7 Best Caves in Zakynthos: Blue Caves, Keri Caves & the Hidden Sea Caves
Every cave worth a boat trip on Zakynthos — Blue Caves, Keri Caves, Maravelia, Poseidon's Face, Eros, Damianos, Marathonisi — by area, access, swimming, tours.
Zakynthos is a limestone island with a soft western edge, and the sea has been working on it for a very long time. The result is dozens of sea caves, arches and tunnels — but only two systems with names everyone knows, a handful of individually named caves that appear on tour itineraries, and one genuine inland cave you reach on foot. This page ranks the seven worth planning a trip around, and tells you which boats actually go.
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The seven caves compared
| Cave | Area | Access | Swim | Tour availability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Caves | North coast, Agios Nikolaos to Cape Skinari | Boat | ✓ (small boats) | Excellent — dozens of daily boats |
| Keri Caves | South-west, under Cape Keri | Boat | ✓ | Excellent — every south-coast trip |
| Maravelia Cave | West coast, Porto Vromi circuit | Boat | ✓ | Good — on most Shipwreck routes |
| Poseidon’s Face (“Poseidon Cave”) | West coast, Porto Vromi cliffs | Boat, photo stop | — | Good — last stop on Porto Vromi trips |
| Eros Cave | South-west, in the Keri network | Boat, swim inside | ✓ | Some — the 4-hour and private boats |
| Marathonisi caves | Turtle Island, Laganas Bay | Boat | ✓ nearby | Excellent — with every Marathonisi trip |
| Damianos Cave (Agalas) | Inland, south-west hills | On foot, 150 m path | — | Low — sunset land tours only |
The two systems at the top are the reason the island has a cave-tour industry at all, and they are as far apart as Zakynthos allows: the Blue Caves at the northern tip, the Keri Caves at the south-western one. No boat trip does both, which is why the first decision on this island is north or south, not which cave.
1. The Blue Caves — the famous ones
A string of caves and arches along the cliffs between Agios Nikolaos and Cape Skinari, with Kianoun the largest and the Skinari arches the most photographed. What makes them famous is the light: sunlight through exceptionally clear water over pale limestone comes back a saturated electric blue, strongest between about nine and noon. Small boats and speedboats sail through the arches; the big 60-seat boats stop at the mouths. Nearly every trip continues to Navagio, which is why the caves are usually sold as half of a Shipwreck Beach combo.
Reference trips: Blue Caves and Navagio Bay Swim Cruise ($41, 2.5 h, 604 reviews at 4.7) from Agios Nikolaos — our breakdown → — and the land-and-sea Shipwreck Beach with Blue Caves Land & Sea Tour ($47, 5,720 reviews at 4.8) — our breakdown →. Full guide: Blue Caves.
2. The Keri Caves — the ones you swim in
Caves, tunnels and two rock arches under Cape Keri, inside the National Marine Park. The interiors glow turquoise rather than blue, and the point is being in the water: speedboats and caiques go inside, and most trips stop to swim here and again at Marathonisi. Sheltered, warm and shorter than the northern sailings, which makes them the family coast.
Reference trips: Turtles, Marathonisi & Keri Caves Speedboat Tour ($32, 3 h, 3,297 reviews) — our breakdown → — and the glass-bottom version at the same price. Full guide: Keri Caves; tours: Keri Caves tours.
3. Maravelia Cave — the west-coast sea cave
A large sea cave on the cliffs between Porto Vromi and Navagio, big enough for boats to enter, and a named stop on most of the Shipwreck Beach routes — the land-and-sea tours, the Porto Vromi cruises and the private charters all list it. Because it sits on the Porto Vromi circuit it is often what a west-coast operator means when its listing says “blue caves”: real caves, swimmable, and not the northern ones. The Glass-Bottom Boat to Navagio, Caves & White Beach ($29, the cheapest northern trip) visits it — our breakdown →. Full guide: Maravelia Cave.
4. Poseidon’s Face — “Poseidon Cave”
Not a cave you enter. Poseidon’s Face, or Profile, is a limestone formation in the Porto Vromi cliffs that reads as a bearded face from one angle offshore; boats pause for a few minutes’ photographs, usually as the last stop before the harbour. It is worth knowing because search results and listings conflate it with cave diving spots and with the west-coast caves. The Porto Vromi Shipwreck, Caves & White Beach Swimming Cruise ($35, 2,309 reviews) names it in its inclusions — our breakdown →. Full guide: Poseidon Cave Zakynthos.
5. Eros Cave — the heart-shaped one
Part of the Keri network, formerly known as Pythira, a sea cave whose entrance reads as a heart from inside. Only small boats reach it and the experience is a swim into the cave, which makes it one for confident swimmers. Not on the standard three-hour loop: the 4-hour Turtle, Keri Caves, Mizithres & Eros Cave trip ($47, 4.7) is the shared boat that includes it — our breakdown → — along with the private boats on private boat tours.
6. The Marathonisi caves
Turtle Island has its own small sea caves on the cliffed side facing Keri, and the speedboats nose into them on the way round before the swim stop on the sandy beach. They are a bonus rather than a destination — you get them with any Marathonisi trip — but a boat inside a cave with a turtle in the bay outside is a good ten minutes. See Keri Caves + Turtle Island tours.
7. Damianos Cave — the inland one
The only cave on this list you walk to. At the southern edge of Agalas village in the south-western hills, a two-tier cave with stalactites, two entrances stacked one above the other, and a local legend about a dragon called Andronios. The path is 150 m of loose rock, the cave is cool, and the reason to go is the view over the hills to the sea at sunset. The Romantic Sunset Tour to Mizithres and Agalas Cave ($53, 557 reviews at 4.7) is a minivan tour that pairs it with the Mizithres viewpoint — a land trip, not a boat. Our breakdown →
Honourable mentions
The Porto Vromi operators name a dozen smaller features — Hidden Treasure Cave, the Heart Cave, Window of Luck, the Livaritos caves, Dolphins Cave — that appear on the skippered private trips and the shared cruises as swim stops between the wreck and White Beach. Xigia, on the north-east coast, is a sulphur-spring beach in a cove rather than a cave, and the “Dragon caves” some full-island cruises mention are sea caves on the same northern stretch. None justify a trip on their own; all are pleasant on the way past.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best caves in Zakynthos?
The Blue Caves in the north for scenery and the Keri Caves in the south for swimming. Maravelia, Poseidon’s Face and Eros Cave are worthwhile stops on specific routes; Damianos is the one inland cave.
Can you visit the caves without a boat?
Only Damianos Cave, on foot from Agalas. Every sea cave on the island is reached from the water — there are no paths to the Blue Caves or the Keri Caves.
Which caves can you swim in?
The Keri Caves and Eros Cave on most small-boat trips, the Blue Caves on the small boats from Agios Nikolaos, and Maravelia and the west-coast caves on the Porto Vromi routes. The big excursion boats generally stop at the entrances.
Is Poseidon Cave a real cave?
No. It is a rock face in the Porto Vromi cliffs shaped like a profile, seen from the boat as a photo stop. There is no cave to enter.
Which cave trip is best for children?
The Keri Caves on a glass-bottom boat: sheltered water, a three-hour trip, a swim at Marathonisi and the chance of turtles.
When is the best time to see the caves?
Morning, before noon, for the Blue Caves’ glow and calmer seas; any time of day in the sheltered south. Details on best time to visit the caves.
Ready to book? Start with the coast — Blue Caves tours or Keri Caves tours — or check availability for the island’s most-reviewed cave trip above.
Pick Your Coast, Then Book
North for the Blue Caves and Shipwreck Beach, south for the Keri Caves and Turtle Island. Every trip we list has free cancellation on most dates — compare them side by side before you commit.
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