Turtle boat trips compared

Which turtle boat trip in Zakynthos is best?

The Zante Mare speedboat suits most people: three hours, hotel pickup, Keri, Marathonisi and Cameo, for $32. The best trip for you depends on the boat you prefer.

All eight side by side. Times on Marathonisi come from the listings' itineraries.

Our picks by type of traveller:

• First time, adults: the Zante Mare speedboat. Pickup, two good swims and a fair 50 minutes on Marathonisi.
• Families with young children: the glass-bottom boat. Steady, slow, snorkel gear included and an hour on the sand.
• Swimmers: the Myzithres speedboat. Three swim stops, including the cove you can only reach by sea.
• Couples: the sunset cruise. The turtles, an hour on Marathonisi, then wine at Myzithres as the sun drops.
• On a budget in Laganas or Kalamaki: the glass-bottom speedboat, the lowest price at $28.
• No car, staying far from the bay: the half-day tour. Ten resorts on the pickup list and an olive oil press on the way back.
• Four friends who want their own pace: the self-drive boat, if someone will take the park rules seriously.

Glass-bottom boat or speedboat: which is better for turtles?

Neither sees more turtles. The turtles are spotted at the surface, from the deck. The glass floor helps when there are none: you still see fish and seabed.

A glass-bottom boat is slower and steadier. It suits small children, nervous swimmers and anyone prone to seasickness: the Zante Mare speedboat listing rules out people with back problems or seasickness, the glass-bottom listing only rules out wheelchair users. The Best of Zante boat also includes snorkel gear.

A speedboat covers the bay faster and gets into the Keri arches. Guests on the Zante Mare trip talk about the swims as much as the turtles: "We made lots of great stops for swimming and also jumped off rocks (about 5 m)!" In the marine park both must keep to 6 knots, so the speed only shows on the open stretches.

There's a middle way: the glass-bottom speedboat from Laganas, a faster boat with a glass panel, and the sunset cruise, a glass-bottom boat that ends at Myzithres for the sunset with wine and music.

Is a self-drive boat a good idea?

For a confident group of four, yes: $144 for three hours, no licence, swim where you like. But the turtle rules become your job.

The Sand and Sea rental gives you a small motorboat with a canopy, cool box and Bluetooth speaker after a safety briefing and a test drive with a captain. The 3-hour boat takes up to four people, the 4-hour boat two to six. Fuel is extra, about EUR 30 to 40, paid at the dock. Bring photo ID.

The catch: you are now the skipper inside a marine park. Keep below 6 knots, stay out of Zone A, stop at least 15 m from any turtle and leave after a few minutes. One collision can kill: ARCHELON records the death of the turtle Achilles after a speedboat hit him in 2017 (ARCHELON). If you won't do that, book a crewed trip.

Your own boat for three or four hours, a briefing on the park rules, and the freedom to swim where you choose.

★ 4.8 · 3 or 4 hours · from $144

Explore a self-drive boat → Tour details

How long do you actually spend watching turtles?

About 10 to 30 minutes of a 3-hour trip. The code of conduct limits each turtle to 10 minutes, and the rest of the time is swims and caves.

The listings make this clear if you read the itineraries. The Myzithres trip starts with 20 minutes of marine life viewing; the glass-bottom boat spends 20 minutes off Laganas. The half-day tour has the longest boat section, an hour cruising the marine park.

Under the 2018 code, two boats at most may watch one turtle, under 2 knots, for up to 10 minutes; other boats wait 45 m away. That's the right deal for the animal. Guests who saw one turtle well are usually happier than those who saw three in a scrum.

Do the turtle trips guarantee a sighting?

No. One listing says guaranteed, but the turtles are wild. Most trips see at least one, guests report, sometimes only for a moment.

Read what guests write. On the glass-bottom boat: "saw turtles within 10 minutes of leaving the dock", and another "managed to see a turtle on the way back to port". On the Zante Mare speedboat: "we went to two swim stops and saw one turtle that breached the surface." That's a fair picture. A turtle surfaces, breathes and dives again.

No operator can promise more, and a crew chasing a 'guarantee' is the crew that crowds a turtle. Pick the trip for the swims and the route; treat the turtle as the reason you went, not as a product.

How do you pick an operator that respects the turtles?

Ask whether the crew follows the park's code of conduct, watch what they do on the water, and leave the boat if they chase.

• Speed: the boat slows to a crawl as it enters the park. 6 knots is the limit.
• Distance: the skipper stops well short of the turtle, at least 15 m, and approaches from the side.
• Numbers: if two boats are already on a turtle, yours waits or moves on.
• Time: 10 minutes, then go. The crew asks for quiet while watching.
• No feeding, no touching, no jumping in next to a turtle.

The rules come from a 2018 Port Authority decision endorsed by the marine park (ARCHELON). If you see a boat breaking them, note its name and report it to the park or ARCHELON.

Which trip gives the most time on Marathonisi?

The glass-bottom boat, the half-day tour and the sunset cruise: about an hour each. The speedboat gives 50 minutes, the Myzithres trip 30.

An hour is enough to swim, walk the sand by the water and look at the nest cages. Thirty minutes is a quick dip. The Marathonisi guide covers the island's rules: no umbrellas, stay within 5 m of the water, 7 am to sunset.

On a self-drive boat you choose. Be aware that anchoring in the park is limited, so ask the rental team where you may stop.

What about pickup, toilets and food?

Most trips include pickup and some snacks or drinks. Two have no toilet: the Myzithres speedboat and the half-day tour (none on the boat or on Marathonisi).

• Pickup: the Zante Mare speedboat collects from your hotel or a point within 5 minutes' walk; the glass-bottom boat within 10 km of Agios Sostis; the cheapest trip only from Laganas and Kalamaki; the half-day tour from a list of ten resorts.
• Toilets: on the Myzithres trip, use the Sabia shop at the harbour (paid). On the half-day tour, there's a stop before boarding.
• Food: drinks and snacks are included on most trips. The Shipwreck cruise sells food on board; the self-drive boat has a cool box, so bring your own.
• Cameo Islet: the half-day tour lists the entrance as included, but its description mentions a EUR 5 charge. Check before you go.

Five hours with hotel pickup: Cameo, an hour on the marine park, Marathonisi, Keri and an olive oil tasting.

★ 4.2 · 5 hours · from $65

Explore the half-day Turtle Island tour → Tour details

Frequently asked questions