Turtle Island + Keri Caves Tours: The South-Coast Combo

No. Loggerhead turtles are in Laganas Bay through the nesting season from May to October and sightings on a morning crossing are common, but boats must keep 15 metres away, cannot chase or circle a turtle, and are limited to a few minutes of observation — so the encounter is on the turtle's terms. Some listings say 'guaranteed'; treat that as marketing. Glass-bottom boats improve your odds because a turtle a few metres down is visible through the floor.

From $29 for a boat-only glass-bottom ticket from Agios Sostis, $32 for the three-hour glass-bottom or speedboat tours with hotel pickup, and $47 for the four-hour route that adds the Mizithres and Eros Cave. Private boats are priced per boat — from $276 for a skippered trip for two. Cameo Island, when a tour includes a landing there, charges its own entry fee of about €5.

Yes, in daylight and on a small part of the beach only. Marathonisi is a protected loggerhead nesting site inside the National Marine Park, so umbrellas, anchoring on the sand and walking more than five metres from the water are prohibited. Most boats give you 30 minutes to an hour to swim from the beach; there are floating canteens selling drinks and snacks in summer but no toilets on the islet.

Three hours on the standard glass-bottom and speedboat trips, including the turtle-spotting crossing, the Keri Caves stop and the swim at Marathonisi. The four-hour version adds the Mizithres rocks and Eros Cave. Half-day tours that add Cameo Island and an olive-press visit run about five hours door to door. A short turtle-spotting-only run in Laganas Bay is 20 to 30 minutes on the water.

Agios Sostis harbour, at the western end of Laganas beach beside the wooden bridge to Cameo Island, is the main departure point; some boats leave from Laganas beach itself. Tours with hotel pickup collect from Laganas, Kalamaki and resorts within about ten kilometres. If you are driving, there is free parking near the harbour — arrive 15 minutes before departure.

Glass-bottom for the turtles and for a calm ride: the floor is genuinely useful in the shallow bay and the wide hull suits families. Speedboat for the caves: it passes through the arches under Cape Keri that the glass-bottom boats only approach. The two most-reviewed south-coast trips are one of each, both $32 and three hours, so choose by what you want to see best. See our Keri Caves tours page for the cave-first view.

The National Marine Park of Zakynthos limits boats to six knots, requires a 15-metre distance from turtles with observation kept to a few minutes, bans boats from the highest-protection zone off the nesting beaches, and closes Sekania beach to everyone. Marathonisi is daytime access only with the beach restrictions above. Operators on GetYourGuide state that they follow these rules; the eco-certified boats are inspected for it.

No. Marathonisi, Turtle Island, is the pine-covered islet in the middle of Laganas Bay, reached only by boat. Cameo Island is the tiny islet at Agios Sostis harbour, joined to the shore by a wooden footbridge and created when the 1633 earthquake cut it off from the mainland. Most Turtle Island boats pass Cameo for photos; the half-day tours include a landing there, with a separate entry fee.

On every trip we list, yes — the combination is what the south-coast boats sell. What varies is the time and the depth: the speedboat sails through the arches and gives the caves over an hour in total, the glass-bottom boats stop at the mouths for around 30 minutes, and the cheapest boat-only ticket swims in the caves zone rather than inside a cave. Read the stop list on the listing before you book.

Swimwear under your clothes, a towel, reef-safe sunscreen, a hat and water. Snorkel gear is only included on the private boats, so bring a mask if you own one — the water off Marathonisi is shallow and clear. Leave the umbrella at the hotel: they are banned on the islet. There are no toilets on the boats or on Marathonisi; use the facilities at the harbour before boarding.

Morning. The bay is calmest before the afternoon sea breeze builds, the water is clearest for the glass floor, and the boats are fewer, which matters when every one of them has to slow to six knots around the same animal. The 18:00 sunset departures are a different product — the Mizithres in evening light and a drink on board — not a better turtle run.

Yes. The caves side of the route is on an exposed coast and captains reroute or cancel when the swell builds; the operators on this page reschedule or refund weather cancellations, and every trip has free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure. Book early in your stay so a lost day can be rebooked, and check our best time to visit guide for the seasonal pattern.