A sun-soaked European destination with stunning beaches and inexpensive hotels may be a firm favourite among UK holidaymakers, but things may not be as innocent as they seem.

Zante or Zakynthos is famed for its nightlife and was previously the most popular youth destination in Europe for five consecutive years, with the island also proving a hit for stag and hen dos, according to Holiday Box Office.

Amidst this revelry, however, lies a darker side to the sun-drenched isle, with allegations of worker exploitation, poor accommodation, excessive boozing, drug use, and fights.

It follows news that a UK tourist, thought to be around 50 years old, tripped over while on holiday on the Greek island, and was impaled on a metal fence. The incident is believed to have occurred at about 11pm on Monday, September 23rd.

A group of men and firefighters worked to free the man, who had fallen onto a spike that was positioned near to the carotid artery in his neck, by cutting the bars. The unnamed victim is in hospital, but his condition is currently unknown.

Boozy fights and serious injuries

In July, Ruby, who previously worked as a rep in Zante, told The Sun that some of the things she witnessed were “traumatising”. In one shocking incident, she recalled her male friend was “told to break up a fight”.

However, it resulted in him being “seriously injured” and leaving him with a “smashed up skull”. She went on to say that he’d been sent into a “mass brawl on the docks” after a booze cruise.

Ruby also claimed that she was then expected to attend work despite receiving “no support” for the shocking scenes that they’d had to witness.

Avoidable accidents 

A tragic incident occurred in Zante earlier this year that saw a British tourist lose his life after he lost his balance while climbing on a balcony, reports the Mirror.

Local police investigated an incident where a 23-year-old man stepped onto a handrail but fell around four feet headfirst. He was then taken to hospital but sadly died from his injuries, according to Parapoloitika.

It followed a similar incident in the same area only hours prior, which involved a second British man falling from a balcony and ending up in hospital with serious injuries.

Drinking culture

In 2023, Janis Hopkins wrote on Tripadvisor that Zante was “trash” and “full of sex shops and pubs“, while Alison G added: “Dirty, seedy, strip clubs, gentleman’s club, hardly any restaurants or bars open.

“I imagine it is jumping with clubbers in high season but I’m afraid they are welcome to it…”

Nick Channing said it was packed with “rather inebriated tourists”, a sentiment echoed by another reviewer, who highlighted the “drunk, semi-naked young Brits” searching for “cheap drinks”.

Worker exploitation 

In addition, The Guardian last month reported allegations of exploitative practices by people providing summer jobs in a range of popular party hotspots, including Ayia Napa, Zante, Ibiza and Magaluf.

In one specific incident in Zante, a young worker was told that they didn’t require a visa for their first 90 days but refrained from telling them that they actually needed a visa and contract.

Brenna Cunningham said many jobs were “looks-based” and detailed how one prospective worker expressed an interest in working in a bar as a promoter, but they “looked her up and down and said no”.

Crime and drugs

In 2023, a mum told The Mail that her 19-year-old son witnessed bouncers with knuckle dusters assaulting UK teenagers “all day, every day” and the island experiences “too much crime”.

The source also claimed that drug abuse was common, with dealers walking around and attempting to get “teenagers to take drugs”, shockingly suggesting that drugs were freely available in the bars.

Theft and scams

TikTok user Lydia Jasmine recently shared how she had around £12,000 stolen from her bank account on a trip to Zante.

Lydia had enjoyed a spot of swimming in the sea but once she returned to land, her phone was mysteriously missing. However, it wouldn’t be the device that would be the main concern.

She had left her driving licence in the back of her phone and she’d used her birthday as the password for her online banking. Lydia froze her cards but returned home to discover there had been a bank transfer of £12,242 to an unknown account.