Solomos Square & Bochali Castle

37° 47.2′ N · 20° 54.0′ E

Zakynthos Town's grand waterfront square, named for the island-born poet of the Greek national anthem and rebuilt after the 1953 earthquake, faces the yacht quay. Above it, the pine-covered Bochali hill carries a partly ruined Venetian castle with views across both coasts of the island.

Ionian Islands Saronic Gulf & Argolic

Practical

Solomos Square holds the Byzantine Museum and the Dionysios Solomos Museum, where Solomos and the poet Kalvos are buried; Saint Mark's Square is a smaller square just behind it (Wikivoyage, zanteisland.com). Bochali village and the castle are a steep walk or short taxi ride up from the north end of the waterfront; Bochali has several restaurants and is best at sunset or at night, looking down on the lit-up town and harbour. The castle ruins (gates, walls, church ruins, gunpowder store, British-era barracks) sit on the hilltop; OpenStreetMap puts the fortress at 37.7894, 20.8924. ARCHELON runs a sea-turtle information station in Solomos Square in summer.

Best for

A shore walk from the town quay: museums, then sunset from Bochali

Practical

Best for

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