A Greek chorus of delight

The Ionian island of Zakynthos offers idyllic coastlines, a wonderfully relaxed ambience and a wealth of history, although it’s not all paradise, writes Isabel Conway

The Greek island of Zakynthos, which the Venetians called the Flower of the Orient
Navagio or Shipwreck Beach, with its abandoned smuggler ship Pic: Getty

The Greek sky turns an ominous dark grey, then navy blue, and a mini-twister appears to be taking shape on the horizon. Homer’s “great gulf battered by winds of every direction” has eerily come to life on the Ionian island of Zakynthos, more renowned for sparkling azure seas and golden sunsets than Irish-style summers.

And here’s the rub: now battling against this unusual late ...