Lesante Cape Resort & Villas, member of The Leading Hotels of the World, is one of the very best resorts in Greece. Lesante Cape is located on a breath-taking location on the island Zakynthos and was built as a traditional Greek village. The stunning property takes you back in time while offering an impressive level of luxury at the same time. Suites and villas are spacious, warm and luxurious; the resort grounds and the pool area are remarkably beautiful; and there’s a superb and unique wining & dining offer as well. Fiore Fine Dining, the resort’s flagship restaurant, is one of Greece’s best culinary restaurants.

Location & Resort

Lesante Cape Resort & Villas is located on the Greek island Zakynthos. “Zante” is one of Greece’s most beautiful islands and belongs to the Ionian Islands together with Lefkada and Kefalonia. The island measures approximately 40 kilometres in length and 20 kilometres in width. It is well known for its stunning natural beauty, with lush vegetation covering rocky and steep mountains, and a dramatic coastline revealing many beaches, rock arches and cliffs spilling into the ocean.

Highlights of Zakynthos island include the famous Navagio (Shipwreck) Beach, the Blue caves, the small Marathonissi Islet, the nests of the Mediterranean sea turtle Caretta Caretta, and traditional villages. Zakynthos isn’t a party island like Mykonos or Paros, but some of the beach towns do host a nice selection of bars and beach clubs. The island is a wonderful place to relax, escape the hustle of everyday life and enjoy the wonders of Greek nature & hospitality.

Zakynthos also boasts some of Greece’s best resorts, such as the properties of Lesante Collection. This high-end hospitality group features three luxurious five-star hotels & villas on the island of Zakynthos: the family-friendly Lesante Classic, the adults-only Lesante Blu, and Lesante Cape Resort & Villas.

Lesante Cape Resort & Villas opened its doors in 2022 and during the time of our visit in 2023 everything was still brand new. The resort’s design and architecture are simply amazing. Natural stone and traditional Greek architecture are at the core of the design, and the warm, natural atmosphere is enhanced by lots of wood, Mediterranean plants, and an earthy colour palate with beige, white and brown colour tones.

Emphasising its location near the historic village of Akrotiri, on the Eastern side of the island and about a 15 minutes’ drive from the international airport, Lesante Cape was built as a traditional Greek village. At the center of the property there’s a “town square” with a café, a tavern, some shops, a small museum and even a church. Indeed, Greek authenticity and traditional Zakynthian architecture are important aspects of the design of Lesante Cape. It’s a trip to the past right inside the resort, but with all imaginable modern comfort and luxury.

It’s truly unique how the traditional design and architecture takes you back to an authentic Greek village, while offering a luxurious and modern resort experience at the same time. The resort’s hillside location ensures breath-taking ocean views from the communal areas as well as many of the suites and villas.

Suites & Villas

Lesante Cape boasts 55 stunning, spacious suites and 10 incredible villas. They all feature an elegant, sophisticated design which combines charming simplicity and natural splendour. Lots of light wood was used, which matches perfectly with the beige tiled floors made out of natural stone.

The earthy colour palate with light brown, white and beige colours gives the interiors a relaxing, bohemian atmosphere. The blend of natural luxury and traditional Ionian design ensure a quintessential Mediterranean experience. Of course, sea view suites and villas come highly recommended as they increase the level of natural excellence even more.

The following suite and villa types are available:

• Deluxe suites: boast 60 m2 of space with an indoor area of 45m2. They feature a master bedroom with spacious living area, flowing onto a veranda that overlooks the hotel plaza.
• Deluxe Suites with sea view feature the same setup as the Deluxe suites, but with ocean views.
• Spa suites sea view with outdoor bath tub have the same wonderful views as the category above, but also have an outdoor bath tub on the terrace.
• Signature suites garden view with private pool boast 70 m2 of luxurious living space, including 45m2 indoor. There’s a private 20 m2 pool as well, with garden views.
• Signature suites sea view with private pool have the same layout as the previous suites, but feature a secluded terrace where the 20 m2 pool with sea view can be found.
• Family suites sea view with private pool consist of two spacious suites (of 70 m2) with a connecting door, two bathrooms and two swimming pools.
• One bedroom sea view villa with private pool: the ideal option for those wanting to indulge in luxury. No less than 95 m2 of space, including 60 m2 indoor. The stunning 25 m2 private pool offers breath-taking sea views and there’s a wonderful furnished sun terrace as well.

• Premium one bedroom sea view villa with private pool: the premium villa offers even more luxury and more space (115 m2 with 80 m2 indoor). They boast a 30 m2 pool with stunning views on the Ionian sea.
• Two bedroom sea view villa with private pool: with 175 m2 of space and two bedrooms, this is a great option for families.
• Comfort three bedroom sea view villa with private pool: with 210 m2 of space, three bedrooms, a big private pool, and a beautiful terrace, this villa is a great choice for bigger families that want to enjoy laid-back island living.

• Three bedroom sea front villa with private pool: this unique 300 m2 villa is located just in front of the Ionian Sea. The villa offers a furnished terrace with a private garden overlooking a 100 m2 swimming pool and an endless ocean views.
• Cape three bedroom sea front villa with private pool: Lesante Cape’s biggest sea front villa offers 400 m2 of space, a pool of 120 m2, a fully-equipped kitchen, an independent living room, an outdoor dining area, a furnished sun terrace with a large private garden and a 120 m2 swimming pool.

We stayed in two villa types during our stay: a One bedroom sea view villa with private pool and a Comfort three bedroom sea villa with private pool. Both villas left a fantastic impression with a warm and luxurious design, huge living, lounging & sleeping areas and stunning ocean views. The use of traditional yet extremely qualitative materials resulted in a cosiness that was welcoming, soothing and relaxing at the same time. Waking up in the poolside bedroom of the three bedroom villa and enjoying a cup of coffee while gazing over the ocean, is an unforgettable experience. These really are accommodations which you don’t want to leave.

Gastronomy

Gastronomy is one of the main assets of Lesante Cape. No less than 9 restaurants and bars are available to choose from. They all celebrate the Greek cuisine in all its flavours and shapes, from traditional farm-to-table dining to modern Greek gastronomy. Overall quality is outstanding, making Lesante Cape one of Greece’s best culinary resorts.

• The day starts with extensive breakfasts at Elea restaurant. From freshly-baked bread to village-style biscuits dipped into freshly brewed coffee: everything is from amazing quality and couldn’t be fresher. Elea is open for dinner as well and offers Mediterranean gastronomy in an atmospheric pastoral setting.

• Novita All Day Restaurant & Bar celebrates the best from the Ionian islands. Ultra-fresh fish and produce straight from the local farms are served outdoors with stunning views on the pool and the ocean.

• Bostani Farm to Table showcases the resort’s love for local, ultra-fresh farm-to-table products. The restaurant is located inside the resort’s own organic farm and offers an authentic farm-like inspired dining experience. The Greek BBQ comes recommended.

• Fiore Fine Dining is Lesante Cape’s flagship culinary restaurant. Talented chef Aggelos Bakopoulos serves dishes which combine the best Greek flavours and preparations with international luxury products. For more information about this wonderful restaurant, please consult our separate review.

• Taverna is located at the resort’s town square and is an authentic recreation of a traditional village restaurant. Guests enjoy Greek “tavern” classics, from freshly-caught seafood to high-grade meat, in a vibrant and addictive Greek atmosphere.

• Kafeneio is located at the town square as well and is Lesante Cape’s traditional coffee shop. At the town square, there’s a beautiful wine cellar as well. This space can be used for private dinners.

• The Noble Bar is the resort’s welcoming bar and lounge, located inside the lobby. From sunrise coffees to expertly mixed sunset cocktails, it’s a place that always delivers.

• The Novita Pool Bar is located at Lesante Cape’s stunning pool. There are signature cocktails and unique fruit blends, but also ice cold beers and ice creams. The views are, indeed, breath-taking.

• The Kyma Beach Bar is creatively located on the stairs which head to Lesante Cape’s private pebble beach. The perfect stop for a glass of champagne before or after diving into the ocean.

• In-villa or in-suite dining is available as well, and comes highly recommended.

Resort Assets

Besides from being an experience on itself, Lesante Cape resort offers a wide array of assets:

• The beautiful Armonia Wellness & Spa is inspired by ancient Greek design. It offers an indoor pool, 3 massage treatment rooms, a massage treatment suite, a sauna, a hamam, an indoor Jacuzzi and a fitness center. The spa menu offers great price/quality treatments and the massages are splendid.

• Lesante Cape’s sublime, multilevel pool is located right on the resort’s cliff edge and is an infinity pool in the truest sense of the word. It actually consists out of three pools: the upper one being the adult-only pool, the middle one being the pool for both young and old, and the lowest one being the family-friendly pool. Views on the Ionian sea and Kefalonia Island are no less than spectacular and become truly mind-blowing during sunset.

• A stairway heads down to the resort’s small private beach. Several sun loungers are located on the pebble beach and the wooden overwater pier.

• For the younger ones, there’s a kids club at the resort as well. Kids service is also offered and carried out by a team of highly experiences babysitters.

• Lesante Cape is a beautiful place to get married or to celebrate a honeymoon. The resort offers several interesting honeymoon packages, including both romantic experiences at the resort as well as excursions on the island and the sea.
• Sport lovers can play Paddel tennis, use the large fully equipped gym, get personal training sessions, participate in yoga classes or enjoy water sports.

• Private yachting is an amazing way to discover the beauty of the beaches, the islands and the coastline of Zakynthos.
• The resort’s incredible design and philosophy celebrate the Greek and the Mediterranean spirit, and a walk through the resort, with its stunning gardens, waterways and traditional buildings, is a must. On several nights the resort features live entertainment as well to enhance the already memorable Greek atmosphere.

Why go?

Lesante Cape Resort & Villas is unique place. It brings together authenticity and luxury like no other and offers a sophisticated yet true Greek island experience. The stunning design inside the luxurious suites and villas combines the best of nature with Mediterranean excellence. The impressive food and beverage offer focusses on ocean- & farm-to-table food while celebrating Greek gastronomy. Lesante Cape is a place that is addictive, mesmerising and fascinating.