Things To Do in Tragaki

A 10-minute drive south gets you to Wet’n’Wild Water Village in Sarakinado. The splash-worthy slides here range from the Lazy River to the near-vertical Kamikaze. There’s a Jacuzzi^® and sunbeds for those who like it chilled-out, plus snack bars to keep your drinks topped up. It costs around 18 euros for adults, and buses go from Tsilivi most days.

In Tragaki, evenings are a quiet affair – it’ll just be you and the locals having a nightcap at one of the tavernas here. Tsilivi is always on standby, though, if you want late-night cocktail bars and karaoke joints. And in the more traditional places, you might even be invited to attack the crockery – plate-smashing is something of a national sport.

Set a few metres back from Bouka Beach, this place is very, very Greek. Not only do they make their own wine – hence the vineyard – but they serve it up with mouth-watering moussaka, Zakynthian rabbit and fresh swordfish. The vine-covered walls outside keep things suitably rustic, and if you’re here on a Saturday you’ll get to see Greek dancers shake their stuff.

This cocktail bar is in the centre of Tsilivi, you'll get a celebrity every night of the week. Elvis gyrates onstage on a Saturday, while Bob Marley is often seen hanging around on Reggae Night. Owner Yiannis just appears as himself – but on the cocktail front, he mixes a pretty mean Woo Woo. On Greek night you can try the spit-roasted lamb and join in the Zorba-the-Greek-style moves.

In the village you’ve got a decent mini-market to cover you for picnic bits and seaside inflatables. And a few minutes’ drive gets you to the bakery, where you can stock up on oven-warm croissants. Meanwhile, serious shoppers can head to Tslivi – the place has plenty of boutiques and souvenir places to get round.

Tragaki’s handful of tavernas do a good line in traditional Greek food. There’s fresh, olive-oily fish and specialities like moussaka and stifado – a rich, beefy stew. Down the hill in Tsilivi, the beachfront places dish up ouzo-marinated ribs and roasted local lamb. Or, you could really get stuck into the local cuisine and order a skordostroumpi – a bowl of hot tripe soup.

Bouka Beach is the local sunbathing sweep, 25 minutes downhill from Tragaki. It’s a kilometre-long strip of fine sand that comes with plenty of sunloungers. You’ve got a working harbour here, so you’ll see the fishermen hauling in the day’s catch. And there’s a swimming pool and a kids’ play area, plus beach bars to take care of the ice-creams.