Small wooded island in Zakynthos Marine Park featuring a sandy beach, sea caves & turtle nests
The islet of Marathonisi is placed across the beach of Keri, in Laganas bay. Its perimeter is just about a mile and can be reached by boat from Keri beach and Laganas bay.
The islet is a breeding place for the sea turtles Caretta Caretta, an endangered species of sea turtle that go to Marathonisi to reproduce in the summer season. This is why visitors are absolutely not allowed to explore the island, but they are expected to stay only in the first 5 meters of a small beach so that they do not harm the reproduction of the sea turtles.
Marathonisi is not inhabited and keeps its characteristic pine, olive and green oak forests in excellent conditions. It has thick vegetation everywhere and two main beaches with different features. One of them has white sand, while the other has pebbles. The sandy beach is where the sea turtle goes to lay its eggs and that is why Marathonisi is included as part of Zakynthos Marine Park. There are also two interesting sea caves, where you can swim to go or use a boat. These caves are ideal for those who like snorkeling.
