Zakynthos excursions: learn the pros and cons of different tours
Zakynthos offers a wide selection of boat excursions. If you’re travelling with an agency, the tour operators or their local agents will try to sell you their group tour packages, whereas if you’re travelling on your own, you’ll probably end up confused by the large selection of tours and excursions offered by the various agencies present in all the main tourist locations. In both cases, tour prices vary from one to the other: what is the reason for this price difference? What do you need to know before booking an excursion? Here is all the information you need.
N.B. in this article, we’ll only explain the differences between the various group excursions. If you are interested in a private tour, we recommend you read this article “Boat excursions: group tour vs. boat rental“.
The main boat excursions in Zakynthos include a visit to the 3 sites only reachable by sea, in other words, the Marine Park, the Mizithres sea stacks and the famous Shipwreck Beach (also known as Navagio Beach).
MARINE PARK
The Zakynthos Marine Park consists of a large area extending along the entire southern coastline of Zakynthos. This area is important because it hosts Loggerhead (Caretta-Caretta) turtle nests and, in fact, from April to August, it is quite common to see these beautiful turtles swimming in the warm gulf waters. The Marine Park is divided into 4 zones (A-B-C-D), but only in zone A, which includes the beaches of Sekania,, Dafni and Gerakas, boats are not allowed to enter. Zones B-C-D host 3 attractions that can only be visited by boat: Loggerhead (Caretta-Caretta) turtles, Marathonisi Island, and Keri Caves.
The price for Marine Park boat tours doesn’t usually exceed 25€; however, before booking your excursion, verify what boat will be used and what stops are included. In fact, prices change based on the size of the boat and the number of stops.
Let’s see them together:
TAXI BOAT
10€ TAXI BOAT: taxi boats are small boats shuttling passengers between Zakynthos southern coast and Marathonisi Island. The sole purpose of this tour is taking tourists to the Marathonisi Island beach and then pick them back up at the arranged time. Number of stops: 1. Duration of the tour: to be arranged.
Pros: landing directly on the beach, option to stay several hours.
Cons: short route, no shaded areas on the beach.
This tour is ideal for those who want to spend a few hours on the Marathonisi Island beach; in fact, all other Marine Park tours cannot stop there for more than 1 hour. On the other hand, you have to be mindful of the sun: Marathonisi Island is in fact located in zone B of the park, and the use of umbrellas is prohibited.
MARINE PARK EXCURSION
25-30€ BOATS UP TO 40 PEOPLE, use boats that can accommodate a maximum of 40 people and will provide several stops to enjoy the main attractions of the Park, in other words, Marathonisi Island, Keri Caves and Loggerhead (Caretta-Caretta) turtle spotting. After watching the turtles from the boat, you will have a swim stop at Marathonisi Island (docking directly on the beach) and another one at Keri Caves. 2 swim stops. Duration: 3 hours.
Pros: easy to get close to turtles, docking directly on the beach, cruising close to the coastline
Cons: no bathroom/bar on board
This tour is ideal for those who want to visit the southern coast of the island and the main attractions of the Marine Park. Thanks to the boat’s small size and shallow draft, in addition to being able to cruise close to the coastline, you can also enter inside most of the local caves. During the 50 minute/1 hour stop at Marathonisi beach, those looking for some shade can stay on the boat.
25€ BOATS UP TO 120 PEOPLE – THESE BOATS, WHICH ACCOMMODATE 60 TO 120 PEOPLE, are larger, with bathrooms and bar on board. But beware: due to their large size, they CANNOT dock directly on the Marathonisi beach; they are instead forced to stop in another area of the island. They usually cruise and stop at a distance of about 30 meters from the coast. Therefore, it is not recommended for people who can’t swim. The number of stops varies from 2 to 3. Minimum duration: 3.5 hours.
Pros: bar and bathroom on board.
Cons: not recommended for those who can’t swim, it can’t dock at the beach on Marathonisi Island.
This tour is ideal for those who want the convenience of a bathroom and bar on board as well as for tour operators or agencies handling large groups of people. The draft and size of this type of boat don’t allow cruising too close to the coast, entering inside some of the caves in the Marine Park, and docking directly on the Marathonisi beach.
Important information:
Can you swim with Loggerhead (Caretta-Caretta) turtles in Zakynthos? It is forbidden to dive and swim with the turtles during the excursion. There are a few simple reasons for that: it is prohibited by the Marine Park regulations and there is the risk of being bitten.
SHIPWRECK BEACH
Shipwreck Beach is located on the north-west side of the island and this excursion is among the most popular in Zakynthos. Following the landing ban set in place in 2023, as result of several landslides hitting the area, boats have been forced to maintain a safety distance and are no longer allowed to dock and access the beach. The cost for this group excursion never exceeds 35€ and any difference in price between the various agencies is once again based on the size of the boat used for the tour.
Let’s look at the differences:
SHIPWRECK BEACH EXCURSION
€30 BOATS UP TO 50 PEOPLE, depart from either Porto Vromi, Agios Nikolaos or Alykes and they take different routes and make different stops based on the type of excursion. The most popular tours are the north coast and west coast ones. All Shipwreck Beach excursions include a photo stop in the most famous bay in Zakynthos. The number of stops varies between 2 and 3. Duration: 2.5-3 hours.
Pros: not very crowded, boats can enter inside the caves and cruise close to the coastline.
Cons: port of departure reachable only with your own vehicle.
The boat’s small size and shallow draft makes this tour ideal for those who want to visit the caves, enjoy the coastline’s unique features and the cobalt blue colors of the sea.
30-35€ BOATS UP TO 350 PEOPLE – THESE BOATS, WHICH ACCOMMODATE 200 TO 350 PEOPLE always depart from the port of Zakynthos Town. These boats have a bar and bathroom on board. The tour price includes the transfer by bus to the port. Some of the boats circle the entire island whereas others only do half a tour (they basically arrive at Shipwreck Beach and then go back). These boats CANNOT enter inside the caves and must keep a distance of a few hundred meters from the coast to avoid surfacing rocks or shallow waters. 3 swim stops. Duration: 7-8 hours.
Pros: bathroom and bar on board, includes transfer to the port, ideal for those who don’t have a rental vehicle.
Cons: duration (it’s exhausting), crowded, long time to get on and off the boat, cruising far from the coast and the caves.
This tour is ideal for those who can’t or prefer not to rent a vehicle to get around the island; in fact, thanks to the transfer being included, you can reach the departure port at no additional cost. Tour operators’ onsite assistants, as well as some local agencies, generally offer this tour. However, the draft and size of this type of vessel don’t allow cruising close to the coast or entering inside the caves. Furthermore, the time necessary to get hundreds of people on and off the boat reduces the time available for swim stops.
Important information:
Beware of rough waters: the western side of the island is the one most exposed to rough waters, since it faces the open sea. In case of very rough waters, our WelcometoZante office will notify our customers and reschedule the tour. Not all agencies offer the same service. Before booking, find out about their cancellation and date change policy in case of bad weather or rough sea. We use our Facebook group “Welcometozante” to notify tourists in Zakynthos when weather or sea conditions are bad. Join the Facebook Group Welcometozante.
MIZITHRES SEA STACKS
The Mizithres sea stacks, part of our newest excursion, are located on the south-west side of Zakynthos. The beach you see in the picture above was created by an earthquake in 2018. The colors of the bay are similar to those of Shipwreck Beach, since both have the same type of rocks that dissolve into the water, giving the sea beautiful hues of blue and turquoise. On average, the price for this group excursion is 30€.
EXCURSION TO THE MIZITHRES SEA STACKS
The Mizithres sea stacks can only be reached by small to medium boats or by renting a private boat with a skipper, because larger boats with a deeper draft cannot get close to the beach.
Prices to reach this part of the island are capped not to exceed 30€ per person. Only a few companies offer this excursion; most of the tours listed here entail the use of private boats. More info in the article “Boat excursions: group tour vs. boat rental“.
>> BOOK A TOUR TO THE MIZITHRES SEA STACKS
Where can you book an excursion in Zakynthos?
The island offers numerous authorized shops. When visiting them, remember to ask about the type of boats they use, the number of swim stops and finally if they reschedule tours in case of bad weather or rough sea. Also remember the 25€ threshold for the Marine park excursion and the 35€ threshold for Shipwreck Beach..
Alternatives to excursions: renting a boat
If you are part of a group of 4-6 people, you might want to consider renting a boat that doesn’t require a boating license or one with skipper. It might end up costing you just a little more than a group tour. Find prices on our website. PRICES AND INFORMATION ON RENTING A BOAT.
Why book a Zakynthos excursion with WelcometoZante?
Our agency has a local office at the port of Agios Sostis. We use boats accommodating up to 34 people for the Marine Park and up to 50 people for Shipwreck Beach. When you book an excursion online, you will receive 3 gifts to be picked up locally. Furthermore, we offer a date change or refund in case of bad weather or rough sea.
Would you like to plan a personalized excursion?
Send us an email at info@welcometozante.com