Is Zakynthos safe?
Safe for visitors. Rowdy Laganas nights, scooter crashes and boat-trip risks are bigger concerns than crime.
Key facts
- SoloSquare safety rating: 4/5, safe with normal care.
- US travel advisory: Level 1: Exercise normal precautions, updated 2025-10-22.
- Homicide rate in Greece: 0.8 per 100,000 people (2023, UNODC via World Bank).
- Road deaths in Greece: 8.3 per 100,000 people a year (2019, WHO).
- Emergency numbers: Police 100 · Ambulance 166 · Fire 199 · Tourist police 1571 · All emergencies 112.
Safety in Zakynthos at a glance
| What to expect | |
|---|---|
| Overall | 4/5 · Safe with normal care |
| Crime | Petty theft from beaches and rental vehicles, and drunken fights and drink spiking on the Laganas strip. |
| At night | Zakynthos Town and Tsilivi are relaxed and safe; Laganas is loud until dawn. Taxis are scarce, so pre-book. |
| Solo women | Comfortable for solo women. Normal care with drinks in Laganas and on isolated roads at night. |
| Other risks | Scooter and quad crashes on narrow roads; Navagio viewpoint cliff edges; Wildfires in dry summers |
Scams, areas and local laws
Common scams
- Boat trip operators selling overbooked or unlicensed tours
- Rental firms charging for existing scratches
- Beach clubs charging hidden minimum spends
Take care
- Laganas strip late at night: fights and spiked drinks
- Navagio viewpoint and cliff paths: unfenced edges
- Narrow, winding roads in the north and west
Calmer areas to stay
Laws visitors break by accident
- Taking stones, fragments or artefacts from archaeological sites is a criminal offence.
- Flying drones over archaeological sites needs a permit.
- Drug laws are strict; even small amounts of cannabis can lead to arrest.
How Zakynthos compares in Greece
| Place | Safety |
|---|---|
| Naxos | 5/5 · Very safe |
| Paros | 5/5 · Very safe |
| Chania | 5/5 · Very safe |
| Milos | 5/5 · Very safe |
| Kefalonia | 5/5 · Very safe |
| Meteora | 5/5 · Very safe |
| Halkidiki | 5/5 · Very safe |
| Lefkada | 5/5 · Very safe |
| Nafplio | 5/5 · Very safe |
| Skiathos | 5/5 · Very safe |
| Hydra | 5/5 · Very safe |
| Thassos | 5/5 · Very safe |
| Athens | 4/5 · Safe with normal care |
| Santorini | 4/5 · Safe with normal care |
| Mykonos | 4/5 · Safe with normal care |
| Crete | 4/5 · Safe with normal care |
| Rhodes | 4/5 · Safe with normal care |
| Corfu | 4/5 · Safe with normal care |
| Thessaloniki | 4/5 · Safe with normal care |
| Zakynthos | 4/5 · Safe with normal care |
| Kos | 4/5 · Safe with normal care |
| Ios | 4/5 · Safe with normal care |
| Peloponnese | 4/5 · Safe with normal care |
Quick answers
Is Zakynthos safe for solo female travelers?
Comfortable for solo women. Normal care with drinks in Laganas and on isolated roads at night.
Is Zakynthos safe at night?
Zakynthos Town and Tsilivi are relaxed and safe; Laganas is loud until dawn. Taxis are scarce, so pre-book.
What is the crime rate in Zakynthos?
Petty theft from beaches and rental vehicles, and drunken fights and drink spiking on the Laganas strip. Nationally, Greece records 0.8 homicides per 100,000 people a year (2023).
What number do I call in an emergency in Zakynthos?
Police 100 · Ambulance 166 · Fire 199 · Tourist police 1571 · All emergencies 112.
More about Zakynthos
Going to Zakynthos solo?
SoloSquare is where travelers, nomads and locals in Zakynthos meet up for small plans: coffee, dinners, walks and day trips. Join one, or start your own in a minute.
Sources
- US State Department travel advisory
- Zakynthos Airport (Fraport Greece)
- Visit Greece
- Ferryhopper
- World Bank: intentional homicides (UNODC)
- World Bank: road traffic deaths (WHO)
Safety ratings are SoloSquare's editorial judgment from official advisories, crime data and local reporting. Compiled and reviewed by SoloSquare. How we compile and score this. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.