Grecian wonder - Zakynthos

Of the Greek Islands, Zákynthos, southernmost of the six core Ionian islands, currently teeters between underdevelopment and indiscriminate commercialization. Much of the island is still green and unspoiled, but the development in some resorts is threatening to spill over into the quieter parts.

The island has three distinct zones: the barren, mountainous northwest; the fertile central plain; and the eastern and southern coasts which house the resorts. The big resort - rivalling the biggest on Corfu - is Laganás , on Laganás Bay in the south, a 24-hour party venue that doesn't give up from Easter until the last flight home in October. There are smaller, quieter resorts north and south of the capital, and the southerly Vassilikós peninsula has the best countryside and beaches, including exquisite Yérakas .

Although half-built apartment blocks are spreading through the central plain, this is where the quieter island begins: farms and vineyards, ancient villages and the ruins of Venetian buildings levelled in the 1948 and 1953 earthquakes. The island still produces fine wines, such as the white Popolaro, as well as sugar-shock-inducing mandoláto nougat, whose honey-sweetened form is best. Zákynthos is also the birthplace of kantádhes , the hybrid of Cretan folk song and Italian opera ballad that can be heard in tavernas in Zákynthos Town and elsewhere. It also harbours one of the key breeding sites of the endangered loggerhead sea turtle at Laganás Bay. The loggerhead is the subject of a continuing dispute between tourism businesses and environmentalists, which has caused an international political scandal and even provoked a bomb attack against the environmentalists.

The town, like the island, is known as both ZÁKYNTHOS and Zante. This former "Venice of the East" ( Zante, Fior di Levante , "Flower of the Levant", in an Italian jingle), rebuilt on the old plan, has bravely tried to re-create some of its style, though reinforced concrete can only do so much.

At least ten pleasure craft offer day-trips around the island from the quay in Zákynthos town for ?9-15. All take in sights such as the Blue Caves at Cape Skinári, and moor in Tó Naváyio ( Shipwreck Bay ) and the Cape Kerí caves. You might want to shop around for the trip with the most stops, as eight hours bobbing round the coast can become a bore. Check also that the operators actually take you into the caves.

Zákynthos is a working town with limited concessions to tourism, although there are hotels and restaurants aplenty, and it's the only place to stay if you want to see the island by public transport. The bus station is one block back from the seafront, about halfway along it. On the front nearby, the tourist police have a fairly welcoming office (daily 7.30am-9.30pm; tel 06950/27 367) in the main police station, which can supply basic information and help people find accommodation. The Roomowners Association (tel 06950/49 498) can also be contacted for accommodation around town and all over the island. Of the central hotels , the Egli , on Loútzi (tel 06950/28 317; ?34-42) is the bargain, tucked in beside the gargantuan and more expensive Strada Marina (tel 06950/42 761, fax 28 733; ?59-72). There are quieter hotels in the Répara district beyond Platía Solomoú: try either the Plaza (tel 06950/48 909, fax 45 733; ?59-72) or the classy Palatino , Kolokotróni 10 (tel 06950/27 780, fax 45 400, palatzak@otenet.gr ; ?73 and upwards), both near the municipal lido. Cheaper options at the back of town include the functional Apollo , Tertséti 30 (tel 06950/42 838; ?34-42), opposite the post office, and the cosier Haravyi pension, Xanthopoúlou 4 (tel 06950/23 629; ?24-33) further south. Most of the restaurants and bars on the seafront and Platía Ayíou Márkou are bedevilled by traffic, although the seafront Psaropoula does fine meat and fish, and the pricey but elegant Komis , across the quay from Áyios Dhionysios, serves unusual seafood dishes and is far enough away from the bustle. First stop though, should be the friendly Arekia beyond the lido, which offers succulent taverna staples and nightly kantádhes . The neighbouring Alivizos also specializes in island cuisine and music, and the Green Boat further along serves up quality fare at a snip. When the bored teens get off their bikes, they go clubbing to bars like Base on Ayíou Márkou, which plays anything from Miles Davis to Philip Glass, or the Jazz Café , on Tertséti which, despite plundering the London jazz club's logo, is actually a techno bar with DJ and token cover charge.

Platía Solomoú is home to the town's library , which has a small collection of pre- and post-quake photography, and the massive Zákynthos Museum (Tues-Sun 8am-2.30pm; ?2.35), sometimes referred to as the Byzantine Museum, most notable for its collection of artworks from the Ionian School, the region's post-Renaissance art movement, spearheaded by Zakynthian painter Panayiotis Doxaras. The movement was given impetus by Cretan refugees, unable to practise under Turkish rule. It also houses some secular painting and a fine model of the town before the earthquake.

Zákynthos's other main attraction is its massive kástro , brooding over the hamlet of Bóhali on its bluff above the town. The ruined Venetian fort (daily 8am-7.30pm in summer, 8am-2pm in winter; ?1.50) has vestiges of dungeons, armouries and fortifications, plus stunning views in all directions. Its shady carpet of fallen pine needles makes it a great spot to relax or picnic. Below the kástro walls, Bóhali has a couple of good though expensive tavernas, some hosting nightly kantádhes , although Zakynthian driving habits make the thirty-minute walk from town a risky business after dark. The ugly new amphitheatre on the road up from town sometimes hosts concerts. Further towards the kástro the Maritime Museum (daily 9.30am-2.30pm & 6.30-10.30pm; ?2.35) contains plenty of naval paraphernalia and presents an interesting chronological history of Hellenic seafaring.