Volimes Village Zakynthos
Volimes village, is located in the region of Elation the northernmost area of Zakynthos in the mountainous part made up of dense trees between white rocks, breathtaking views of the Ionian Sea and many small traditional villages where tourist activity is nil and customs are still very rooted and present.
Volimes is still intact and original, you will feel like you are taking a real dip in the past when Zakynthos, still unknown to travelers, lived on simple and genuine things. It is perhaps one of the few villages that carries on the traditions of local craftsmanship that comes to life during the winter period, creating real manual masterpieces to be preserved as relics. The locals still make wine, olive oil, honey and homemade cheese, while the women dedicate themselves to the delicate and meticulous embroidery making carpets, tablecloths and centerpieces of rare beauty.
The country is divided into three municipalities, Kato Volimes (kato means below), Ano Volimes (Ano means above) and Meso Volimes (Meso means in between) and extends from the top of Mount Vrachionas to the coast of the island. Made of traditional houses spared from the terrible earthquake of 1953, it looks like the classic mountain village where modernity has not yet changed its rural and sincere atmosphere.
In order to reach Volimes village, you must necessarily have your own vehicle because it is not very connected with the rest of the island apart from a few trips from Zakynthos Town during the week and not every day among other things. It can be reached either via the coastal road to the west with splendid views of the Ionian Sea or by an internal road that crosses the island between the wonderful hinterland of Zakynthos rich in olive groves, vineyards and fertile valleys.
Volimes being in the mountains, it has no nearby beaches, but there are many itineraries to take once you get off, such as the port of Agios Nikolas where every day in the summer the ferry leaves for the island of Kefalonia, or for an excursion to the Blue Caves and again for a visit to the most photographed beach in Greece, Shipwreck beach. From Volimes you can also reach the Natural Baths of Xigia, the beautiful Makris Gialos beach and Micro Nisi beach.
A quiet area with still unspoiled nature made of pine forests and local farms, where peace reigns supreme and where you can taste typical local cuisine while admiring the view. Here there is no type of entertainment other than the contemplation of nature and the stories of the island told by the elderly, but what more could I dare say to get to know this splendid territory! The sunset from up here is one of the most suggestive and romantic of Zakynthos.
Remember to pay a visit to the Agios Andreas Monastery with its beautiful frescoes many of which are kept at the Hagiographic Museum of Zakynthos in the capital, or the picturesque church of Agios Georgios built on the steep wall of the mountain slope, and still about four kilometers the Monastery of Anafonitria Moniase Agios Dionvisios with its Byzantine church of the fifteenth century, the oldest on the island dating back to 1400 built in memory of the Virgin Mary and where the patron saint of Zakynthos St. Dionysus ended his life. Even St. Gerasimos, patron saint of Kefalonia, knew the Monastery of Anafonitria on the occasion of the baptism of St. Dionysus and the legend tells that when he decided to return to Kefalonia, the inhabitants smelled to help him because they did not want to lose him and the Saint in a moment of anger arranged that there would never again be 'a priest in the monastery and for a long time no minister of worship lived here'. A very interesting convent with a medieval tower which at the top has an arch with a cross above, and inside the small church of Agia Anastasia which houses the icon of the Virgin originally from Constantinople as well as beautiful frescoes on the walls.
In our opinion, the village of Volimes is to be put on the list of things to see in Zakynthos, certainly a different perspective of the island and many interesting things to see to understand more and more of this wonderful corner of Greece.