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Turtle Cruise to Marathonisi and Keri Peninsula

4.2/5
352 reviews

Loggerhead sea turtles have been residents of Zante's beaches for thousands of years, and with a bit of luck, you'll see them first-hand on this boat trip. Join an expert local guide for an educational day out at sea, passing by nesting sites, swimming in hidden bays and spending time in the village of Keri. Bianca, one of our guides, says, ‘In just one trip, you get to jump into clear waters, cruise along the Keri peninsula and, with luck, see turtles.'

Available either in the morning from Zante harbour or the afternoon from Keri harbour, this half-day cruise is a real treat for all the family. You'll pass by the golden beaches of Vassilikos and Marathonisi, a pine-clad islet dubbed ‘Turtle Island'. The reason's simple – one of its beaches is a favourite turtle nesting site. Bianca, who's lived on Zante for more than 20 years, says of the scenery, ‘You can do this tour a thousand times and every day is different.' Be sure to keep a lookout for Loggerheads, and you may even spot a wild dolphin or two.

Plus, you'll sail along the Keri peninsula, cruising by its sea-plunging cliffs, caves and lighthouse before dropping anchor for a swim stop at the Bay of Oasis. In the small village of Keri, you have a quick stop to shop for souvenirs, relax in a typical taverna or hit the beach. What's more, a volunteer from local conservation group ARCHELON – the Sea Turtle Protection Society of Greece – will be on board to tell give you the lowdown on its work.

Main features

Free cancellation
Place: Zante
Duration: from 4 hours to 8 hours
Language:English
Mobile voucher accepted

Additional features

Entrance Fees Included
Guided Tour
Instant confirmation
e-Voucher
Hotel pick up

Why choose TUI Collection

We've carefully designed our experiences to help you get the most out of every trip.

Exceptional experiences

Led by friendly expert guides, these authentic experiences are highly rated by customers.

Created with care

Every experience you buy donates to the TUI Care Foundation, which runs environmental and social initiatives worldwide.

Best value guaranteed

If you find the same value experience for a lower price, we'll happily refund the difference.

Why you’ll love this…

  • On this cruise around Marathonisi sland you'll be on the lookout for Loggerhead turtles
  • There's an opportunity to learn about ongoing projects by local turtle conservation group ARCHELON
  • In the small village of Keri there's free time to shop, relax or simply soak up some rays
  • You can cool off with a swim in the Bay of Oasis near the Keri peninsula's dramatic cliffs
  • Your expert local guide knows the waters around Turtle Island well and will show you the best spots

Important to know

  • There's a snack bar onboard the boat where you can purchase food and drinks
  • By choosing this excursion you are helping ARCHELON and contributing to the care of endangered turtles
  • Suitable for guests with reduced mobility as there is space for wheelchairs
  • Please provide your passport/ID details at time of booking
  • Please be aware that afternoon tours will start in Keri with same itinerary and end at Zakynthos town port where a coach will bring you back to your hotel
  • While sightings of Loggerhead turtles are frequent on this tour, they are wild animals, so there's no guarantee of spotting them
  • Pick-ups are available from selected hotels in the following resorts:
    - Keri
    - Porto Koukla
    - Agios Sostis
    - Laganas AGANAS
    - Kalamaki
    - Argassi
    - Tsilivi
    - Tragaki
    - Kypseli
    - Amoudi
    - Alykanas
    - Alykes If you don't see the option to add a hotel for pick-up, please provide details at checkout
  • Morning Tour: You'll arrive at the port in the centre of Keri around 12:45 pm. Coaches for the return transfer will be waiting at the central parking area and will depart at 1:00 pm
  • Afternoon Tour: The boat Seven Island Cruises will be at the port in the centre of Keri and will depart at 1:45 pm
  • Bring bathing gear and sunblock
  • Bring a towel
  • Bring money for extras or gratuities
  • Food and drinks not included
  • This is one of our TUI Collection experiences, which give you a local flavour of the destination while showcasing its unique, authentic and responsible values.

Cancellation policy

Receive a 100% refund if you cancel up to 1 day before the experience begins.


What’s included

  • Exclusive TUI itinerary
  • Transport
  • Guide
  • Boat trip

This experience meets the Global Sustainable Tourism Council criteria. By choosing this experience you can protect the places you love, care for the environment and support local communities.

Booking fee

Good news! No extra fees are applied to this booking.


Pickup points

To see which pickup points are available, check under availability & prices.

Provider

TUI Hellas Travel, Tourism and Airlines SA, with Tax Number 094469778 and Travel License Number 0261Ε60000126100


What people say about this experience

4.2/5

All reviews are verified

Based on 352 reviews


Review categories

Value for money

4.2/5

Safety

4.3/5

Staff

4.3/5

Service

4.3/5


48%
31%
17%
3%
1%

Sort by:

  • C

    Christie

    Traveled as a couple


    September 27, 2025
    4.2

    United States of America

    The boat has more space on it. Snack bar was friendly but had little variety. The toilets had no seats which was the worst thing. That invited people not to sit but hang and they get very dirty and wet. Not expensive items for owners and I think essentials in ladies toilets

  • R

    Roger Bradshaw

    Traveled with family


    September 25, 2025
    5

    United States of America

    Great value for money leisure and learning trip

  • S

    Scott

    Traveled as a couple


    September 20, 2025
    3.8

    United States of America

    Bus was late, left waiting in car park on return for almost 30 mind. Not acceptable. German speaking Tui rep, only seemed interested in communicating with her fellow people and not the limited number of English passengers. Should be advertised as a boat cruise with a very small chance of seeing a turtle as we were told by the experts that most had now left the area after laying their eggs.

  • A

    Alison

    Traveled with family


    September 19, 2025
    4.2

    United States of America

    A lovely boat trip but unfortunately no turtles. We still had a good afternoon and the turtle information was excellent

  • S

    Sheila

    Traveled as a couple


    September 18, 2025
    3.4

    United States of America

    The boat trip itself was excellent just a little disappointed we didn't see any turtles which can't be helped. Overall a wonderful experience.

  • S

    Scotty

    Traveled with family


    September 17, 2025
    3

    United States of America

    No air conditioning on the pick up coach , was dropped off at location for boat just left thier for 40 mins waiting for our guide to show us what boat or where we was going ! Absolutely zero communication from the driver , everybody stood around not knowing what was going off ! Rep arrived finally and lead us to boat and asked us to line up like children,those that did line up had to wait longer to get on the boat! The boat trip itself was great , no turtle sl seen tho , 2 swim stops

Need a hand?

Would you like some help making a booking? Or perhaps you just want to ask a few questions. Whatever the reason, don't hesitate to get in touch.

Opening hours: Our team is available from 10.00 to 18.00 CET

Phone number: +1 208-744-6464