Walk 10 minutes north past the main resort area — you'll find a quieter stretch of sand where the beach bars thin out and locals tend to set up for the day.
Alykanas Beach — Northern Comfort
Quick Facts
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| 📍 Location | North coast, 16km from Zakynthos Town |
| 🏖️ Type | Fine golden sand |
| 📏 Length | ~800 m |
| 🌊 Water | Good |
| 🏊 Swimming | Very safe (extremely shallow) |
| ☀️ Season | May-October, any time of day |
| 🅿️ Parking | Free car park behind beach |
| 🍴 Service | Sunbeds, umbrellas, beach bars, water sports |
| 👶 Kids | Yes — one of the best for small children |
| 🐢 Wildlife | Occasional loggerhead turtles offshore |
Alykanas is the kind of beach that makes you understand why package holidays to Greece became a European institution. Soft sand, water so shallow you can walk out a hundred metres, enough beach bars to keep you hydrated, and absolutely zero drama getting here. It’s not the most spectacular beach on Zakynthos — but sometimes spectacular is overrated when you just want a straightforward day by the sea.
What Awaits You
About 800 metres of fine golden sand backed by low dunes and the hotels of the Alykanas resort. The water is the real selling point: genuinely shallow, warming quickly in the sun, and staying calm even when the wind picks up elsewhere around the island. Parents of small children love this place for good reason.
The beach is well organised without being overdeveloped. You’ll find sunbeds and umbrellas for rent (roughly €6-10 per set), a handful of beach bars and tavernas serving the usual Greek summer fare, and water sports at the eastern end — pedal boats, kayaks, and the occasional banana boat operation. Nothing extreme, everything accessible.
The vibe is relaxed family resort rather than party beach. You’ll hear more German and English than Greek, but the quality of the sea and sand transcends nationality.
Getting There
From Zakynthos Town, follow the coastal road north through Tsilivi and continue towards Alykes. Alykanas is signposted — about 16 km, 20-25 minutes by car. There’s a decent-sized car park behind the beach (free, but fills by mid-morning in August).
By bus: Local services run from Zakynthos Town to Alykanas several times daily in season (about €2.50 each way). The stop is a 5-minute walk from the beach.
On foot from Alykes: The neighbouring resort is just 15 minutes walk south along the coast if you fancy stretching your legs and comparing beaches.
Facilities
Alykanas has everything a family needs:
- Sunbeds & umbrellas: Multiple operators, reasonable prices
- Beach bars: 3-4 options serving drinks and light meals
- Water sports: Pedal boats, kayaks, occasional banana boat
- Showers: Available at some beach bars
- Toilets: At beach bars and tavernas
- Parking: Free car park behind the beach
Insider Tips
The northern end of the beach is quieter. Most day-trippers and hotel guests cluster around the central section where the main beach bars are. Walk 10-15 minutes north and you’ll find more space, fewer paid sunbeds, and a more relaxed atmosphere.
For genuinely good food, skip the beach bars and walk 5 minutes inland to the tavernas in Alykanas village. The seafood at the family-run places is fresher and cheaper than anything served with sand between your toes.
If you’re staying in Alykes, consider walking here for a change of scenery — the coastal path is pleasant and you’ll discover some semi-wild stretches of beach between the two resorts.
Best Time to Visit
For families with young children: June and September — warm water, manageable crowds, the full shallow-water benefit without peak-season chaos.
Peak season: July-August. Busy but manageable — the beach is long enough to absorb the crowds. Arrive before 10:30 AM for a good spot.
Off-season: May and October — very quiet, some facilities may be reduced, but the sea is still swimmable.
Tourist vs Local Perspective
Tourists treat Alykanas as a reliable, no-surprises beach day. Locals from Zakynthos Town will tell you it’s “nice enough” — not the beach they’d take visitors to impress them, but perfectly adequate for a practical family outing. The locals who do come here tend to be from the north-coast villages, treating it as their local.
What Alykanas lacks in drama it makes up for in consistency. The water is always calm, the sand is always soft, and the sunsets over the northern Ionian are reliably beautiful. Sometimes that’s exactly what you need.
