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(177)
Full transparency, you may or may not see turtles due to hibernation periods. BUT, don’t let that scare you away from booking this excursion. The experience was amazing, and our travel guide made sure we got to see a turtle, even if it was sleeping. This excursion was fantastic and very private, so we really enjoyed the intimacy of this experience. Caves were beautiful and we got to swim on turtle island for a bit too!
This was an amazing tour. It was a small group of six plus our captain. The boat was comfortable and clean. We saw a turtle on our first stop. That was awesome. We were then taken to a beach for 1/2 hr. The beach was very rocky and hard on the feet to walk. I recommend you bring swim shoes to save your feet. Our second stop was the caves. We were allowed 40 mins to swim and some jumped from the cliffs. The captain showed off his amazing boating skills when he took us into some caverns. The captain was a great guy who told great stories and took our picture a few times. The tour was worth every penny. Ian communicated great on the morning of the tour to ensure we were meeting at the right spot. I will definitely recommend this tour to family and friends. Thanks Ian for a wonderful time!!
😊 Thank you so much for taking the time to leave such a detailed and thoughtful review. It really means a lot to us. We’re delighted to hear that you enjoyed the small-group experience and felt the tour was worth every penny. Keeping our groups small is very important to us, as it allows the day to feel more relaxed, personal and enjoyable. Seeing a turtle so early in the tour must have been a fantastic start 🐢 We’re also really pleased you enjoyed the swimming stops, caves and the captain’s company and boating skills. Thank you as well for mentioning the communication before the tour. We always try to make the whole experience as smooth as possible from the moment you book. And thank you for the useful tip about swim shoes too — that will definitely help future guests. It was a real pleasure having you with us and we’re very grateful for your recommendation to family and friends. We hope to welcome you back to Zakynthos again one day! 🌊☀️ Ian & The Boat Share Greece Team 🇬🇷
The experience was excellent from pick up to drop off. Our boat guide Dennis was really great and was very knowledgeable about the local area and best photo and swimming spots. Couldn’t have asked for a better day out.
😊 Thank you so much for your fantastic review! We’re delighted you enjoyed the experience from pickup to drop-off and had such a great day exploring Zakynthos 🌊☀️ Dennis will be very happy to hear your kind words about his local knowledge and the swimming and photo spots. Thank you for choosing us, and we hope to welcome you back one day! 🇬🇷 Ian & The Boat Share Greece Team 🇬🇷
An exceptional boat trip with Captain Thomas. Everything started out great with Debbie, who picked us up at our hotel right on time and warmly drove us to the departure beach. Once on the boat, the Captain took us on a 3-hour journey to discover the beauty of the Zakynthos coast, featuring turtles, swimming, and sunshine. The "small boat" format is truly ideal to fully enjoy this experience while being guided by a professional. It is a program perfectly suited for groups of 5 to 6 people with children. You can really feel Thomas's genuine commitment to keeping the area clean and respecting the local wildlife. Don't hesitate for a second—this is the exact getaway you need for this experience. A big thank you to Debbie for her valuable tips on how to enjoy our stay in Zakynthos even more. Aymeric and Letizia.
😊 A huge thank you to you, Aymeric and Letizia, for this wonderful review ⭐️ We’re delighted that your experience began so positively with Debbie and that you then had such an exceptional time with Captain Thomas 🚐⚓️ Small-group excursions are our speciality. We understand that guests are looking for a personal, relaxed and high-quality experience, and we truly believe a boat tour should be one of the best days of their holiday 🐢☀️🌊 That is why we carefully select passionate and attentive captains who genuinely care about their guests and respect the local marine wildlife 💙 We place great importance on every part of the experience, from hotel pickup through to the return journey after the tour. Thank you sincerely for choosing Boat Share Greece and for taking the time to share your experience 🙏 It was a real pleasure to welcome you, and we hope to see you again one day in Zakynthos! 🇬🇷 Ian & The Boat Share Greece Team 🇬🇷
Since it is a service, it mostly depends on the people. Pantelis, the skipper/tour guide, was more than professional and attentive for our excursion. Great guy. Thank you very much for this beautiful experience
Vielen herzlichen Dank für Ihre wundervolle Bewertung und dafür, dass Sie sich für unsere Tour entschieden haben ⭐️ Es freut uns sehr, dass Sie einen so schönen Ausflug erleben konnten und sich bei Pantelis jederzeit gut aufgehoben gefühlt haben. Ihre freundlichen Worte über seine Professionalität, Aufmerksamkeit und persönliche Betreuung bedeuten Pantelis und unserem gesamten Team sehr viel. Genau solche Rückmeldungen motivieren uns, jedem Gast ein besonderes und unvergessliches Erlebnis zu bieten 🐢💙 Es war uns eine große Freude, Sie bei uns begrüßen zu dürfen. Vielen Dank, dass Sie diesen besonderen Tag mit uns verbracht und sich die Zeit genommen haben, Ihre Erfahrung zu teilen. Wir hoffen sehr, Sie eines Tages wieder auf Zakynthos willkommen heißen zu dürfen! Ian & The Boat Share Greece Team 🇬🇷
Yesterday we did a tour here. During the tour we went to several beautiful places and saw turtles. Guide told us about the island in a nice way and we could snorkel beautifully. Definitely recommended!
Hartelijk dank voor uw mooie review ⭐️ We zijn blij dat u genoten heeft van de prachtige plekken, het snorkelen en natuurlijk het spotten van de schildpadden 🐢💙 Fijn om te horen dat u ook de uitleg van onze gids waardeerde. Bedankt dat u voor ons heeft gekozen en we hopen u ooit opnieuw op Zakynthos te mogen verwelkomen! Ian & The Boat Share Greece Team 🇬🇷
Very nice afternoon where you come to beautiful places, which are sometimes not accessible to the larger boats. Highly recommended if you want to see the most beautiful places in a small group, where you will of course also spot turtles!
Hartelijk dank voor uw mooie review ⭐️ We zijn blij dat u genoten heeft van de kleine groep, de bijzondere plekjes die grotere boten niet kunnen bereiken en natuurlijk het spotten van de schildpadden 🐢💙 Bedankt dat u voor ons heeft gekozen. We hopen u ooit opnieuw op Zakynthos te mogen verwelkomen! Ian & The Boat Share Greece Team 🇬🇷
All good saw a few turtles which was the whole point.It was evident that some small boats got too close to them but our captain was keeping his distance which we thought was good.Theyoung guys on the group enjoyed jumping from a very large rock at one swim stop and on the island stop you can do a bit of snorkeling but bring water shoes as its rocky near shore when you step of the boat.All in all a good few hours out or the hotel, pick up went to plan though roads are 'narrow' in parts but all part of the experience
include the name please Thank you very much for your detailed review, Tommy ⭐️ We’re delighted you enjoyed seeing the turtles, the swimming stops and the beautiful coastline. We’re especially pleased that you noticed our captain maintained a respectful distance from the turtles, as their protection is extremely important to us 🐢💙 We hope to welcome you back to Zakynthos one day! Ian & The Boat Share Greece Team 🇬🇷
awesome guide, well balance trip, transport from pick-point and back, careful with nature... and yes, we saw some turtles :)
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! 😊 We’re delighted you enjoyed the trip and that you appreciated our guide, the balanced itinerary, and our commitment to respecting Zakynthos’ beautiful marine environment. 🌿🐢 We’re especially happy you were able to spot turtles! Thank you for choosing Boat Share Greece, and we hope to welcome you back to Zakynthos again one day. 🇬🇷 Ian & The Boat Share Greece Team 🇬🇷
The trip was brilliant from start to finish. Our guide was perfect, his knowledge was excellent and he was so proficient with both his driving of the boat and the transfer - he even helped rescue another boat that was in distress. We saw turtles, the beautiful beaches and caves and had such good fun. An experience we will always remember.
Thank you so much for your amazing 5-star review! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ We’re thrilled you had such a fantastic experience from start to finish. 🐢💙 It’s wonderful to hear you enjoyed seeing the turtles, exploring the beautiful beaches and caves, and making memories that will last a lifetime. Thank you for choosing Boat Share Greece, and we hope to welcome you back to Zakynthos again one day! ☀️🇬🇷⛵ Ian & The Boat Share Greece Team 🇬🇷
