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Alykanas and Alykes are 2 resorts but only seperated by a small canal like river, so they are only walking distance from each other.

Alykes adopted it's name from the salt works that are now known as the salt flats that years ago supplied the island with all it's salt.
Alykes is more compact than Alykanas with shops bars and restaurants side by side through the main streets, Alykanas is more spread out. It seems for some strange reason that whichever resort people holiday in first, they return to and favour year after year.
Both resorts have a strange enchantment and are so laid back that they almost fall over.
The choice of bars and restaurants in the resorts are never ending and you will struggle to find a bad one. The food here is excellent no matter where you eat and the choice of wines and cocktails from the bars are mind blowing. Local village wines flow freely and taste magnificent. From Coffee bars to music bars, the local people are so welcoming that you wont want to leave, and be sure, they wont make you!
The Greek people love children which makes family holidaying here a breeze.
It's a peaceful relaxing resort, so dont expect nightclubs and disco's as there are none here, but some of the younger bars have  music to suit younger people, so they wont be bored.
All in all, if you need a relaxing holiday or even if you want to see some amazing scenery, this is the place for you.
Like most european resorts, some businesses have closed recently but not too many so as to spoil your holiday experience.

Beaches

I suppose that one of the most important aspects of your holiday is going to be the beach. The beaches in both resorts are beautiful. Alykes boasts a wider beach than Alykanas with a string of beach bars and restaurants along it.
At the moment you will pay about 7 euros a day for a pair of sunbeds and a parasol. Most of the sunbeds on the beaches in both resorts belong to adjascent hotels bars and restaurants so charge a fee for their use.
Alykanas beach has less in the way of buildings along it and is more unsploilt.
Both beaches have their own beauty and identity. You could almost be on a different holiday each day by alternating which beach you use, and resort too!

Other beaches in the area include the beautiful serene Shoestring beach (left) which is also known as old Alykanas beach. This stunning hidden little gem can be found by walking through the old village of Alykanas. As you reach thetop of the as you are leaving the village you will see a spot with a stunning view of the bay of old Alykanas and Kefalonia island in the background. Just past this you will find the Shoestring restaurant where you can access this wonderful hidden cove of a beach. Spend a day there, walk back towards the village along the seafront and have some refreshment at the redskins bar, another hidden gem within the village area. I took this photo as the sun was coming up at around 6 in the morning on my way home from a night out at the Cuba Bar, trying to sober up on a sunbed. Luuuvley!!!!

Walking further past the Shoestring, maybe a mile or so will bring you into the resort of Amoudi. A part of unspoilt Greece. If you want a quiet stay on Zante, Amoudi is beautiful housing some lovely hotels and another beautiful beach. I will cover Amoudi further a little later.

I thought I'd get this out of the way now. I think that you are better forwarned as many people are a little taken back at the price of the goods in the shops here, especially English products.
It's not that the shops in the resort are trying to take advantage of you as much as visitors to the island may think. Zante is a relatively small island that imports most of it's goods. This is always costly and going to affect the pricing. Also, most resort supermarkets are only open 6 months of the year which affects the running costs and also has to be applied to the cost of the goods. The exchange rate and poor value of the pound at the moment, makes things seem worse. Prices in the area havn't increased for some time now. Locals have to keep these factors in mind, but the cost of goods will always seem to have increased if you look at what you got for your money a few years ago.
A tin of Heinz beans for example is around 1 euro to 1.20 euro. As the pound is almost 1 to 1 with the euro this makes the beans around a quid a tin!! this seems a lot, but you have to remember, somebody has to purchase this item in the UK and then they have the added cost of bringing them here. The cost of the beans hasn't risen in 3 years when the exchange rate was around 1.48 to the pound. At this exchange rate which made the beans about 68 pence a tin. nothing has changed here, the rates havn't increased, it's just at the moment the pound is low.
I advise you to bring what you can from the UK and just buy essentials here. OK, so beans are an example, but the same, you will pay around 4 euros for Coco pops, 3 for a loaf of English bread and 4.50 for a jar of Marmite. Nappies and things are very expensive here too.
The problem also can be the carraige of items. the airlines now only give you small luggage amounts and excess baggage cost have soared. Items like sun lotion and toothpaste can add to your luggage and affect the amount of clothing etc that you would like to bring. Buying these items in the airport after you have passed through into the departure lounge can be the answer to this, you've already had you hand luggage weighed!!
Dont be put off by these prices, just be aware of them. Eating and drinking out locally can be cheap compared to the UK over here, even now.

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 Zante is a large city which can be found in the Western area of Greece. Zante is the sixth Ionian Island and is actually the third largest of all the islands. To the south of Zante, you will find an area which is bordered by the deepest part of the Mediterranean Sea. The island was largely shaped by many earthquakes which happened in the region and as a result of this the terrain of Zante is very rocky with many steep cliffs and smaller island formations off of its shores. The west of the island is home to many stunning limestone cliffs which offer beautiful views out into the deep blue of the Mediterranean Sea. Many islands are within travelling distance of Zante, including Cyprus which has many popular cities including protaras.

The island of Zante has a very rich history as do many of the islands in Greece and the surrounding area. In 150 BC, the island was conquered by the Romans and piracy was rife in the area, resulting in many violent deaths. Many Roman scholars took up residence on Zante, which helped to provide it with the rich cultural history it is proud of to this day. After this both the Byzantine`s and later the Venetians became prominent on the island resulting in many stunning pieces of architecture, some of which can still be viewed today.

The natural beauy of Zante is a big draw for tourists who love the mixture of sandy beaches, lush scenery and the rugged beauty of the many cliffs. There are lots of things for tourists to do whilst on the island no matter what kinds of things they are in to. The town centre is a great place to visit. It has been rebuilt on the ruins of the old town centre and many pieces of ancient architecture including the Solomos Square have been preserved for all to see.

To the east of the island there is a beach called navagio or shipwreck it is a cove which was famous in the past for its smuggling activity. The beach is very popular with tourist due to its sprawling white beaches and clear blue waters perfect for swimming or snorkelling.

The Blue Caves of Zante are an excellent example of natural architecture. They are one of the most surreal natural cave clusters you are ever likely to see and are definitely worth a visit if you are in the area.

The church of Agia Mavra was built in the 14th century and is a stunning piece of architecture. It is generally considered one of the most important churches on the island of Zante and a place of much interest for tourists.

It is relatively easy to get to Zante these days with regulars flights from Athens available all year round. The flights from Athens generally take 45 minutes and are very comfortable. You may also get there by Ferries which depart from both Killini and Kefolonia. Zante is a great base to explore other areas and is a great start off point for people who are going on cheap holiday in Protaras as it can be reached easily from there.