Tragaki – Dermatousa Monastery and Cypress Grove

Tragaki between mountainous and coastal areas

Tragaki encompasses both mountainous and coastal areas and is located 11 kilometres northwest of Zakynthos Town. For travellers looking for hotels in Tragaki, these details provide an initial overview: they convey the character of the place and its location in relation to Zakynthos Town. Tragaki cannot be reduced to a single type of landscape.

The Monastery of Dermatousa and its history

The Monastery of Panagia tou Dermata, also known as Dermatousa, stands in the north of Tragaki. The building dates from the 16th century and is designated as a historic, listed monument. Its date places the monastery in its historical context; its protected status is part of its historical significance. Both make it a specific point of reference if you are interested in the history of the area.

Examples of frescoes have been preserved in the monastery. Alongside its architecture, they give the building an artistic dimension. If you look at historic religious buildings not only in terms of when they were built but also for their surviving works of art, you will find another aspect of Dermatousa here. The frescoes are part of the monastery’s description; they complement its location in northern Tragaki and its designation as a monument.

Alsos Dermatá: Cypress grove and wall remains

The monastery stands in Alsos Dermatá, a cypress grove covering around 14 stremmata. The surroundings of the remains of the monastery complex’s walls are also varied: they include cypress and kermes oak groves, olive groves, orchards, springs and lush vegetation. The local description therefore encompasses not only the monastery and its history, but also the groves, gardens and springs around the wall remains. If you take the landscape into account as well as buildings when choosing a destination, you can understand Tragaki through both themes.

Zakynthos as a wider travel destination

Elsewhere on Zakynthos, other cultural sites complement the history of the monastery in Tragaki. On the ground floor of the Museum of Solomos and Eminent Zakynthians, the mausoleum has housed the remains of the national poets Andreas Kalvos and Dionysios Solomos since 1968. The Museum of Zakynthos displays works of the Cretan School, Cretan-Ionian icons and works of Ionian naturalism dating from the 15th to the 19th century. Thus, Zakynthos is home to both a memorial to two poets and an art collection featuring works from several centuries, representing distinct cultural themes.

The wider destination of Zakynthos also has a varied landscape. The Blue Caves are in the Aspros Vrachos area at Cape Skinari. Lake Keri is a wetland protected under the Ramsar Convention, a Natura site and a nature reserve within the Zakynthos National Marine Park. The Keri Lighthouse is known for panoramic sunset views over the Ionian Sea and the rocks of Myzithres. The three examples each have a different focus: a coastal formation, a protected wetland and a sea view.

Zakynthos’s historic heritage also includes the Monastery of Agios Georgios sta Gremna in Volimes, founded in 1535. Volimes is also associated with Ladotyri: this Zakynthian cheese is made in dairies and home workshops there and sold as a local product. The port of Agios Nikolaos in Volimes connects Zakynthos to Kefalonia by ferry. If this ferry connection is part of your travel plans, check the current timetable.

Discover more destinations: Agios Leon, Kallithea, Argassi, Kalamaki, Alikanás, Zákynthos, Xirokastello, Vasilikos.

For the wider travel guide: Zakynthos.