Where to See Turtles in Zakynthos 2026: Bay, Beaches, Boats

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

Every loggerhead you are likely to see on Zakynthos is in Laganas Bay, the wide bay between Keri in the west and Gerakas in the east. Since 1999 it has been the core of the National Marine Park of Zakynthos. Adult turtles gather here from spring to autumn to mate, rest between nests and come ashore at night to lay eggs on six beaches.

That gives you three ways to meet them: from a boat in the bay, on a nesting beach in the daytime (you'll see nests, not turtles), or at the ARCHELON info points, where volunteers explain what's going on. Only the first gives you a decent chance of an actual turtle. Here is how all three work, and what to skip.

The quick answer

Take a boat into Laganas Bay from Agios Sostis or Laganas. Turtle watching is allowed in Zone B of the marine park, and most trips find at least one turtle there, guests report. The nesting beaches (Marathonisi, East Laganas, Kalamaki, Dafni, Gerakas) are open 7 am to sunset, but adult turtles only come ashore at night, when the beaches are closed. Sekania, the busiest nesting beach, is closed to everyone.

Two loggerhead turtles at the surface of clear blue water — Two loggerheads at the surface in Laganas Bay, seen from a turtle-spotting boat.

Where can I see turtles in Zakynthos?

In Laganas Bay, from a boat. Turtle watching is allowed in Zone B of the marine park, the open water off Agios Sostis, Laganas and Marathonisi.

The bay is split into sea zones. Zone A, the strip off the main nesting beaches, is closed to all boats from 1 May to 31 October. Zones B and C have a 6-knot speed limit, and only Zone B is where the watching boats are meant to look for turtles (ARCHELON, 2019). In practice, nearly every trip leaves from Agios Sostis harbour, crosses the bay slowly, and stops when the crew spots a head or a shell near the surface.

Before nesting starts, a tracking study found that both males and females stayed within about 500 m of the shore along a core 9 km stretch of the bay (Endangered Species Research). That is why a short boat ride works: you don't need to go far.

Place	What you see	Chance of a turtle
Laganas Bay by boat	Adults surfacing to breathe, 15 m or more from the boat	Good; most trips see at least one (guests report)
Marathonisi	A nesting beach, nest cages, clear water	In the water around it, sometimes
East Laganas, Kalamaki, Dafni, Gerakas	Nesting beaches by day, nest markers	Low in daytime
Sekania	Nothing: closed to the public	No access
ARCHELON info points	Volunteers, photos, the season so far	None, but you learn the most

Three hours across the bay with a crew that knows where the turtles surface, then swims at Keri and on Marathonisi.

Check dates for the turtle speedboat tour

What beach has the most turtles?

Sekania. It holds about half of all the nests in Laganas Bay, and it is closed to everyone except researchers.

Laganas Bay has six nesting beaches, 5.5 km of sand in total, and averages about 1,200 nests a year (ARCHELON). The numbers swing hard from year to year: from about 667 to 2,018 nests between 1984 and 2021, and a record of more than 2,350 by late August 2024 (To Vima). The share per beach is uneven:

Beach	Share of the bay's nests	Can you go?
Sekania	About 50%	No: Area of Absolute Protection
Marathonisi	About 8%	Yes, by boat, 7 am to sunset
East Laganas	Part of the rest	Yes; furniture removed nightly
Kalamaki	Part of the rest	Yes; furniture removed nightly
Dafni	Part of the rest	Yes; furniture removed nightly
Gerakas	Part of the rest	Yes; furniture removed nightly

The shares for Sekania and Marathonisi come from 38 years of nest counts (Margaritoulis et al., 2022). The same study found the eggs take about 62 days to hatch on Marathonisi, against about 49 on Kalamaki and 56 on East Laganas. A beach with many nests doesn't mean turtles on the sand in daytime, though. Females come ashore at night.

A loggerhead hatchling on the sand, close up — A hatchling heading for the water. Nests on all six beaches hatch from July into October.

Is there a turtle beach in Zante?

Six of them, all in Laganas Bay: Marathonisi, East Laganas, Kalamaki, Sekania, Dafni and Gerakas. Five are open in daytime under strict rules.

The marine park's rules for the nesting beaches (ARCHELON, the park map):

Open from 7 am to sunset. Nobody is allowed on the sand at night; the beaches are guarded.
Stay within 5 m of the water. The turtles nest in the middle and back of the beach.
No umbrellas or furniture on Marathonisi. On the other four, sunbeds are cleared every night.
No vehicles, horses or dogs off the lead. No lights at night, no digging in dry sand.
Leave the nest cages alone and let hatchlings find the sea by themselves.

Gerakas is the one we'd pick for a beach day: a curved bay on the eastern tip of the island, quiet in the morning. Dafni is smaller and wilder. East Laganas and Kalamaki sit right next to the resort strip.

Is there a turtle sanctuary on Zakynthos?

Not one you can walk into. The whole bay is a protected marine park, and ARCHELON runs two info points where volunteers answer questions.

No centre on the island keeps turtles for visitors to look at, and that's a good thing. The protection happens on the beaches and in the water. You can meet the people who do it at the ARCHELON info stations on Solomos Square in Zakynthos town and in front of the Crystal Beach Hotel in Kalamaki. ARCHELON, the Sea Turtle Protection Society of Greece, has protected the nests here since 1984.

The park itself has a management office in Zakynthos town (Eleftheriou Venizelou 1, weekdays 9:00 to 17:00, per Visit Greece). Injured turtles from all over Greece go to ARCHELON's Sea Turtle Rescue Centre in Glyfada, near Athens, which takes in about 70 a year. If you find a turtle in trouble, call the 24-hour line: +30 6941 511 511.

A loggerhead turtle swimming underwater, close up — No turtle here lives in a tank. The bay is the sanctuary.

Where do the boats go to spot turtles?

Most leave from Agios Sostis, cross the bay toward Marathonisi and Keri, and slow down wherever a turtle surfaces. The crew decides on the day.

On the Zante Mare speedboat trip, the 3-hour loop takes in a photo stop at the Keri Caves, swims at Keri and Marathonisi, Cameo Islet and a second swim stop, with turtle spotting in the bay. The glass-bottom boat spends 20 minutes looking off Laganas before Cameo, Keri and a full hour on Marathonisi. The Myzithres trip builds in 20 minutes of turtle watching at the start and a 30-minute marine park stop at the end.

Pick a boat with a crew that follows the 2018 code of conduct: no more than two boats on one turtle, 10 minutes at most, at least 15 m away, approach from the side, quiet on deck. One guest on the Myzithres trip wrote of the guide: "He was very respectful with the turtles and explained a lot to us during the tour." That's what you want.

Glass-Bottom Boat to Turtle Island & Keri Caves

The slow way across the bay: a glass floor for the seabed, then a full hour on the Marathonisi nesting beach.

★ 4.4 · 3 to 3.5 hours · from $29

Explore the glass-bottom boat trip Tour details

Can you see turtles from the beach or the harbour?

Sometimes, but you can't plan on it. A head breaking the surface off Laganas or Agios Sostis is a bonus, not a strategy.

Because the turtles stay close to shore before nesting, swimmers and people on the harbour wall do see them now and then. It's random. A boat covers far more water in an hour, and the crews talk to each other about where turtles are surfacing that morning.

If you want a free option, walk out to Cameo Islet or along Agios Sostis harbour early in the day and watch the water. If you see one, enjoy it from where you are. Don't swim toward it: ARCHELON asks people not to swim with sea turtles. The swimming guide explains why.

A wooden footbridge leading over clear water to the small pine-covered Cameo Islet — The bridge to Cameo Islet at Agios Sostis, where most turtle boats start.

Turtles first, then Keri, Myzithres and a swim on Marathonisi, with pickup in Laganas and Kalamaki.

Check dates for the glass-bottom speedboat

What other wild animals live around Zakynthos?

Loggerheads are the stars, but the marine park also shelters Mediterranean monk seals and bottlenose dolphins, plus migrating birds on the wetlands.

The park lists monk seals and bottlenose dolphins among its residents; both are shy and rare sightings. One local guide reports a seal spending its summers in a small cave on Marathonisi (Zante Island). On land you'll find hedgehogs and rabbits, and the sand plants matter too: picking sea daffodils on the beaches is banned. Marathonisi has its own endemic plant, Limonium zakynthium, a sea lavender that grows nowhere else.

The Strofades, two remote islets far to the south, are also part of the park and count as ecologically important. No regular tours go there.

Where should you avoid in Zakynthos?

The Laganas strip at night if you want sleep, Sekania (closed), any nesting beach after sunset, and a landing at Navagio: the beach is still closed.

Laganas on a summer night. The main street is a party scene, loud until the small hours. Fine if that's your trip; book Kalamaki, Vasilikos or Keri if it isn't.
Nesting beaches after dark. It's against the rules, and torchlight confuses hatchlings.
Boats that crowd a turtle. ARCHELON has seen about five boats circle one animal, some within 2 m (2019 report). If your skipper does this, say so, and report the boat to the park or ARCHELON.
Navagio expecting to land. Shipwreck Beach has been closed to landings since 2022, extended to at least 31 October 2026 (Greek Trip Planner). Boats view the wreck from about 50 m. Our Navagio update has the latest.

Pirate Ship Cruise to Shipwreck Beach & Blue Caves

The other side of the island in one day: the Blue Caves, Navagio from the water and three swim stops.

★ 4.2 · 7 hours · from $41

Explore the Shipwreck Beach cruise Tour details

Frequently asked questions

What is Zakynthos famous for?

Navagio, the shipwreck cove on the west coast; the Blue Caves in the north; and the loggerhead turtles of Laganas Bay in the south. The Venetians called the island Fioro di Levante, the Flower of the East.

Is Zakynthos safe?

Yes, for the usual holiday reasons: low violent crime, busy resorts, good roads in the south. The real risks are sun, scooters on narrow roads and late nights on the Laganas strip.

Can I drink tap water in Zante?

In the main towns and resorts the tap water is treated and meets EU standards, according to Greek Trip Planner, but many visitors dislike the taste. Most people drink bottled water, and the boat trips hand it out.

Is a glass-bottom boat better than a speedboat for seeing turtles?

Not for the turtles themselves: they surface to breathe, and you see them from the deck either way. The glass floor shows you the seabed when no turtle is around. See the boat trips compared.

Ready to book