{"id":252,"date":"2026-09-06T13:12:34","date_gmt":"2026-09-06T11:12:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/explorewithiveta.com\/?p=252"},"modified":"2026-09-06T13:12:34","modified_gmt":"2026-09-06T11:12:34","slug":"where-to-see-caretta-caretta-turtles-in-zakynthos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/explorewithiveta.com\/en\/where-to-see-caretta-caretta-turtles-in-zakynthos","title":{"rendered":"Where to See Loggerhead Turtles in Zakynthos"},"content":{"rendered":"

We didn’t travel to Zakynthos only because of the sea turtles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But once we arrived, I was naturally curious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Would we actually see one?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The answer was yes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And not in an aquarium or behind glass.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A sea turtle swam right next to our boat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was one of those brief moments that stays with you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Caretta caretta is not a tourist attraction<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The loggerhead sea turtle, Caretta caretta<\/em>, returns to Zakynthos to lay its eggs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The southern part of the island, particularly the Laganas Bay area, is one of the important nesting areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And that changes the way you look at the beaches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A beach isn’t simply a place for tourists to put down their towels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For a turtle, it can be the place where its next generation begins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That’s why there are rules and restrictions on some beaches during the nesting season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And I think that’s exactly how it should be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We are visitors here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The turtles were here first.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Gerakas \u2013 one of the important nesting beaches<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Gerakas Beach was one of the places we visited.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is beautiful \u2013 soft sand, clear water and a lovely setting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But its most important feature isn’t the one you see in photographs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gerakas is an important nesting beach for Caretta caretta<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Visitors therefore have to follow specific rules designed to protect the turtles and their nests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For me, that added something to the experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead of thinking only about how beautiful the beach was, I started paying attention to the fact that this place has another purpose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It isn’t just ours to enjoy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Marathonisi \u2013 Turtle Island<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We also visited Marathonisi by boat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The island is known as Turtle Island because its shape resembles a turtle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It lies within the protected area of the Zakynthos National Marine Park and is connected with the conservation of Caretta caretta<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are small beaches and wonderfully clear water, but visitors need to respect the protected areas and any restrictions in place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The island itself is beautiful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But for me, the journey there was just as memorable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Seeing Marathonisi from the sea, surrounded by that intense blue water, made the whole experience feel rather special.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

And then we actually saw one<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Of course, during our boat trip we were hoping to spot a turtle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We waited.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nothing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We looked around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Still nothing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At one point I started wondering whether the turtles had been informed about our arrival and decided to take the day off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And then one appeared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Right next to the boat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It surfaced and swam alongside us for a moment before disappearing again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It wasn’t a long encounter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There was no dramatic movie soundtrack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And I certainly didn’t manage to capture a perfect photograph.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But I didn’t really care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I had seen a wild sea turtle in its natural environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That was enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Where should you look for turtles in Zakynthos?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The southern part of the island is the place to focus on, particularly the Laganas Bay area and protected nesting beaches such as Gerakas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A boat trip along the southern coast and around Marathonisi can also give you the opportunity to see turtles in the water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But there is one thing I would keep in mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don’t go looking for a turtle as if it owes you a performance.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you see one, you’re lucky.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you don’t, you are still on one of the most beautiful Greek islands, surrounded by the sea where these animals have been returning for generations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And perhaps that is the best way to experience Zakynthos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With a little patience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A little respect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And without expecting nature to perform on demand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Want to explore Zakynthos on your own?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Discover my personal Zakynthos itinerary with beautiful beaches, places connected with Caretta caretta turtles, and some of the island\u2019s less-known spots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
EXPLORE MY ZAKYNTHOS ITINERARY<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We didn’t travel to Zakynthos only because of the sea turtles. But once we arrived, I was naturally curious. Would we actually see one? The answer was yes. And not in an aquarium or behind glass. A sea turtle swam right next to our boat. It was one of those brief moments that stays with […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-252","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-travel-stories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/explorewithiveta.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/252","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/explorewithiveta.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/explorewithiveta.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/explorewithiveta.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/explorewithiveta.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=252"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/explorewithiveta.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/252\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":279,"href":"https:\/\/explorewithiveta.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/252\/revisions\/279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/explorewithiveta.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=252"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/explorewithiveta.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=252"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/explorewithiveta.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=252"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}