-key, but the bars and clubs of Laganas are just three kilometres away. That said, Kalamaki holidays aren't entirely dead at night - there's enough in the way of tavernas and bars here to make evenings enjoyable, without ever really spoiling the charm of this self-contained, handsome resort.

Reassuringly, Kalamaki has maintained its traditional Greek atmosphere, with the relaxed and slow place of life still easy to fall in tune with, despite its recent and increasing popularity with families and couples in need of a recharge, and a sedate island break. The beach forms part of Laganas bay and is a nice sandy stretch with gently shelving water. Parts of this beach are restricted for the turtles to use as a breeding ground, but there's still enough sand to go around.