Zakynthos Turtle Tour Small Group Turtle Spotting & Turtle Island
Description
Avoid the crowded boats and enjoy a relaxed small-group turtle tour in Zakynthos. With just a few guests on board, there’s space to relax and enjoy a more personal experience with a friendly local skipper. We explore the Zakynthos Marine Park, where turtles are often seen close to the boat. If conditions allow and it’s safe, you may even have the chance to swim near them. You’ll also visit hidden beaches and sea caves, and thanks to the smaller boat, we can enter some caves to experience the stunning blue water up close. This tour is ideal for those looking for a smaller group, a relaxed pace, and a well-organised experience from start to finish, including guests visiting Zakynthos by cruise ship. Please note: Due to Greek maritime law, every passenger — including children and infants — must be counted as a full seat. This allows us to keep groups small and comfortable. To make the experience more accessible for families, we offer reduced rates for younger guests.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Every year hundreds of Caretta Caretta sea turtles emigrate to the shores of Zakynthos. This tour gives you the perfect opportunity to see them swimming in their natural habitat. Our small boat does not bother or overshadow the turtles. They often swim happily by the side of the boat oblivious to the fact that we are there. This gives you peace of mind knowing that we are not disturbing them. this also allows us the perfect view and holiday photographs. Plus If your captain thinks that it is safe for you and the turtles he will allow you to jump in and swim peacefully alongside them giving you an experience that you'll never forget.
You'll explore the large caves and coves of Keri, where you'll stop for a swim in the crystal-clear blue waters. One advantage of using a small boat is that you can actually enter the caves—something larger boats can't do. Inside, you’ll witness spectacular sunlight reflections off the deep waters, turning them bright blue. If you're feeling adventurous, you can even swim through a small connecting tunnel between the caves.
More commonly known as 'Turtle Island.' Not only is this an important nesting beach for the sea turtles, but the island is also shaped like a giant mother turtle! You'll sail around Turtle Island discovering its small caves and hidden beaches before stopping on its main beautiful beach for sunbathing, swimming, and maybe even a treat from one of the floating bars offering cold drinks and ice cream.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Return hotel transfers are included from resorts within a 6 km radius of Zakynthos Airport (Zakynthos Town, Argassi, Kalamaki and Laganas). We aim to collect guests directly from their accommodation; however, to minimise overall travel time, a convenient nearby pick-up point may occasionally be arranged. Tour departure and pick-up times may vary by up to 30 minutes either side of the stated departure time due to multiple pick-up locations, traffic conditions, and seasonal operational requirements. Guests will always be informed of their exact pick-up time in advance. Pickups from areas just outside this zone, such as Tsilivi, are available for a €5 return (round-trip) pickup fee per person. Pickups from all other areas of the island are available on request and subject to confirmation, and may incur an additional fee depending on distance. Unfortunately, we are unable to collect from Vasilikos. Argassi is the closest available pick-up point for Vasilikos guests. Guests may also request a preferred pick-up location within the included radius. We recommend contacting the supplier after booking and prior to the tour to confirm the exact pick-up point, time, and any applicable supplement.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Service animals allowed
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- The boat is easily accessible via the beach but not wheelchair accessible. It is a 100 meter walk from the car park. The captain will meet you at the carpark (official meeting point of tour) and show you to the boat. To enter the boat we must walk to the boat and enter via a small step onto the back of the boat. The captain and crew will assist you. To reach the boat we must walk through shallow water for ten meters.
- In accordance with local port authority regulations, we may require one valid photo ID (passport, national ID card or driving licence) from at least one member of each booking group before departure. The ID is only required to record the passenger details and will be returned immediately.
Reviews(159)
Excellent communication and a great team. There were only 5 of us on the boat, and it was worth every penny. We got some lovely photos and we were lucky to see a few turtles.
Thank you very much for your lovely review! 😊 We're delighted to hear you enjoyed your afternoon with us and that you appreciated the small group experience. Seeing turtles in their natural habitat is always a special moment, and we're so pleased you managed to capture some great photos too! 🐢📸 Thank you for choosing Boat Share Greece. We hope you enjoy the rest of your holiday and we'd love to welcome you back again in the future. Best wishes, Ian & the Boat Share Greece Team 🇬🇷
Our private pickup from the AluaSoul hotel in Tragaki required an extra cash fee of €10 per person paid directly to the driver since we were outside their usual zone. We picked up one more family en route, making a comfortable total of seven passengers (including the skipper). The boat was great—featuring a back bench, a front seating/sunbathing area, and a shaded canopy. What to Bring (Top Tips) The tour operators asked us to bring our own drinks, snacks, towels, and sun cream. Crucially, you should wear your swimwear under your clothes, as there is nowhere on board to change! The Experience Within five minutes of setting off, we spotted our first turtles. Our skipper was fantastic, carefully adhering to ethical wildlife rules and finding a safe spot away from other boats for some of the group to jump in. If you get in the water, note that the turtles are much harder to spot while swimming than they are from the boat deck; those in our group were wearing goggles rather than snorkels, and those of us remaining on the boat had to keep pointing them in the right direction! Next, we explored various caves, swam off beautiful beaches, and spent about 30 minutes on Turtle Island. The island's turtle nests are all safely fenced off with wooden frames. There are also snack boats anchored there selling drinks, ice cream, and snacks (accepting both cash and card) if you run out of your own supplies. We even spotted a few more turtles back at the harbour before being driven back to our hotels. Excluding transfers, the entire trip lasted about 4 hours. Highly recommended for anyone looking for a respectful and memorable turtle-spotting tour!
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave such a detailed and helpful review. We're delighted that you enjoyed your experience, and we're sure your insights will help many future guests know exactly what to expect from our tour. 🐢 We're especially pleased that you noticed our skipper's respectful approach to the turtles and their behaviour. We always do our best to observe them responsibly while giving our guests the best possible experience. We also had to smile when we read that you were helping point the turtles out to the guests in the water! 😊 It's lovely to hear everyone was looking out for one another and enjoying the experience together. Thank you once again for choosing Boat Share Greece. We hope you made many wonderful memories in Zakynthos and would love to welcome you back again in the future. Best wishes, Ian & the Boat Share Greece Team 🇬🇷
Amazing tour with a reliable and patient captain. We saw a turtle at the very start of the tour, and even swam with it for a while! There were only 5 guests on the boat. And with the small boat, we were able to enter many blue caves along the shore, and did swimming/snorkeling in 2 or 3 of them. Snorkeling equipment and lifejackets were provided on the boat as well.
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave such a fantastic review! 🐢💙 We're absolutely delighted that you enjoyed your time with us and that you were lucky enough to spot a turtle right at the beginning of the tour – those moments are always so special! 😊 It's wonderful to hear that you appreciated the benefits of our small-group experience. Keeping our tours small allows us to explore the beautiful blue caves, enjoy more swimming and snorkelling stops, and give every guest a more personal and relaxed experience. 🌊🤿 A huge thank you as well for your kind words about our captain. We pride ourselves on creating unforgettable experiences while always treating Zakynthos' incredible marine life with the respect it deserves. 🫶🐢 We truly appreciate your recommendation and hope to welcome you back on board the next time you're visiting our beautiful island! 🇬🇷☀️ Warm regards, Ian & the Boat Share Greece Team 🇬🇷🚤
The tour from start to finish was absolutely amazing. Pandelis was our captain and took great care of us. He picked us up from our hotel (which was out of the catchment) along with two other couples and took us to the harbour. The group size of six people was perfect. We started off by seeing the turtles then went onto have a tour of the island and caves. We had an island stop which allowed for a nice break to swim and chill. We then went onto explore different caves which was incredible. He was a very experienced captain, very attentive to our needs and was extremely knowledgeable. They practice the ethical tourism they preach, he always remained an appropriate distance from the turtles but still enough distance to have a great view. And they were out in plenty!! This experience blew us away and we are grateful for his expertise in making it!!
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! 😊 We're absolutely delighted to hear you had such an amazing day with Pandelis. Your kind words about his knowledge, care and professionalism will mean a great deal to him. 💙 We're especially grateful that you noticed and appreciated our approach to turtle spotting. Respecting these incredible animals and practising responsible, ethical tourism is at the heart of everything we do. We truly believe in practising what we preach, so it means a lot to hear that this stood out during your tour. 🐢 Thank you again for choosing Boat Share Greece and for taking the time to leave such a thoughtful review. It was a pleasure to have you on board, and we hope to welcome you back to Zakynthos one day! 🇬🇷💙 — Ian and the Boat Share Greece team
Wonderful trip. Saw a turtle within the first 10 mins. Really knowledgeable guide.
Thank you very much for your review! 😊 We're delighted to hear you enjoyed the tour and were lucky enough to spot a turtle within the first 10 minutes. 🐢 It’s also great to hear that you found your guide knowledgeable and informative. Thank you for choosing Boat Share Greece 🇬🇷 and enjoy the rest of your holiday! 💙 — Ian and the Boat Share Greece team
This tour was amazing! I went with two friends and there were 7 people total on the boat. Perfect combination of boating, swimming and getting to see a sea turtle.
Thank you for your fantastic review! 💙 We’re delighted you enjoyed the small-group experience and that you were able to spot a sea turtle 🐢. Creating a relaxed mix of boating, swimming, and wildlife encounters is exactly what we aim for. Thank you for choosing Boat Share Greece 🇬🇷 and for helping other travellers with your recommendation. 😊 — Ian and the Boat Share Greece team 💙🇬🇷
Very good tour ! The guide Pandelis was very nice and extremely professional ! He was a fantastic driver on the road and on the see ! We have seen a lot of tortues and the nice caves ! I enjoyed a lot ! Thank you. The service was great 👍 Sylvie
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave such a lovely review! 💙 We're delighted to hear that you enjoyed the tour and that Pandelis helped make the experience so memorable. He takes great pride in showing guests the very best of Zakynthos while ensuring everyone feels safe and comfortable both on the road and at sea. 🚐🚤 It's wonderful to hear that you were able to see so many turtles and enjoy the beautiful caves. Encounters like these are what make the Zakynthos Marine Park so special. 🐢✨ Thank you again for choosing Boat Share Greece. We truly appreciate your kind words and hope to welcome you back to Zakynthos again in the future! 🇬🇷☀️💙 — Ian and the Boat Share Greece team 💙🐢🌊
Oh, great. Seen several turtles and even swam with 1. Very nice captain. Doesn't overload information unless you ask for something but lets you enjoy the surroundings. You come to the most beautiful places on the edge of the cliffs and in small ‘caves’. Also snorkeled in a beautiful place. The captain also goes with the water me and shows up all sorts of things. Also nice that you are not on a boat with 50 people but maximum with 6 people. Had a nice click with the 4 Canadians who were with us. Highly recommended if you want to enjoy the surroundings and the turtles quietly and on a small scale.
Hartelijk dank voor uw fantastische review! 💙 Wat fijn om te horen dat u zo’n mooie ervaring heeft gehad en meerdere schildpadden heeft kunnen zien tijdens de tour. Het doet ons veel plezier dat u genoten heeft van de ontspannen sfeer, de prachtige snorkellocaties, de grotten en natuurlijk het gezelschap aan boord. Wij geloven dat een kleine groep het verschil maakt, zodat iedereen de kans krijgt om echt van de natuur en de omgeving te genieten zonder de drukte van de grote boten. Het is geweldig om te horen dat dit voor u zo goed heeft uitgepakt. Nogmaals bedankt voor uw vriendelijke woorden en voor het kiezen van Boat Share Greece. We hopen u in de toekomst opnieuw te mogen verwelkomen in Zakynthos! 🇬🇷🐢💙 — Ian and the Boat Share Greece team 💙
We booked the 🐢-tour starting in the morning at 09:30 and would definitely recommend. The harbour is so peaceful in the morning! Our Skipper did a fantastic job spotting turtles super quickly and showed us the most beautiful spots for snorkeling and the stunning caves! Super nice skipper and a second couple were with us, it was an experience we will never forget!
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave such a lovely review! 💙🐢 We're delighted to hear that you enjoyed the peaceful morning atmosphere in the harbour and had such a memorable experience with your skipper. Spotting turtles quickly, exploring the beautiful caves, and discovering great snorkelling spots are exactly the kind of moments we hope our guests will remember long after their holiday ends. One of the things we love most about our small group tours is the relaxed and personal atmosphere on board, so it's wonderful to hear that sharing the experience with just a few other guests made the trip even more special. Thank you again for your recommendation and for choosing Boat Share Greece. We hope to welcome you back to Zakynthos again in the future! 🇬🇷☀️💙 — Ian and the Boat Share Greece team 💙🐢🌊
It was a wonderful experience! I got to swin with a turtle and in the keri cave’s. I would recommend going on this boat instead of going on a fully packed boat yhatvfeels like a tourist-trap
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave such a wonderful review! 💙 We're delighted to hear that you enjoyed swimming in the beautiful Keri Caves and that you had the unforgettable experience of seeing a turtle up close. Encounters like these are what make Zakynthos so special. 🐢 We're also very pleased that you appreciated the small-group nature of the tour. One of our main goals is to offer a relaxed and personal experience away from the crowds, allowing our guests to enjoy the island's natural beauty in a more authentic way. Thank you again for your recommendation and for choosing Boat Share Greece. We hope to welcome you back to Zakynthos in the future! 💙🇬🇷 — Ian and the Boat Share Greece team 💙🐢🌊
