Marathonisi is a small wooded islet in Laganas Bay, where loggerhead sea turtles come ashore to nest every summer.
Watch a loggerhead rise for air beside the boat, swim under the white arches of the Keri Caves, then wade ashore on the island's golden beach.
Turtle-friendly rulesThe marine park code, explained before you book
Real guest ratingsLive figures from GetYourGuide
Free cancellationUp to 24 hours before, on every trip here
Secure checkoutYou book and pay on GetYourGuide
Boat trips
Choose your Turtle Island boat
In the centre, the speedboat trip most people book: turtles, the Keri Caves and a swim on Marathonisi in three hours.
Either side, a glass-bottom boat for families and a small boat you drive yourself. Every card opens a full tour page.
A slower boat with a glass floor, so the kids see the seabed even when no turtle shows. The longest beach stop: an hour on Marathonisi, plus Cameo and the caves.
A fast boat through the marine park to look for loggerheads, then swims at the Keri Caves and on Marathonisi. Hotel pickup is included, and the 6 pm departure adds the sunset.
Your own small motorboat for three or four hours, after a briefing on the park rules. Swim where you like; fuel, about 30 to 40 euros, is paid at the dock.
Three questions sort it out. Do you want a glass floor or speed? How long do you want on the Marathonisi beach?
And do you want a skipper, or the wheel yourself?
Most trips leave from Agios Sostis, at the west end of Laganas beach, and include hotel pickup nearby.
Every trip here cancels free up to 24 hours before. The self-drive price is for the whole boat; fuel is paid at the dock.
Before you book
The turtles live in the bay, not on the island.
"Turtle Island" is Marathonisi, a privately owned islet off the Keri peninsula. From the air it looks like a turtle
swimming, and its short sandy beach is one of six loggerhead nesting beaches around Laganas Bay. The bay itself is the
National Marine Park of Zakynthos, founded in 1999 to protect one of the most important loggerhead nesting grounds in the Mediterranean.
The turtles you see from a boat are out in the bay, feeding and resting between nesting trips. That is why every trip
here spends part of its time slowly cruising the water off Laganas before it heads for the island and the caves. On the
beach itself you will see nest markers and footprints, not turtles: they come ashore at night, when the beach is closed.
15 m
The distance boats should keep from a turtle under the park's code of conduct,
with no more than two boats on one turtle and ten minutes at most. Good captains stick to it; ask before you book.
Season, prices, the boats and what to bring: one tab each.
May: the first boats run and the turtles gather in the bay to mate. Quieter water, cooler sea.
June and July: nesting season, the most turtles in the bay and the busiest harbour. Book a few days ahead.
Mid-July to October: hatchlings emerge at night on the nesting beaches. In 2026 the first appeared on 14 July.
September: warm sea, fewer boats, turtles still around. Our pick.
November to April: almost no turtle trips run.
Glass-bottom or shared speedboat, 3 hours: from $28 to $35 per person.
Sunset cruise with wine: from $32.
Half day with Cameo, the caves and an olive oil tasting: from $65.
Self-drive boat, no licence: from $144 for the whole boat, plus fuel.
Full day round the island to Shipwreck Beach: from $41.
Glass-bottom boat: slower and steadier, with the seabed under your feet. Best with children.
Speedboat: more stops in the same three hours and a bumpier ride.
Self-drive: your own pace and swim spots. You must know and follow the park zones.
Sunset: the same route, ending with the sun going down behind the Myzithres rocks.
Swimsuit under your clothes, a towel and reef-safe sunscreen.
A hat and water: Marathonisi has no shade, no shop you can count on and no toilets.
Cash for a coffee at the harbour, and a waterproof bag for your phone.
Water shoes help on the pebbles at Myzithres and Keri.
HarbourAgios SostisMost boats leave from here, at the west end of Laganas beach, next to Cameo Islet.
TurtlesLaganas BayZone B of the marine park, where boats may watch turtles at low speed.
The islandMarathonisiA nesting beach open from 7 am to sunset. No umbrellas, no lights, no litter.
The cavesKeriWhite limestone arches on the southwest tip of the island.
Closed to boatsZone AThe nesting coast, off limits to all boats from 1 May to 31 October.
Refund24 hoursFree cancellation up to a day before, on every trip here.
Where it happens
Where the boats leave
Agios Sostis, at the end of Laganas beach
Boats line the small harbour by the footbridge to Cameo Islet, about 10 km south of Zakynthos town
Nearly every turtle trip starts here or on Laganas beach next door, because the harbour opens straight onto the bay.
Each operator has its own flags and umbrellas on the quay, and the tour pages say which to look for. Pickups run from
Laganas, Kalamaki and the nearby villages; from Tsilivi or Alykes you need the pickup option or a taxi.
The turtles live in the south. The cliffs, the Blue Caves and the famous wreck are on the other side of the island. This full-day ship goes round them with three swim stops and a deck show. Navagio beach is still closed to landings, so you see the wreck from the water.
A dozen boats sell the same names: turtles, Marathonisi, Keri. They are not the same trip. Here is how to read them.
The turtles
The loggerhead, Caretta caretta, is the turtle of the Mediterranean, and Laganas Bay is one of its most important nesting grounds. ARCHELON, the Greek sea turtle charity, has counted the nests here since 1984: about 1,200 in an average year, and a
record of well over 2,000 in 2024. Adults can weigh 100 kg or more. Females come ashore at night between late May and August,
dig a nest in the dry sand and lay about a hundred eggs, then go back to the bay. In the daytime, that is where you meet them,
floating near the surface or grazing on the seabed.
The bay has been a national marine park since 1999. Zone A, along the nesting coast, is closed to all boats from 1 May to
31 October. In the rest of the bay boats keep to 6 knots, and a code agreed with the coastguard in 2018 limits turtle watching
to two boats per turtle, ten minutes, 15 metres away. ARCHELON has reported boats crowding turtles and speedboat strikes
that injured them, so the operator you choose matters.
A glass floor shows you the seabed even when the turtles stay away.
Glass bottom, speedboat or your own boat
A glass-bottom boat is slower and calmer. It suits children and anyone who gets seasick, and you see the seabed whether or
not a turtle shows. The Best of Zante boat also gives you the longest stop on Marathonisi, an hour. A speedboat covers more in
the same three hours, adds a cave swim or the Myzithres rocks, and bounces: the listings rule out pregnancy and back problems.
A self-drive boat gives four people their own pace for about the price of four seats, but you are the one who must keep out of
Zone A and slow down near turtles.
The honest small print: no boat can promise a turtle, whatever the listing says. Most summer trips see
one or two, guests report, sometimes only a head for a few seconds. On Marathonisi you will not see turtles at all in the
daytime: you see the beach they nest on.
Marathonisi, Keri and Cameo
Marathonisi sits off the Keri peninsula, a short boat ride from Agios Sostis. Its beach is short and golden, with
clear shallow water and no facilities, open from 7 am to sunset. The Keri Caves are a line of white limestone arches on the
southwest tip, where most boats stop for a swim, and the Myzithres rocks are two tall stacks in a cove you only reach by sea.
Cameo Islet, joined to Agios Sostis by a wooden footbridge, is the photo stop at the start or end of many trips.
From the air the island looks like a swimming turtle, which gave it the nickname.
Timing it
May to September is the turtle season in the bay, with the most animals in June and July, when the females are nesting.
Go in the morning if you can: the sea is usually flatter, and a breathing turtle is easier to see. September brings the warmest
water and fewer boats. Hatchlings emerge at night from mid-July to October, so you are unlikely to see them on a boat trip,
but you may see the cages over the nests on the beach. Read the timing guide for the details.
The swim stop at the Keri Caves is the part many guests remember best.
Straight answers to what people ask most about Turtle Island and the turtles of Zakynthos.
Where can I see turtles in Zakynthos?
In Laganas Bay on the south coast, inside the National Marine Park. The loggerheads feed and rest in the bay from spring to autumn, and boats from Agios Sostis and Laganas go out to look for them. Marathonisi, "Turtle Island", is one of six nesting beaches around the bay. More in where to see turtles.
Will I definitely see a turtle on a boat trip?
No one can promise it, whatever a listing says. Most boats in summer find at least one, guests report, but sometimes it is a head breaking the surface for a few seconds. A glass-bottom boat gives you the seabed to look at either way. Compare the boats in turtle boat trips compared.
What is the best time to see turtles in Zante?
May to September, with June and July busiest in the bay because the females are there to nest. Hatchlings emerge from about mid-July to October, mostly at night. Morning boats usually find a calmer sea. Details in the best time to see turtles.
Why is Marathonisi called Turtle Island?
Seen from above, the islet looks like a turtle swimming, and its small sandy beach is a loggerhead nesting beach. It holds only a small share of the bay's nests, about 8%. Read the Marathonisi guide.
Can you swim with turtles on Zakynthos?
You can swim in the bay, but you should not swim towards or with a turtle. The park's code asks for at least 15 metres of distance and ARCHELON, the sea turtle charity, asks visitors not to swim with, touch or feed them. See swimming and turtles.
Can you get off the boat on Turtle Island?
Yes. Most trips stop on the Marathonisi beach for 30 minutes to an hour, between 7 am and sunset. Stay close to the water, because the nests are in the dry sand further back, and leave nothing behind. There are no umbrellas, no toilets and no shade.
Is there a turtle sanctuary on Zakynthos?
Not one you can tour. The whole bay is protected as the National Marine Park of Zakynthos, founded in 1999. ARCHELON runs information stations in Zakynthos town and in Kalamaki in summer, where volunteers explain the nesting and the rules.
What is the cheapest turtle trip?
The glass-bottom speedboat from Laganas, from $28 per person, and the Best of Zante glass-bottom boat from $29. A private self-drive boat starts at $144 for the whole boat plus fuel, which works out cheap for four people. All prices are on the tours page.
Do I need a licence to rent a boat in Laganas?
Not for the small motorboats rented without a licence: you get a briefing and a short test drive. You must keep out of Zone A, which is closed to boats from 1 May to 31 October, and keep to 6 knots in the rest of the bay.
Is Navagio (Shipwreck Beach) open?
Not for landing or swimming: the beach has been closed since the 2022 landslide, most recently to at least 31 October 2026. Boats can view it from about 50 metres and the clifftop viewpoint is open. See the Navagio update.
Can I cancel a turtle boat trip?
Every trip on this site cancels free up to 24 hours before. If the captain cancels for wind or waves, you get a refund or a new date.
Ready to book
Pick your boat, meet the loggerheads.
Pickup on most trips, swim stops on every one, and free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
Families
★ 4.43 to 3.5 hoursFree cancellation
