A Marathonisi turtle island tour takes a small boat across Laganas Bay on Zakynthos, where loggerhead turtles feed and nest, to the green islet locals call turtle island. Check our homepage for more tours in Greece on the Ionian coast.
This page walks through the ports, the boats, the marine park rules, the swim stop and the caves on a Marathonisi turtle island tour.
What happens on a Marathonisi turtle island tour?
A Marathonisi turtle island tour is a boat trip in Laganas Bay on Zakynthos. The boat looks for loggerhead turtles and stops at Marathonisi for a swim of about one hour. Sellers list the cruise at about three hours.
The turtles are the first reason to go. One seller says they swim freely and live alone, so you do not see them in groups. Another operator says they swim in the waters of the National Marine Park by day in summer. So a Marathonisi turtle island tour is a search at sea.
The order of the stops on a Marathonisi turtle island tour changes from seller to seller. One operator starts with turtle spotting, goes on to Marathonisi, and ends in the Keri area. A speedboat seller makes Marathonisi the third and last swim stop of the day.
On a Marathonisi turtle island tour, the boats stop at the island for about one hour. Passengers swim and relax on the beach. On one seller’s plan, the first stop in Laganas Bay takes 20 minutes and Marathonisi gets one hour. Two operators also list a visit to the main cave of the island.
Start times for a Marathonisi turtle island tour differ too. Group boats run at 09:00, 12:00 and 15:00 with one operator, and at 10:00, 13:00 and 16:00 with another. One seller lists 3 to 5 hours for the trip but says the cruise itself lasts up to 3 hours.
Where in Laganas Bay is Marathonisi, and why is it called turtle island?
Marathonisi is an uninhabited islet in Laganas Bay, off the Keri coast of Zakynthos. Sellers call it turtle island because its outline looks like a turtle. A Marathonisi turtle island tour sails to this islet to swim and to look for loggerheads.
Laganas Bay is wide and shallow, on the southeast side of Zakynthos. The Vassilikos peninsula lies to the north of the bay and the Marathia peninsula to the south. Wikipedia lists three uninhabited islets in the bay: Marathonisi, Pelouzo and Agios Sostis.
A Marathonisi turtle island tour heads for an islet across from the beach of Keri, says one travel site. The same site says it is not a single island. It also includes two more islets called Pontikonisia, and its perimeter is about a mile.
The shape explains the name. One operator says the islet has a rounded shell and a narrower neck of land toward Keri. The resemblance to a swimming turtle shows from the viewpoint at Keri Lighthouse and from a boat in the bay. Another site says to look from the coast between Keri and Marathia.
The name fits the animals as well. One seller says the name comes from the shape and from a nesting beach that draws loggerhead turtles. Wikipedia counts Marathonisi among six nesting beaches in the bay, which together run about 5 km.
The islet has no roads or permanent buildings, says one operator. Another site names two main beaches, one of white sand and one of pebbles. One seller’s Marathonisi turtle island tour includes a slow loop of the coastline. Limestone caves line that shoreline.
Which ports do the turtle boats leave from?
A Marathonisi turtle island tour starts at Agios Sostis port in Laganas on the group trips listed for the island. Other boats leave from the main beach of Laganas, Kavos Psarou harbour, Vasilikos, Alikanas and Tsilivi.
Agios Sostis is the port of Laganas. On a Marathonisi turtle island tour from this port, guests meet at the port 30 minutes before departure. Parking is available there. A hotel transfer from Laganas and Kalamaki can be arranged after booking. The boat returns to Agios Sostis after about three hours.
Glass-bottom boats of one operator leave from the main beach of Laganas. On that Marathonisi turtle island tour, guests walk 10 metres into the water to board. The boat holds up to 22 passengers. The operator lists transport from Gerakas, Vasilikos, Argassi, Kalamaki, Zante Town, Akrotiri and Tsilivi.
A private Marathonisi turtle island tour from Kavos Psarou harbour takes up to eight guests. Guests meet 15 minutes before departure, and parking is nearby. A rib boat tour starts at the St. Nicholas Watersport Center and returns to St. Nicholas port after four hours. The same operator lists that trip as leaving from Vasilikos.
The islet can also be reached by boat from Keri, and private trips start from Alikanas and from Tsilivi. A taxi boat from Agios Sostis takes 15 minutes. One operator sets its pickup and drop-off radius at up to 10 kilometres from Agios Sostis. Compare each start point with your hotel before you book a Marathonisi turtle island tour.
How do glass-bottom boats and speedboats compare for turtle spotting?
A glass-bottom boat holds up to 22 passengers and has a glass bottom for enhanced viewing. Speedboats on a Marathonisi turtle island tour carry six to ten guests, so the group is smaller.
The page for one glass-bottom boat lists a briefing on the National Marine Park and lifejackets. On this Marathonisi turtle island tour, the crew watches the turtles from a respectful distance. That way the turtles are not disturbed. The page adds that turtles swim freely and are not seen in groups, because they are solitary animals.
A review summary of another glass-bottom boat says travellers wanted clearer information about the limited glass viewing area. Glass-bottom trips on the tour pages run about three hours. One operator also offers a private glass-bottom tour on request. Ask the operator how large the glass section is before you book.
Speedboats come as private or semi-private trips on a Marathonisi turtle island tour. One semi-private speedboat takes a maximum of 10 guests. A private luxury speedboat trip takes six or seven guests and starts at Agios Sostis port. A rib speedboat tour lasts four hours and runs at higher speed on the way back, using its twin engines.
One local travel site notes that small boats can visit the inside of the Marathonisi caves. Operators also state that turtle sightings cannot be guaranteed, because the turtles are wild animals. A Marathonisi turtle island tour on a glass-bottom boat or a speedboat is a search, not a promise.
What are the rules of the National Marine Park around the turtles?
On a Marathonisi turtle island tour, the boat shares Laganas Bay with a 6-knot speed limit and no-go areas. A voluntary code, endorsed by the park, adds a 15-meter gap from each turtle. It also limits watching one turtle to 10 minutes.
ARCHELON, the sea turtle society of Greece, asks you to request this code when booking a Marathonisi turtle island tour. The code allows a maximum of 2 vessels at one turtle. They move at less than 2 nautical knots. Every other vessel stays at least 45 meters away. Crews approach from the side and keep silence on board.
Visitors have a part in the rules too. Sea turtles live in the wild, so ARCHELON asks people to avoid feeding, touching or swimming with them. One operator notes that the turtles swim freely and are not seen in groups, as they are solitary animals. So a Marathonisi turtle island tour cannot promise a sighting.
The park divides Laganas Bay into three marine zones, A, B and C, and fishing is banned in each. Marathonisi is a Nature Protection Area, like Kalamaki, Dafni and Gerakas, with special measures for the nesting turtles. Sekania, the beach with the densest nesting, is closed to the public. The park exists to protect the loggerhead turtle, Caretta caretta.
Females lay eggs from late spring through August, and hatchlings emerge through October. In summer, day boats fill the main beach. A Marathonisi turtle island tour joins those boats, and the rules cover the water and the sand alike.
Can you swim and land on the beach at Marathonisi?
Yes. A Marathonisi turtle island tour stops for swimming, and visitors can use the beach from 7am until sunset. Stay within 5 meters of the waterline. Umbrellas and private beach equipment are not allowed on the island.
Boats with up to 50 seats park at the main beach, while larger boats stop near the second beach. Ask which beach your Marathonisi turtle island tour uses. A rope marks the limit of the area open to visitors, and WWF volunteers check that visitors follow the rules. Anchors are prohibited in the protected area, so boats moor without them.
The beach is a nesting site, so visitors cannot explore the island. Protective cages sit on the nests, and ARCHELON asks you to respect them. Never touch hatchlings, which must reach the sea by themselves. Dogs and horses are not allowed on nesting beaches. One operator briefs guests on the park during its Marathonisi turtle island tour.
In the water, keep 15 meters from any turtle you meet. Do not touch, feed or swim with it. The swimming stop on a Marathonisi turtle island tour lasts about one hour, according to two operators. Nobody stays on the nesting beach after sunset, because the area is guarded.
The island has no shaded areas, and umbrellas are prohibited. It is uninhabited, so one travel site advises packing enough supplies. Take your rubbish home. Water, food and sun cover keep a Marathonisi turtle island tour comfortable on the sand.
What else do the boats show, from the Keri Caves to Mizithres?
A Marathonisi turtle island tour also visits the Keri Caves, where rock arches and limestone cliffs line the coast. Other routes add Eros Cave and the Mizithres, two towering rocks that rise straight out of the sea.
One seller says time, tides and wind carved the Keri Caves. Along the coast you see rock arches, forested hills and limestone cliffs that fall into the sea. The boat passes through a rock arch called Kamara. It then stops for 20 minutes, so guests can swim outside the caves or snorkel.
On a longer route, a Marathonisi turtle island tour also takes in the Mizithres. One seller says the boat glides between the two rocks. One RIB tour page compares them to chunks of Mizithre cheese. A sunset cruise passes Marathonisi, then the Keri Caves, and ends with the sun setting between the rocks.
Longer trips add Pisines Beach, a white-pebble spot that only boats can reach. The grand finale on one glass-bottom trip is Eros Cave. You swim through a small entrance, walk inside and leave by the far side. The boat circles round to meet you.
Two sellers say the captain can change the order of the stops. On a Marathonisi turtle island tour, the swim stops and the Eros Cave visit also depend on the weather. One RIB trip adds Plakaki Beach and its natural pool. One half-day trip adds the wooden bridge to Cameo Island.
What else do travellers ask about a Marathonisi turtle island tour?
Does the weather change a Marathonisi turtle island tour?
One operator tells guests about weather problems the day before. If the weather does not allow the trip, it sets a new date. Guests who cannot join the new date get their deposit back. Another operator says all its tours depend on the weather.
What do you pack for the boat?
One seller asks for swimwear, a towel, sunscreen and dry clothes on a Marathonisi turtle island tour. It recommends a camera, a hat and mineral water. Another seller asks guests to wear their swimsuit under their clothes.
Are there toilets or food on a Marathonisi turtle island tour?
One seller says there is no toilet on the boat or the islet. The group stops for the toilet before boarding. A snack bar on another boat sells refreshments. Floating canteens at Marathonisi sell snacks.
Is the trip right for weak swimmers?
On one Marathonisi turtle island tour, the boat anchors in suitable waters. Guests enter the sea by the boat ladder. That seller calls the trip right for confident swimmers and asks others to use swimming aids. Another operator says life jackets and first aid kits are on every boat trip.
Can infants and guests with reduced mobility join?
With one seller, infants sit on an adult’s lap, and the trip suits all fitness levels. A glass-bottom seller accepts guests with reduced mobility who can board the coach alone. On a Marathonisi turtle island tour with that seller, the trip is not suitable for wheelchairs.