The third-largest and most southerly of the islands in the Ionian Sea lies just 10 nautical miles from the west coast of the Peloponnese. The Venetians named the island "Fiore di Levante" (flower of the east). The mild Mediterranean climate and the increased humidity mean Zakynthos is a very green island. The new museum at Solomos square has some of the most important Byzantine and post-Byzantine works of art on exhibit. The Solomos and Kalvas museum houses the mortal remains of the national poets Dionysios Solomos and Andreas Kalvas in its mausoleum. While there are few beaches on the North and West coast, this is where you will find the famous "Blue Caves" at Cape Skinari and the renowned smuggler's wreck not far from Volimes, where the coast is lined with craggy cliffs.
