Hotels near Marathonisi Island (Turtle Island)

Marathonisi - shaped like a turtle when seen from above and locally called Turtle Island - is a small uninhabited islet off the south coast in Laganas Bay. It sits inside the Zakynthos National Marine Park and is one of the most important loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) nesting beaches in the Mediterranean. Tropical-feeling vegetation, turquoise shallows, and small sea caves on the western flank make it the most rewarding short-boat trip on the island.

Boat tours leave Limni Keriou and Keri port (15-25 minutes each way) and Laganas (longer, around 30-45 minutes). Most tours give you 60-90 minutes ashore. The protected eastern cove allows daytime swimming but is closed at night to nesting females from May to October. Glass-bottom boats out of Laganas often spot turtles in the bay on the way over - sightings are most reliable in June and July.

Pro Tip: Visit before 11:00 if possible - boat traffic increases sharply through midday and the protected swim zone fills up. Stay strictly inside the buoyed swimming area, never disturb a nest, and skip operators who promise "swim with turtles" - those tours are not legal inside the marine park.