Kalamaki Beach
Best for. Families and calm seekers who want a long, soft, Blue Flag beach with gentle water and far fewer crowds than the Laganas strip a short way along the same bay.
Best spot. The eastern end below the low cliffs, where the sand is soft and the water shelves gently, settled in the morning before the afternoon fills.
Know this. Kalamaki is a protected nesting beach, so sunbeds are cleared each night for the turtles, beach setups keep near the front, and only paddle powered water craft are allowed.
Kalamaki is the grown up half of the great south bay. It shares the same long, soft, shallow sand as Laganas, but sits at the quiet eastern edge, where the noise of the strip falls away and the beach keeps a calm, almost residential feel. The water is warm and gentle, the sand is genuinely soft underfoot, and the Blue Flag standards show in how the front is kept. For a family that wants the ease of the bay without the volume, this is the more refined choice.
What gives Kalamaki its character is restraint. It is one of the protected nesting beaches of the marine park, so the sunbeds are cleared away each night to leave the sand free for the turtles, setups keep near the front, and only paddle powered craft are allowed on the water. Far from limiting the day, these rules are exactly what keep the beach soft, quiet and uncluttered while busier sands fill and fray.
The honest caveat is small. The resort behind Kalamaki is low key rather than glamorous, natural shade is limited, and the eastern, wilder end toward Sekania is strictly protected and best admired from a distance rather than walked. There is also less to do here than on the Laganas strip, which is the point. Come for soft sand, calm water and a quiet, protected family day and Kalamaki rewards you. Come for water sports and a scene and you want the Laganas centre or the Tsilivi strip instead.
Sunbeds, not a club
Kalamaki keeps tavernas and a restrained line of sunbeds behind the sand rather than a dressed up club, by design as a protected beach. For a curated club day use the Zakynthos beach clubs guide.
Sunbeds and tavernas behind the sand
Kalamaki keeps a restrained front of sunbeds and umbrellas with tavernas behind, cleared each night so the nesting sand stays free, rather than a beach club on the sand. Operators, prices and opening times are set locally and are to be confirmed when you visit.
The quiet eastern edge of the bay
Kalamaki sits at the eastern end of the south bay, around ten minutes by car or taxi from Zakynthos town and close to the airport. The road runs down through the low key resort to the front, with parking behind the sand and a short walk to the water.
Buses link Kalamaki with Zakynthos town and Laganas through the season, so a car is convenient but not essential. Keep your setup near the front, follow the marked public zones, and take care of the soft sand and dunes behind, which are the protected nesting ground.
Photo: Kalamaki Beach Hotel, Zakynthos Island via GoogleBook a beach club
Kalamaki is a protected beach with light services rather than a club. Tell us your dates and we can point you to a daybed at an organised stretch nearby. We reply by email.
We are an independent editorial resource. Booking requests are passed to clubs and operators, and some may earn us a commission at no cost to you. Prices, availability and opening status are set by the venue and are to be confirmed at the time of booking.
Common questions about Kalamaki
Is Kalamaki beach good for families?
Yes, it is one of the calmest family beaches on the island. The sand is soft, the water is shallow and gentle, and the Blue Flag front is kept to a good standard. Lifeguard cover is seasonal and not guaranteed, so always supervise your group and judge the sea yourself.
Why are the sunbeds removed at night on Kalamaki?
Kalamaki is a protected loggerhead nesting beach in the marine park, so the sunbeds and umbrellas are cleared each evening to leave the sand free for turtles coming ashore to lay their eggs. Keeping setups near the front and off the soft sand behind is part of the same protection.
Is Kalamaki quieter than Laganas?
Yes, noticeably. The two beaches share the same long bay, but Kalamaki sits at the quiet eastern edge away from the lively central strip, with a calmer, more residential feel. Walk east along the sand for the softest and most peaceful stretch.
Can you do water sports at Kalamaki?
Only paddle powered craft such as pedal boats and canoes are allowed, as the bay is a protected zone, so this is a calm swimming beach rather than a towed sports beach. For motor sports, the central Laganas strip is the place, with operators to be confirmed.
How do you get to Kalamaki beach?
Kalamaki is around ten minutes by car or taxi from Zakynthos town and close to the airport, with parking behind the sand. Buses also link the resort with the town and Laganas through the season, so a car is convenient but not essential.
