Best Time to See Turtles in Zakynthos 2026: Month by Month

Booking choice: The turtle speedboat tour, from $32 per person. Check dates Tour details

Loggerheads come to Laganas Bay to breed. They mate offshore in spring, the females come ashore at night from about late May to August to lay eggs, and the hatchlings dig out from July into October. Adults can be seen in the bay through that whole stretch, and the boat trips run during the summer season.

That makes the question less 'will there be turtles?' than 'when are the most turtles near the surface, and the fewest boats?' Our answer is late May to early July, or September. Here is why.

The quick answer

Go between late May and early July for the most adult turtles in the bay, or in September for calmer water and fewer boats. Take a morning trip: the sea is usually flatter and the bay quieter. Hatchlings emerge from July to October, mostly at night when the beaches are closed, so you are unlikely to see one. No month guarantees a turtle.

A loggerhead turtle swimming in deep blue water — Adult loggerheads come up to breathe every few minutes when they're active.

What is the best time to see turtles in Zante?

Late May to early July. Males and females are both in the bay before and early in the nesting season, staying close to shore.

A tracking study of loggerheads in Laganas Bay in May and June found that, before nesting started, both sexes stayed within about 500 m of the shore. In the first month after nesting began, most males left for distant feeding grounds, while the females stayed (Endangered Species Research). That means more turtles, and more of them in the shallow water the boats cross, in late spring and early summer.

July and August still work: the females stay in the bay between nests, laying several clutches about two weeks apart. But August also brings the most boats. September is our second pick: warm water, fewer people, and turtles still around.

Book the 18:00 departure in June and you get the turtles, two swims and the sunset on the way back.

Check dates for the turtle speedboat tour

What month are turtles most active?

April and May for mating, late May to mid-August for nesting, July to October for hatching. June overlaps the most.

The season, month by month, from ARCHELON's field calendar and the long-term nest study:

Month	In the water	On the beaches	Our verdict
April	Turtles arrive, mating	Nothing yet	Early; few trips
May	Mating, both sexes close to shore	First nests (earliest on record: 11 May 2024)	Good, cool sea
June	Females between nests, males leaving	Peak nesting	Best overall
July	Females still in the bay	Nesting; first hatchlings mid-July	Very good, busy
August	Fewer adults by late August	Hatching, last nests	Good, busiest boats
September	Adults still seen	Hatching continues	Our second pick
October	Some turtles remain	Last hatchlings	Hit and miss

The earliest nest came the night before 11 May 2024, on Sekania, the first that early in ARCHELON's records (ARCHELON, 2024). Warmer seas are pulling the season forward. In 2026 the first hatchlings appeared on Dafni beach on 14 July (ARCHELON, 2026).

How many turtles is that? The bay averages about 1,200 nests a year, and a female lays three to five clutches in a season (Wildlife Sense). Our rough sum: a few hundred nesting females in an average year, plus the males in spring. Not a crowd in a bay this size, which is why the boats sometimes search for a while.

A loggerhead turtle at the surface with its head raised out of the water — A loggerhead lifts its head to breathe. That's usually the moment the boat sees it.

What time do turtles come out?

In the water, any time of day: they surface to breathe. On land, at night. Nesting females and most hatchlings come out after dark, when the beaches are closed.

For a boat trip, the hour matters less for the turtles than for the sea and the crowds. Morning trips usually get flatter water, and a calm surface makes a head or a shell much easier to spot. Afternoons tend to be choppier. The 18:00 departures on the speedboat trip and the Myzithres tour add complimentary drinks and the sunset, and the sunset cruise ends at the Myzithres rocks with wine.

Skip the mid-morning slot in August if you can. That's when the most boats are out, and a turtle with four boats around it dives fast.

Turtle spotting and a swim on Marathonisi, then sunset at the Myzithres rocks with a glass of wine.

★ 4.7 · 3 hours · from $32

Explore the sunset cruise Tour details

Are there turtles hatching on Zakynthos?

Yes. Hatchlings emerge from July to October on all six nesting beaches, about 49 to 62 days after the eggs are laid.

Incubation depends on the sand temperature. On Marathonisi it averages about 62 days, on East Laganas about 56 and on Kalamaki about 49 (Margaritoulis et al., 2022). Hotter sand means faster hatching, and also more females: ARCHELON warns that rising temperatures skew the sex ratio (ARCHELON).

Our 2026 hatching season post follows this year's numbers. In September and October ARCHELON asks for extra help with the last nests of the season.

Close-up of a tiny loggerhead hatchling on sand — A hatchling fits in the palm of a hand. Never pick one up or carry it to the sea.

Can tourists watch the hatchlings?

Not on purpose. The nesting beaches close at sunset, and that is when most hatchlings emerge. In daytime you can see the nest cages.

Hatchlings find the sea by heading for the brightest horizon. A phone torch, a flash or a beach bar's lights can send them the wrong way. The park's rules ban people on the beaches from sunset to 7 am for exactly this reason (ARCHELON).

If you find one in daytime, keep people and shadows away and let it crawl to the water on its own.
If it looks stuck or hurt, call ARCHELON's 24-hour line on +30 6941 511 511.
Want to help properly? ARCHELON takes volunteers for the whole season, and many hotels host an ARCHELON talk if you ask.

What is the best month to go to Zakynthos?

June or September. Warm sea, turtles in the bay, and fewer crowds than July and August.

June has the most turtles and long evenings. September has a warmer sea than June and calmer resorts once the school holidays end. July and August are hot and full, and the popular stops get crowded. October is quiet, but the season is winding down and the weather turns less reliable.

If you're also going to Navagio, check the Navagio update first: the beach has been closed to landings since 2022, and the boats only view it from the water.

Month	Air, average	Sea, average	Turtle season
May	19.6 °C	19 °C	Mating, first nests
June	24 °C	22.5 °C	Peak nesting
July	26.6 °C	25 °C	Nesting, first hatchlings
August	27.1 °C	26.5 °C	Hatching
September	23.4 °C	25.5 °C	Hatching, quieter bay
October	19.5 °C	23 °C	Last hatchlings

Temperatures: monthly averages from Greeka. A wetsuit is never needed from June to September; in May the water still feels fresh.

Late spring or early autumn on the glass-bottom boat: a slow crossing and a full hour on Marathonisi.

Check dates for the glass-bottom boat trip

What happens if the weather is bad?

The captain can change the route or cancel. If the operator cancels, you get a refund or a new date; if you cancel up to 24 hours before, you pay nothing.

Every trip on this site has free cancellation up to 24 hours before. The Zante Mare listing states that the captain may change the itinerary for safety. On a windy day the captain may skip the open coast at Keri and stay in the calmer part of the bay.

Our advice: book for the first half of your holiday. If the sea is rough that day, there's still time to rebook.

Swimmers in turquoise water under a limestone arch at the Keri Caves — The Keri Caves face the open sea. In rough weather they may be dropped from the route.

Is October too late for turtles?

Not quite. Some turtles stay in the area into autumn, and the last hatchlings emerge in October. But fewer boats run, and sightings are less reliable.

Researchers in neighbouring Kefalonia note that some loggerheads stay through the winter (Wildlife Sense). The Zone A boat ban in Laganas Bay runs to 31 October, so the nesting-beach rules stay in force until then. If October is your only chance, go; just don't expect June numbers.