National Marine Park of Zakynthos

The National Marine Park of Zakynthos is a protected marine and coastal area around the southern coast of Zakynthos island in Greece, established to conserve important sea turtle nesting habitats and coastal ecosystems.

Key reasons people visit include opportunities to see loggerhead sea turtles, visit the crescent beaches in Laganas Bay, and boat to the small islet Marathonisi (Turtle Island). The park also protects coastal caves and shallow seabed habitats used by marine fauna.

The park was created to safeguard endangered marine species and their nesting beaches through zoning and seasonal protections, with monitoring and regulated visitor access. Management combines conservation measures with controlled tourism activities to reduce disturbance to nesting turtles.

It occupies the southern coastal waters and beaches of Zakynthos in the Ionian Islands region, with the main visitor approaches from the island’s southern towns and harbours.

• Turtle conservation: The park is a designated protected area because it contains one of the Mediterranean's most important nesting grounds for the endangered loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta).
• Seasonal restrictions: Access to some beaches is seasonally restricted during the nesting period and visitor boats follow regulated routes to minimise disturbance.

What to See #

• Laganas Bay nesting beaches: Laganas Bay and its southern beaches, which are principal nesting sites for the loggerhead sea turtle and are under strict seasonal protection measures.
• Marathonisi islet: Marathonisi (Turtle Island), a small islet in the bay used by turtles for resting and occasional nesting and popular for controlled visitor boat stops.
• Keri coast and caves: Coastal caves and shallow marine habitats along the southern shore important for marine biodiversity and monitored for boat traffic and diving activity.