Our Story

We're Locals Who Love Zakynthos

Sharing the authentic island experience, one recommendation at a time

Who We Are

Born and raised on the island.

ZanteLocals was started by friends who grew up on Zakynthos. Year after year, we'd get the same WhatsApp messages from visiting friends — "where should we eat?", "which beach?", "which tour isn't a rip-off?" — and we'd send the same lists, the same warnings, the same little maps.

Eventually it made more sense to put it all in one place. A clean, honest guide that any visitor could find, free, with no popups and no recycled "Top 10 things you must do" content written by people who've never set foot here.

That's all this is. Locals putting useful things in one place.

Zakynthos coastline at sunset
12+ Areas of the island covered
9 Categories from beaches to nightlife
100% Personally visited before listing
€0 Cost to use the site, no ads
What We Stand For

What Makes Us Different

No paid affiliates. No popups. No recycled content. Just locals sharing the island honestly.

Local-first, always

Everything written here is written by somebody on the island. If we don't know an area well, we don't write about it.

Curated, not sold

Some businesses pay a flat sponsorship fee — never a commission. They still have to pass the same local-approval bar as everywhere else.

Personally visited

No drone footage from a stock site, no Google-Maps-only picks. We've been there. Recently.

Updated through the season

Tavernas close. Buses change. Roads get re-paved. We update through the season — not once a year.

Sustainable when we can be

We promote places that respect the island — recycling, low-waste kitchens, locally-grown produce — over places that don't.

A real human on WhatsApp

The number at the bottom of every page is a phone, not a chatbot. Ask anything — a restaurant pick, taxi prices, what to wear in May.

Behind the Site

Meet the Founder

A small local team. Adriano runs the site day-to-day.

Adriano Hadushaj — founder of ZanteLocals
Adriano Hadushaj
Founder · Zakynthos Town

I've spent most of my life on Zakynthos. I've worked in restaurants here, driven the back roads in every season, and given the same handful of recommendations to visiting friends for years.

ZanteLocals is the long-form version of those recommendations. If you're planning a trip and want a real human's opinion on something specific — message me directly on WhatsApp. The number on this site goes to my phone.

FAQ

Common Questions

If yours isn't here, just message us — we usually answer the same day.

Who runs ZanteLocals?

Adriano Hadushaj and a small team of locals who live year-round on the island. Every recommendation comes from somebody who has actually visited the place.

How do you choose what gets listed?

We only list places we've personally been to and would send a friend to. We visit, we eat, we ask neighbours. Anywhere that drops below our standard gets removed — even a paying partner.

Is ZanteLocals free to use?

Yes. The whole site is free, with no popups, no display ads, no affiliate trackers, and no paywalls.

Do businesses pay to be on the site?

Some do — a small number of partners pay a flat sponsorship fee, never a commission. They still have to pass the same local-approval bar as every other listing.

Can you help me plan my trip?

Yes — message us on WhatsApp at +30 694 853 0475 with your dates and where you're staying. We answer in English or Greek, usually the same day.

How do I add my business?

Get in touch via the contact page or WhatsApp. We visit every place before listing — we'll come by, talk to you, and let you know if it's a fit.

Ready to Explore the Real Zakynthos?

Let us show you the island through local eyes

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