The best Greek island for turtles

Which Greek island is best for turtles?

Zakynthos for boat trips; Kefalonia for seeing turtles from land. Both are in the Ionian Sea, about 1.5 hours apart by ferry.

Zakynthos has a national marine park built around a loggerhead nesting bay, an organised turtle-watching code for boats and dozens of trips from $28. Kefalonia has no turtle tours to speak of, but the turtles come to you in Argostoli harbour.

Is Zakynthos or Kefalonia better for seeing turtles?

Zakynthos for a trip on the water and beaches built around the turtles; Kefalonia for a free look from the harbour wall.

In Argostoli, the turtles feed in the harbour and the Koutavos Lagoon. Wildlife Sense has counted more than 100 at once in April and May and identified over 360 individuals in one year; the best spots are the De Bosset bridge and the water behind the fish and fruit markets, morning or evening (Wildlife Sense). The downside: some locals and visitors throw scraps, which is bad for the turtles. Don't join in.

Zakynthos gives you more: clear water, the Keri Caves, Marathonisi and the chance of a turtle in the open bay where it belongs. Doing both is easy. Spend the boat day on Zakynthos, then cross over. The ferry from Agios Nikolaos (Zakynthos) to Pessada (Kefalonia) takes about 1.5 hours and runs mainly from May to September (Ferryhopper).

Where is the best place in Europe to see turtles?

Greece, and on Greece's islands, Zakynthos. Kyparissia Bay has the most nests in the Mediterranean; Dalyan in Turkey and Lara in Cyprus are the other big names.

Kyparissia Bay on the west coast of the Peloponnese recorded about 6,100 nests in 2025, 74% above its 12-year average, and ARCHELON says it ranks first in Greece and the Mediterranean (ARCHELON, 2025). It's a mainland beach with no turtle boats, so you see nests, not turtles.

Outside Greece: İztuzu beach near Dalyan in Turkey averages about 300 nests a year and closes at night from May to October (İztuzu Beach). Cyprus is the place for nesting green turtles as well as loggerheads, mostly at Lara-Toxeftra and Polis-Gialia (Cyprus Mail).

What about Crete?

Crete has loggerhead nesting beaches near Rethymno, Chania and in the Messara Bay, all watched by ARCHELON volunteers. Seeing a turtle there is down to luck.

ARCHELON confirmed nests in all three of its Crete project areas in 2025 (ARCHELON). The beaches at Rethymno and Chania run right in front of hotels and bars, and the volunteers spend much of the summer fighting light and sunbeds. You'll see nest cages on the beach and maybe volunteers at dawn.

For a turtle in the water, Crete has nothing like the Laganas Bay trips. If turtles are why you're choosing an island, Crete is the wrong one.

A glass-bottom boat across the Zakynthos marine park, with Cameo, Keri and an hour on Marathonisi.

★ 4.4 · 3 to 3.5 hours · from $29

Explore the glass-bottom boat trip → Tour details

Is Rhodes or Zakynthos better?

For turtles, Zakynthos, by a long way. For history and a big medieval old town, Rhodes. For beaches and boat days, Zakynthos.

Rhodes has no turtle bay like Laganas and no turtle-trip scene to speak of. Zakynthos is smaller and greener, with the famous cliffs in the west, the turtle bay in the south and easy boat trips on both. Choose Rhodes for castles and a longer season; Zakynthos for the sea.

If you want both Navagio and the turtles in one stay, see the Navagio update: the beach is still closed to landings, so the boats show it from the water.

What wild animals can you see on Zakynthos besides turtles?

Mediterranean monk seals and bottlenose dolphins live in the marine park, and the wetlands draw migrating birds. All are rare sightings.

The park lists monk seals, bottlenose dolphins, flamingos, hawks and other migrating birds, plus hedgehogs and rabbits on land (Visit Greece). A seal is said to summer in a cave on Marathonisi. If you meet one, the same rules as for turtles apply: distance, quiet, no food.

Which is the most responsible island to see turtles?

Any place where you watch from a distance and spend money with operators who follow the rules. On Zakynthos, that means choosing your boat with care.

The state of the nesting beaches is the worry. A 2026 assessment by WWF Greece and ARCHELON found only 12% of Greece's loggerhead nesting beaches in good condition and 38% in poor condition (To Vima). Our report summary has the details.

What helps: sunbeds near the water, no lights on the beach at night, no feeding, no chasing by boat, and a turtle trip with a crew that respects the 2018 code. The boat trips compared guide shows what to watch for.

Can you volunteer with sea turtles in Greece?

Yes. ARCHELON takes volunteers on Zakynthos, in Kyparissia, Crete and other project areas, by the full week, from early May to mid-October.

On Zakynthos the field station is a campground in Kalitero, near Zakynthos town, with showers, a WC and a basic kitchen. Volunteers do morning and night beach surveys, fence and sometimes move nests, excavate hatched nests to measure success, patrol the beaches and run the info points. The first team starts on 8 May; the last closes the station in mid-October. A fee covers accommodation, training and insurance, and shared food costs are about EUR 25 to 30 a week (ARCHELON volunteering).

It's real work: night shifts, heat and sand. It's also the only way to see a nesting female or a hatchling run legitimately. If a week is too much, visit the info stations on Solomos Square or in Kalamaki, or adopt a turtle through ARCHELON.

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