Laganas () is a village and a former municipality on the island of

Zakynthos Zakynthos (also spelled Zakinthos; ; ) or Zante (, , ; ; from the Venetian language, Venetian form, traditionally Latinized as Zacynthus) is a Greece, Greek island in the Ionian Sea. It is the third largest of the Ionian Islands, with an are ...

Ionian Islands The Ionian Islands (Modern Greek: , ; Ancient Greek, Katharevousa: , ) are a archipelago, group of islands in the Ionian Sea, west of mainland Greece. They are traditionally called the Heptanese ("Seven Islands"; , ''Heptanēsa'' or , ''Heptanē ...

, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality

, of which it is a municipal unit. The municipal unit Laganas covers the southernmost part of Zakynthos. Its municipal seat was the town of Pantokratoras. The municipal unit of Laganas has a land area of 74.104 km². The central and eastern part of the municipal unit are flat, but there are hills up to 450 m elevation in the west. The

Zakynthos International Airport Zakynthos International Airport "Dionysios Solomos" is an airport in Zakynthos, Greece. It is 4.3 km from Zakynthos town and close to other seaside tourist destinations such as Laganas, Tsilivi and Kalamaki, Zakynthos, Kalamaki. The main a ...

lies in the eastern part of the municipal unit, near Kalamaki. The beach village Laganas, part of the community of Pantokratoras, is on the southeastern coast. A large part of Laganas is a national park, established for the protection of turtles.

History

The name "Laganas" comes from the Greek word "lagini" meaning "jug", referring to the former manufacture of pottery in the area of Lithakia and Kalamaki. Laganas suffered great damage from the

1953 Ionian earthquake The 1953 Ionian earthquake (also known as the Great Kefalonia earthquake) struck the southern Ionian Islands in Greece on August 12. In mid-August, there were over 113 recorded earthquakes in the region between Kefalonia and Zakynthos, and the mo ...

Population

Laganas attractions

An attraction of Laganas is the migration of the

loggerhead sea turtle The loggerhead sea turtle (''Caretta caretta'') is a species of sea turtle, oceanic turtle distributed throughout the world. It is a marine reptile, belonging to the Family (biology), family Cheloniidae. The average loggerhead measures around ...

s ''(Caretta caretta)''. Each year during the months of June, July and August the turtles migrate to the Bay of Laganas to lay their eggs on the beach. This is a protected beach which is watched over by

ecologist Ecology () is the natural science of the relationships among living organisms and their environment. Ecology considers organisms at the individual, population, community, ecosystem, and biosphere levels. Ecology overlaps with the closely re ...

s at all times. Laganas is home to over 100 bars and clubs and is busiest during the summer months of June, July & August.

Subdivisions

The municipal unit Laganas is subdivided into the following communities (constituent villages in brackets): * Agalas (Agalas, Ai Giannis, Ampelos, Stimies) * Kalamaki (Kalamaki, Margaraiika, Pefkakia) *

Keri ''Keri'' () is a Hebrew term which literally means "accident" or "mishap", and is used as a euphemism for seminal emission. The term is generally used in Jewish law to refer specifically to the regulations and rituals concerning the emission of ...

(Keri, Apelati, Limni Keriou, Marathias) * Lithakia * Mouzaki * Pantokratoras (Pantokratoras, Laganas)

References

{{Zakynthos div Populated places in Zakynthos

History

Population

Laganas attractions

Subdivisions

See also

References