The best Zante boat trips – on the Greek island of Zakynthos

Are you a secret pirate or a nature loving mermaid? If you take one of the Zakynthos boat trips that are a favourite with visitors to the island, you’ll have the chance to play at being both. As my sister lives on Zante (as it’s more popularly known to the Brits) I’ve had the good fortune to take a holiday in Greece every year.

We’ve done a few Zante boat trips throughout the years we’ve been visiting, and there are some variations. You’ll typically find a couple of choices depending on whether you want to explore the rocky north or the golden beaches to the south of the island.

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Visit the Blue caves and Shipwreck beach on a Zante boat trip

If you’ve seen any photos of Zakynthos, chances you’ll have seen the one of Shipwreck cove or Navagio, taken from the cliffs above. This crescent of sand hosts a half-buried, rusty wreck and high cliffs on either side. It is one of the most photographed beaches in Greece.

To reach Navagio, which is on the north-west coast of the island, you’ll typically take one of the many trips from St Nicholas port. Or, depart from Makris Gialos, a small beach that is just before St Nicholas port. We started our boat trip in Zante at Makris Gialos.

Our smallish boat took up to 20 people, had a shaded awning and a powerful motor. The boat made good headway on relatively calm waters at first. We passed the sea caves, known locally as the ‘Blue Caves’. These caves have been cut limestone cliffs by the sea.

We didn’t stop but powered on around the northern tip of the island, at which point the sea started to become decidedly rough. Around 40 minutes after leaving the beach we were all feeling a bit seasick. We were relieved when the Shipwreck beach came into sight.

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Smuggler’s boat or just a good story?

The metal hull of the ship on the sand is supposed to be a cigarette smuggler’s boat that went aground in the 1980’s. Perhaps that’s just a nice story to tell the tourists! In any case it adds some interest to a beautiful beach which is larger than it appears from above. This beach can only be reached by sea, due to the sheer limestone cliffs.

On the day we visited the swell was high. Although the captain skilfully moved the boat as close as he could, it wasn’t possible to get it right up on the beach. If we wanted to get ashore, we’d have to jump in and swim through the surf.

In we went, although I was knocked over by the force of the waves and ended up with sand in my bikini and water up my nose. We spent around 20 minutes on the beach and I took the opportunity to walk around the ship. Over time it has broken in half, making a shady area inside, with a hull that had rusted away into lacy holes.

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Visit the Blue caves and Shipwreck beach on a Zakynthos boat trip

We swam back to the boat and powered back the way we had come. The captain showed no mercy to those of us feeling sick as he opened the throttle and the boat banged up and down on the waves. Things improved once we rounded the headland and entered sheltered waters again, returning to explore the sea caves.

The captain nosed the boats into a few of the caves where the water below us was startlingly deep cobalt blue and turquoise. We anchored for a while and had a chance to swim and snorkel around the boat before returning to Makris Gialos.

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This boat trip in Zakynthos takes around 2-3 hours. Check whether the sea is rough or calm as this will affect your experience. Bear in mind that even if it is calm at your resort, it may still be windy with rough seas in the north of the island.

Also consider the size of the boat, as a larger boat may be more stable but a smaller boat will be able to get you closer into the beach. For those that don’t want to brave the choppy seas to the shipwreck beach, you can still do a very pleasant boat trip in a glass bottom boat to the sea caves.

You’ll have plenty of opportunities for swimming, although this will make a shorter trip. Our boat trip cost around €20 per person and you may be able to negotiate a discount for larger groups.

Zante turtle boat trips in Laganas bay

If you want more gentle boat trip for your holiday in Greece, I’d suggest that you head for the southern end of the island. Look for one of the Zakynthos boat trips that take you through Laganas Bay and around to the Keri caves.

This end of the island is famed for the beautiful golden sandy beaches and the Loggerhead or Caretta Caretta turtles that nest on them. These Zante turtle boat trips are typically sold as an opportunity to see the loggerheads swimming in Laganas Bay. You should be aware that their numbers are dwindling. Plan to go with a reputable boat owner who will respect the laws of the National Marine Park and not harass the turtles.

We’ve taken these Laganas boat trips twice. Different styles of boats give slightly different experiences although we went to the same locations on both trips. The first occasion was a half-day trip on a catamaran. This boat had a cabin and plenty of space on deck at the back and front of the boat to spread out.

We left from the small beach at Porto Roma. The first hour was spent travelling along the coast with views of the limestone cliffs. Later we rounded the point and crossed Laganas Bay to swim in the Keri caves.

On the second occasion we went on a much smaller, glass bottomed boat from Agios Sostis close to Laganas. This meant that we had a shorter trip of around 2 hours, which was still plenty of time.

Mind the strict rules about the turtles

Either on the way out or the way back the boat is likely to take you into Laganas Bay. This is the main place you can see turtles swimming in the water.

Beware of any boat owners who guarantee you’ll see the turtles. This makes it more likely that the few that are around will be chased and tracked down just to give you your sighting.

There are also strict rules about the contact with the turtles. For instance you’re not allowed to swim close to the turtles or to pull them out of the water. And, a limited number of boats are allowed near a turtle at any one time.

All this means that you’ll probably be able to see the turtles for around 10 minutes before the boat needs to move away. On our first turtle boat trip, we went with local naturalist Yannis Vardakastanis, who runs the Earth Sea and Sky volunteer and information programme. This time we didn’t actually see any turtles. On the second trip we did spot one and there were several boats close to it all homing in to take a look, so I felt a bit sorry for the turtle.

Visit Turtle Island in Laganas bay and swim in the Keri caves

The second part of the boat trip takes you to the far side of Laganas bay and under the high limestone cliffs at Keri. Here there are some sea arches and caves, although not as deep as the Blue Caves on the north-east coast. When the boat anchors, this is a lovely place to jump off into the clear water and swim or snorkel.

On the return trip, you are likely to stop at Marathonisi or Turtle island in Zante. This small island in the bay makes the shape of a turtle. It’s also one of the nesting beaches for the turtles. You are not allowed to land on the small sandy beach where the turtles nest, and even if you have your own boat you should not do so.

On the opposite side of the island is another small beach and a sea cave where you are allowed to land. Here you can relax for a while and have a swim. There’s even a boat that comes around selling ice creams and drinks, just like an ice cream van.

Turtle spotting boat trip options

If you are interested in taking a Zante turtle spotting boat trip, there are many boats that offer it. Go either from Laganas resort, from the small marina at Agios Sostis or from the harbour at Keri. If you’re in one of the holiday resorts you’ll also come across plenty of people selling you this as a day trip with transport to and from the resort.

The shorter 2-3 hour trips typically cost €20-25 per person. You can also rent small boats for 6-8 people to take out yourself into the bay. This is fun if there’s a large group of you and you feel confident handling the boat.

The boat trips in Zante to see the blue caves, turtles or Shipwreck beach are well worth doing. And, there are plenty more things to see and do on the Greek island of Zakynthos. The boat trips are a lovely way to see the island and was certainly a highlight of our holiday.

More things to do on Zante

Three days, three beaches on Zante
Get in your car and drive! The bits of Zante that you won’t see from your sunbed
Swimming the turquoise blue at Porto Limnionas

This article is originally published at Heatheronhertravels.com

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