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As well as beaches and resorts on Zakynthos, there are also some great places to visit on a day out. One of them is Askos Stone Park. The park is just that, a natural environmental park designed to pull together the beautiful scenery of the island, along with historical information and a great mixture of fauna, flora, animal, bird and insect species.
Situated at the north of the island, close to Volimes, and about forty minutes drive from Zakynthos Town, Askos Stone Park is a great place to visit. The park is approx. 123 acres in size, it’s full of trees, plants and bushes, and home to to a multitude of wildlife that includes birds (most notably wild hawks), amphibians, insects and mammals. Many of the wildlife species are native to the island, but some such as Platonia Deer, Racoons, African Goats and Chinchillas are non-native. This wildlife lives freely in the parks natural environment, making it a lovely place for people to explore, see them in a semi-natural habit and learn more about them.
The park also has a number of old buildings and stables, as well as ancient rock cut basins, and other items that are estimated to be hundreds of years old. Other buildings made of wood and stone, compliment the natural environment of the park, and blend in with the surroundings. There is also a pond (with ducks and geese), a vineyard and an olive grove, making it a lovely idyllic place for people to explore.
Askos Stone Park is set out in a specific route that winds its way along stone paths, through trees and other foliage, interspersed with the multitude of interesting sights the park has to offer. The following map and list give you an idea as to what visitors will see and experience.
Map Key
1. Main Entrance
2. Bottled water
3. The old stone cottage
4. Cypress forest and other trees
5. Stone house/poultry
6. Small stone hatchery
7. Pigeon loft
8. Rabbit area
9. Platonia deer
10. Old stone artefacts/winemaking area
11. Horses
12. African sheep
13. Rocks and trees
14. Turtles/tortoises/fruit-trees
15. Cows, horses, donkeys
16. Pigs
17. Rocks and old trees
18. Raccoons
19. Goats
20. Vineyard
21. 400 year-old water basin
22. Rock seats
23. Almond trees
24. 600-year old water basin
25. Water turtles
26. Sheep
27. Olive grove
28. Goats
29. Pond
30. General nature area
31. 400 year-old water basin
32. Wooden bird loft, peacocks
33. Squirrels
34. Chinchillas
35. Exit
As well as so much nature and wildlife on show, there is free bottled water available to visitors too, as well as guides on hand to provide more information to visitors if they need it. The park also has a small gift shop where visitors can buy a guidebook that’s available in approximately twenty-five languages for those who want a souvenir to take home. The park even offers visitors the opportunity to watch, or take part in, certain activities such as milking goats, feeding animals or even gathering of olives. The park is open all year round (except on days when the weather is very bad). Visitors can spend as long as they like in the park, there is no time limit, we would suggest you wear comfortable clothing and sturdy shoes as some the path are a little uneven.
If you want to visit Askos Stone Park you can find it at the north side of Zakynthos, 1 km away from St. Nicholas Port at Volimes, and approx 5 km from the traditional village of Volimes.
The address is Volimes, 20091, Zakynthos. You can contact the park on 0030 26950 31650 or info@askosstonepark.gr for more information.
