A Zakynthos speedboat tour is a 90-minute to six-hour run in a boat of eight to twelve seats from Porto Vromi, Agios Nikolaos, Laganas, Agios Sostis or Keri, covering Navagio, the Blue Caves and the turtles of Laganas Bay, priced from 30 euros. Plan the rest of the trip with Greece Tours.
This page covers the trip: what it costs, which harbour to leave from, the Shipwreck access rules, the Blue Caves, the turtles, the marine park, the boats, the swim stops, the weather, the season and how to book.
What does a Zakynthos speedboat tour cost?
From 30 to 60 euros a head on a shared boat of eight to twelve, 60 to 120 on a small-group tour with drinks and fewer seats, and 250 to 700 for a private charter of the whole boat with a skipper for half a day.
The short south-coast turtle trips from Laganas, Agios Sostis and Keri sit at the bottom of the range at 25 to 40 euros for 90 minutes. A zakynthos speedboat tour operator states this at booking and prints it on the voucher.
Navagio and the Blue Caves from Porto Vromi cost 30 to 45 for the standard run and 70 to 110 with a longer swim programme and a smaller boat. Skippers brief it on board before a zakynthos speedboat tour leaves harbour.
Private charters quote by the boat, so a party of six splits 400 euros six ways rather than paying six fares. A zakynthos speedboat tour carries the jackets and the water for it.
Fuel is included in every quoted price on the shared trips and is charged separately on a few private charters, which the listing states. A zakynthos speedboat tour starts with this settled at the quay.
Entry to the National Marine Park is included where it applies, and no beach on the route charges.
Where do the speedboat tours leave from?
Porto Vromi and Agios Nikolaos for the Shipwreck and the Blue Caves, Laganas, Agios Sostis and Keri for the turtles and the south coast, and Zakynthos Town, Tsilivi and Alykes for the longer island circuits.
Porto Vromi is the closest harbour to Navagio, at 20 to 25 minutes each way, and it is a tiny inlet on the west coast reached by a winding road. Every zakynthos speedboat tour is planned around it before the lines come off.
Agios Nikolaos in the north sits beside the Blue Caves and runs 40 minutes down to the Shipwreck. It decides which zakynthos speedboat tour format fits the party.
Laganas and Agios Sostis face the marine park, so the turtle trips start where the turtles are rather than driving to them. The zakynthos speedboat tour season turns on this more than on the calendar.
Keri runs the Myzithres rocks and the Keri caves on the south-west corner, which is the quietest of the routes. The zakynthos speedboat tour route is set by it rather than by the clock.
Alykes and Tsilivi on the east coast are the resort departures and add sailing time to reach the west.
What is Navagio and can you land on the beach?
Navagio is the cove on the north-west coast holding the wreck of the MV Panagiotis, beached in 1980, under limestone cliffs about 200 metres high. Landing is controlled by the authorities and is closed at times because of rockfall risk.
The cove is reachable only by sea. No path descends the cliff, and the viewing platform above is a separate visit by road. A zakynthos speedboat tour is sold on that, and the listing says so plainly.
When the beach is open, boats put passengers ashore for 20 to 30 minutes in a marked zone away from the cliff base. The zakynthos speedboat tour price reflects it, hour by hour.
When it is closed, the boats hold offshore for photographs, and the operators say so at booking rather than at the gate. A zakynthos speedboat tour operator states this at booking and prints it on the voucher.
The ship was a coaster that ran aground in 1980, and the sand has half buried it over the decades since. Skippers brief it on board before a zakynthos speedboat tour leaves harbour.
Check the day’s status with the operator, because the ruling changes between seasons and within them.
What are the Blue Caves?
A run of sea arches and caverns along the cliffs from Cape Skinari to Agios Nikolaos at the northern tip, where the water reflects off white limestone and turns the light inside the openings a deep blue.
The colour is a trick of reflected light off a pale rock floor, and it peaks between nine and eleven in the morning. This is what a zakynthos speedboat tour delivers along the west coast.
Small boats enter the arches one at a time, which is why the speedboats and the little caiques reach places the big cruisers cannot. A zakynthos speedboat tour fills first on that count in July and August.
Swimming inside the arches is allowed on the tours that stop there and the water runs 20 to 24 degrees in season. Every zakynthos speedboat tour is planned around it before the lines come off.
The caves are 10 minutes from Agios Nikolaos harbour and 40 minutes from Porto Vromi. It decides which zakynthos speedboat tour format fits the party.
A snorkel mask is worth carrying, because the visibility under the arches runs 20 metres or more.
Where do you see the turtles?
In Laganas Bay on the south coast, inside the National Marine Park of Zakynthos, where loggerhead turtles feed in shallow water. The boats work the bay between Agios Sostis, Marathonisi and Keri at low speed.
Caretta caretta nest on the bay’s six beaches from late May to August, and the hatchlings run from July to October. The zakynthos speedboat tour fleet is prepared for it through the season.
The turtles seen from the boats are adults feeding rather than nesting, and the sightings happen in the open bay rather than at the beaches. The zakynthos speedboat tour timetable is shaped by it more than by demand.
Sekania beach is the densest loggerhead nesting site in the Mediterranean and is closed to all access. A zakynthos speedboat tour is sold on that, and the listing says so plainly.
Glass-bottom panels on some boats add a view down, and a mask over the side does the same job. The zakynthos speedboat tour price reflects it, hour by hour.
No operator guarantees a sighting, and the honest ones say so on the listing.
What are the marine park rules?
Speed limits inside the bay, marked zones with no entry at all, no anchoring in the seagrass, a ban on approaching or touching a turtle, and licensed operators only. Zone A around Sekania is closed to every vessel.
The park was founded in 1999 and covers Laganas Bay, Marathonisi, Pelouzo and the Strofades islands. A zakynthos speedboat tour starts with this settled at the quay.
Boats move at six knots or less in the protected zones, which is why a turtle trip is slow and a Navagio run is fast. Passengers on a zakynthos speedboat tour meet it within the first ten minutes.
Wardens patrol in summer and the fines for breaking the zone rules fall on the operator rather than the passenger. This is what a zakynthos speedboat tour delivers along the west coast.
Feeding a turtle, swimming towards one and steering at one are all prohibited, and the boat holds position while the animal decides. A zakynthos speedboat tour fills first on that count in July and August.
Booking a licensed boat is the practical way a visitor supports the rules rather than testing them.
What is Marathonisi?
The small uninhabited island at the mouth of Laganas Bay, shaped like a turtle from above, with a white sand beach on one side and sea caves on the other, and a loggerhead nesting beach that is closed at night.
The island is 15 minutes from Agios Sostis and 20 from Laganas, and it is the standard swim stop on a south-coast trip. The zakynthos speedboat tour route is set by it rather than by the clock.
The southern side holds two caves the small boats enter, and the northern side has the sand. That is the zakynthos speedboat tour difference against a large cruiser.
Nothing is built on it, there is no shade beyond the pines at one end, and no facilities of any kind. The zakynthos speedboat tour fleet is prepared for it through the season.
Daytime landing is allowed on the marked section of beach and the nesting strip is roped. The zakynthos speedboat tour timetable is shaped by it more than by demand.
Boats hold for 30 to 45 minutes, which covers a swim and a walk to the caves.
What are the Keri caves and Myzithres?
A stretch of arches, tunnels and stacks on the south-west corner below Keri village, ending at the Myzithres rocks, two conical stacks standing off a cliff that rises 300 metres above them.
The caves run for about two kilometres of coast and the boats thread the larger arches rather than passing outside them. Skippers brief it on board before a zakynthos speedboat tour leaves harbour.
Myzithres takes its name from the cheese the stacks resemble, and the viewpoint above is on the road to Keri lighthouse. A zakynthos speedboat tour carries the jackets and the water for it.
The water here is deep and cold compared with Laganas Bay, and the swim stops are short. A zakynthos speedboat tour starts with this settled at the quay.
The route is the quietest of the three because it leaves from a village rather than a resort. Passengers on a zakynthos speedboat tour meet it within the first ten minutes.
Sunset trips from Keri turn back east with the cliffs lit, and they are the best-value evening on the island.
How long do the tours last?
Ninety minutes for a turtle trip in Laganas Bay, three to four hours for Navagio with the Blue Caves, five to six hours for a full south and west coast run, and eight for a circuit of the whole island.
The short trips run on the hour through the day and take no planning at all. It decides which zakynthos speedboat tour format fits the party.
The Navagio runs have two or three fixed departures, and the first one sees the cove before the large cruisers arrive. The zakynthos speedboat tour season turns on this more than on the calendar.
A full-day circuit covers 70 to 90 kilometres of coast and includes three or four swim stops. The zakynthos speedboat tour route is set by it rather than by the clock.
Sailing time on a speedboat is a third of what a large wooden boat takes for the same route. That is the zakynthos speedboat tour difference against a large cruiser.
Nothing on the island needs a full day unless the party wants the swimming rather than the sights.
Speedboat or large boat: which suits you?
A speedboat carries 8 to 12, reaches the caves and the arches, and covers the route in half the time. A large boat carries 80 to 150, has toilets, shade and a bar, and costs less a head.
The small boat wins on access. The arches at Skinari and the caves at Keri are too narrow for anything bigger. The zakynthos speedboat tour price reflects it, hour by hour.
The large boat wins on comfort for anyone with a back condition, a pregnancy or small children. A zakynthos speedboat tour operator states this at booking and prints it on the voucher.
Shade is the practical difference. A speedboat has a bimini at best and the crossing is exposed. Skippers brief it on board before a zakynthos speedboat tour leaves harbour.
Bumps in a swell are sharper on a light hull, and the ride out to Navagio is the part people remember. A zakynthos speedboat tour carries the jackets and the water for it.
Self-drive options without a skipper sit at Zakynthos boat rental without a licence.
How rough does it get?
The east coast stays flat through the morning. The west coast is exposed to the open Ionian, and a north-westerly builds a swell from midday that turns the Navagio crossing into a hard ride or cancels it.
Operators cancel rather than sail when the forecast passes their limit, and the refund is automatic. A zakynthos speedboat tour fills first on that count in July and August.
Morning departures are the calm ones, and the 09:00 slot is the one to take in July and August. Every zakynthos speedboat tour is planned around it before the lines come off.
A swell of half a metre is a lively ride in a light boat and nothing in a 20-metre cruiser. It decides which zakynthos speedboat tour format fits the party.
Seasickness tablets taken 45 minutes before boarding work, and the ones taken at the quay do not. The zakynthos speedboat tour season turns on this more than on the calendar.
The south coast inside Laganas Bay is sheltered by the headlands and stays workable when the west is out.
Is it suitable for children?
Yes on the short turtle trips in the sheltered bay, where children from three ride with a parent in a fitted life jacket. The Navagio crossing suits older children, and the operators set a minimum age of five to seven on the fast runs.
Life jackets in child sizes are carried on every licensed boat and the crew fits them before the lines come off. The zakynthos speedboat tour timetable is shaped by it more than by demand.
The glass-bottom versions hold a child’s attention far better than an open deck. A zakynthos speedboat tour is sold on that, and the listing says so plainly.
Shade matters more for children than for adults and the boats that carry a bimini are worth choosing. The zakynthos speedboat tour price reflects it, hour by hour.
A 90-minute trip is the right length for a first boat, and a six-hour circuit is not. A zakynthos speedboat tour operator states this at booking and prints it on the voucher.
Pushchairs stay in the car, since every quay here is a step down into the boat.
What do you take on board?
Swimwear worn under clothes, a towel, waterproof sunscreen, a hat that ties, water, a dry bag for the phone, and a light windproof layer for the crossing even in August.
Spray reaches the whole boat on the west-coast run, so anything that matters goes in the dry bag rather than a pocket. Passengers on a zakynthos speedboat tour meet it within the first ten minutes.
Deck shoes or bare feet work. Flip-flops slide on a wet fibreglass deck. This is what a zakynthos speedboat tour delivers along the west coast.
A snorkel mask turns every swim stop into something better, and few operators carry them. A zakynthos speedboat tour fills first on that count in July and August.
Cash is worth having for a canteen at a swim stop, since the small boats take card only at the desk ashore. Every zakynthos speedboat tour is planned around it before the lines come off.
Leave the loose hat behind. Anything that lifts off the head at 30 knots ends in the water.
When is the season?
From the start of May to the middle of October, with daily departures from June to September. The water reaches 24 to 26 degrees in August and holds at 23 through September, and the turtles are in the bay from late May.
May and early June give empty boats, flat mornings and a sea at 20 to 22 degrees. That is the zakynthos speedboat tour difference against a large cruiser.
July and August fill every departure and put four large cruisers into Navagio at the same hour. The zakynthos speedboat tour fleet is prepared for it through the season.
September is the best month of the season here, with warm water, thinner crowds and steady weather. The zakynthos speedboat tour timetable is shaped by it more than by demand.
October runs a reduced timetable and the west-coast trips depend on the forecast day by day.
Nothing operates from November to April beyond private charters on a calm day.
What else is on the water at Zakynthos?
Sea kayaking at Limni Keriou, scuba diving from Keri and Agios Nikolaos, snorkelling at Xigia and Porto Limnionas, parasailing and banana rides at Tsilivi and Laganas, and sunset cruises from the town harbour.
Xigia is the sulphur beach on the north-east coast, where cold springs run into the sea and the water smells of the mineral. A zakynthos speedboat tour carries the jackets and the water for it.
Porto Limnionas on the west is a rock inlet rather than a beach, with deep clear water and no sand at all. A zakynthos speedboat tour starts with this settled at the quay.
Diving here works on walls and caves rather than wrecks, and the visibility runs 25 to 30 metres. Passengers on a zakynthos speedboat tour meet it within the first ten minutes.
The turtle-focused version of the day is covered at Zakynthos turtle spotting cruise.
The wider list of boat departures sits at Zakynthos boat tours.
How do you book a Zakynthos speedboat tour?
Book two to four days ahead in July and August, and a day ahead in the shoulder months. Morning departures sell out first, and every serious operator carries free cancellation up to 24 hours before sailing.
Booking at the quay works outside the peak weeks and saves nothing, since the platform prices and the quay prices match. The zakynthos speedboat tour season turns on this more than on the calendar.
Private charters need a week in August and take a deposit at booking. The zakynthos speedboat tour route is set by it rather than by the clock.
Hotel pickup is included from Laganas, Kalamaki, Tsilivi and Argassi on the products that offer it and is stated on the voucher. That is the zakynthos speedboat tour difference against a large cruiser.
Weather cancellations are decided by the operator the evening before or at 07:30 on the day.
A booking that includes Navagio comes with the beach-access caveat in writing, and reading it prevents the one common complaint.
What boats do the operators run?
Rigid inflatables of six to eight metres with outboards of 150 to 300 horsepower, hard-hull speedboats of seven to nine metres seating eight to twelve, and a smaller number of ten-metre cabin boats with a head and a sunbed deck.
The rigid inflatable is the workhorse of the west coast because the tube absorbs the swell and the hull sits high in a following sea. A zakynthos speedboat tour operator states this at booking and prints it on the voucher.
Hard-hull boats ride drier at cruising speed and hold a steadier line inside the caves, which is why the cave routes favour them. Skippers brief it on board before a zakynthos speedboat tour leaves harbour.
Cruising speed is 22 to 30 knots on the crossings and idle inside the marine park, and the difference in fuel burn between the two is why the itineraries are shaped the way they are. A zakynthos speedboat tour carries the jackets and the water for it.
Every licensed boat carries jackets for the full complement, a radio, flares and a first aid kit, and the port authority checks them.
Shade comes from a bimini on the larger boats and from nothing at all on an open inflatable.
Do you need a licence, and what if you want to drive?
Not on a guided tour. The skipper holds the licence and the passengers ride. Self-drive hire of a boat under 30 horsepower needs no certificate in Greece, and anything above it requires a speedboat licence.
The licence-free class is the reason the rental fleets on this island cluster at 25 to 30 horsepower. Every zakynthos speedboat tour is planned around it before the lines come off.
A licence-free boat reaches Marathonisi and Keri comfortably and has no business attempting the west coast to Navagio. It decides which zakynthos speedboat tour format fits the party.
Rental bases brief the engine, the anchor, the VHF channel and the limits of the permitted area before handing over. The zakynthos speedboat tour season turns on this more than on the calendar.
Fuel is charged on return at the pump price, and a day around the south coast burns 25 to 40 euros of petrol.
Deposits run 200 to 500 euros held on a card against damage and the propeller.
What swim stops are on the route?
Marathonisi beach and its caves, the arches at Keri, Xigia on the north-east, Porto Limnionas on the west, the shallows off Agios Sostis, and the water below Navagio when the beach is closed to landings.
Stops run 20 to 45 minutes each and a half-day trip fits two or three of them. A zakynthos speedboat tour is sold on that, and the listing says so plainly.
Water temperature reaches 26 degrees in August and sits at 21 to 23 in June and October. The zakynthos speedboat tour price reflects it, hour by hour.
The boats drop a ladder over the stern and hold on the engine rather than anchoring in seagrass, which is a marine park rule rather than a preference. A zakynthos speedboat tour operator states this at booking and prints it on the voucher.
Jellyfish appear in the bay in late August in some years and the crew says so before anyone goes in.
Bring a mask. The rock stops here hold more to look at underwater than the sand ones do.
How does a speedboat tour compare with the road?
The Navagio viewpoint above the cove is reached by road in 50 minutes from the town and gives the famous photograph from above. The boat gives the cove from the water and reaches the Blue Caves, which no road touches.
Doing both is the complete version, and the viewpoint costs nothing beyond the drive and a small parking fee. This is what a zakynthos speedboat tour delivers along the west coast.
The viewpoint platform sits on the cliff edge with a railing, and the older unfenced spurs beside it are where the accidents happened. A zakynthos speedboat tour fills first on that count in July and August.
Porto Limnionas, Keri lighthouse and the Myzithres viewpoint are the other road stops on the same west coast. Every zakynthos speedboat tour is planned around it before the lines come off.
A hire car and a half-day boat trip cover the island’s headline sights in a single day.
The full island driving circuit is 120 kilometres and takes six hours with stops.
What about the crowds at Navagio?
Four to six large cruisers reach the cove between 11:00 and 14:00 in July and August, putting three hundred people in the water at once. The 09:00 speedboat departures arrive before them and leave as they come in.
The cove is 200 metres wide and the beach is a strip, so the numbers show immediately. The zakynthos speedboat tour fleet is prepared for it through the season.
Late-afternoon departures from Porto Vromi hit the second quiet window after 16:30. The zakynthos speedboat tour timetable is shaped by it more than by demand.
The cliff throws the cove into shade in the late afternoon, which changes the photograph and cools the sand. A zakynthos speedboat tour is sold on that, and the listing says so plainly.
Shoulder-season departures in May and October see the cove with two boats in it.
Operators state their arrival window at booking, and the ones that do not are the ones arriving at noon.
What is the Shipwreck’s story?
The MV Panagiotis, a small coastal freighter, ran aground in the cove in 1980 while being pursued in bad weather. The crew left the ship, the hull stayed, and the sand has half buried it in the decades since.
The cargo on board at the time is the part of the story that varies with the teller, and cigarettes is the version the local guides use. A zakynthos speedboat tour starts with this settled at the quay.
The cove was called Agios Georgios before the wreck and the new name simply means shipwreck. Passengers on a zakynthos speedboat tour meet it within the first ten minutes.
Rust and storm have collapsed parts of the superstructure, and the hull now sits lower in the sand than in the older photographs. This is what a zakynthos speedboat tour delivers along the west coast.
Rockfall from the cliffs above is the reason the access rules changed, and the risk is real rather than administrative.
Nothing else on the Ionian carries this many visitors to a single cove, and the wreck is the sole reason.
Who runs the tours and how do you pick one?
Family operators with two to six boats work each harbour, and the platforms list the licensed ones. Pick on departure time, boat size, the swim programme and whether the price includes the marine park and pickup.
A listed capacity of eight on a nine-metre boat means space to sit down, and twelve on the same hull does not. The zakynthos speedboat tour route is set by it rather than by the clock.
Reviews that mention the skipper by name are the reliable signal on this island, where the boat is the family business. That is the zakynthos speedboat tour difference against a large cruiser.
Operators who state the Navagio landing rules in writing before booking are the ones to trust on everything else. The zakynthos speedboat tour fleet is prepared for it through the season.
English-speaking crew is standard on the platform listings and variable at the quay.
Cash discounts offered on the quay come without the cancellation cover the platform booking carries.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a Zakynthos speedboat tour cost?
From 30 to 60 euros a head on a shared boat, 60 to 120 on a small-group trip with drinks, and 250 to 700 for a private charter of the whole boat with a skipper for half a day. Short turtle trips run 25 to 40.
Can you land on Navagio beach?
Access is controlled by the authorities and closed at times because of rockfall from the cliffs. When it is open the boats put passengers ashore for 20 to 30 minutes in a marked zone; when it is closed they hold offshore.
Are turtle sightings guaranteed?
No. Loggerheads feed in Laganas Bay from late May and the boats work the bay at six knots, but no operator guarantees a sighting and the licensed ones say so on the listing.