Passing Kefalonia and continuing south, we find the island of Zakynthos, which, despite its size, is quite well developed.  It is a very popular destination for many nationalities of tourist, due to its variety of resorts, offering many types of accommodation and activities.  Zakynthos is well known among the Greek population for its traditional Easter celebrations - after midnight everyone gathers at the capital’s centre and participates in activities, such as moving people’s cars around and throwing certain ceramic vases from balconies, which many find most amusing. This event carries on until the early hours! 

Zakynthos is also well known for its traditional songs, Kantades, which one can enjoy in the traditional restaurants on the Bohali hill, along with the panoramic view of Zakynthos town and nearby resorts.  Kantades are the characteristic songs of the Ionian island region, which have been influenced by Italian music and are sung by men with deep voices using Greek lyrics. The songs usually speak of the islands, comparing one to another in a most comical way, and have been passed on from generation to generation ever since Venetian rule.  Each of the Ionian Islands has maintained its own Kantades up to a certain degree and they cherish them in their own way.  However Kefalonia and Zakynthos seem to have kept them alive and to continue their tradition in a slightly more passionate manner.

After Corfu, Zakynthos is the second most popular of the Ionian Islands, as far as tourism goes.  Much has been done for the tourist industry and it is a favourite destination for younger age groups due to the large variety of nightclubs it offers, compared with the size of the island.  In fact, one might say that enough has been made in terms of tourism and from now on most people are focusing on building private homes and establishing other types of business not related to tourism. During the winter season, there is still some activity and in recent years both Kefalonia and Zakynthos have opened new university branches which have brought many students to the islands. In spite of the island’s development, there are still many areas which remain absolutely unspoilt, especially to the north of Zakynthos. 

In the north western part of the island, after passing the small picturesque villages on the mountainside we reach a most breathtaking cliff, at the bottom of which lies one of the most beautiful beaches of the Ionian region, Navagio, other-wise known as “Shipwreck”. Continuing south, right below Peloponnesus, is the island of Kithira. This island seems to be the most isolated and forgotten island in the Ionian Sea, mainly due to its posi-tion, which is almost equally close to Peloponnesus, Crete and Piraeus.  For this reason, Kithira is the only Ionian island which has been as much influenced by the Venetian era as by Turkish rule which mainly spread through the Aegean Islands. 

This influence is obvious throughout the island’s architecture, where one may see a combination of the Ionian characteristics, which involve a great variety of colours, and the Aegean characteristics, which consist of pure whites and blues.  One can get to Kithira by boat from Neapoli and Gythio (Peloponnesus) and from Piraeus. There are also flights from Athens. 

Kithira, however beautiful, is the most underdeveloped Ionian island and for this reason there isn’t a great deal of tourism.  There is a lot of natural beauty which is the main attraction to the island. There are only a few places to stay, restaurants and caf?s which are open mainly during the summer period. The island's permanent residents number around 3000, consisting mainly of elderly people. Much needs to be done to improve living standards and the island's quality of life in general, such as reconstruction of the electricity and telephone networks, among other things. Nevertheless, Kithira, along with the rest of the Ionian Islands, still contributes to the unique beauty of Greece.