Diving Zakynthos | Ionian Caves, Turtles & Arches

About Ionian Islands – Zakynthos (Zante)

Zakynthos, known as Zante, is the southernmost of the main Ionian islands and one of Greece’s most photogenic dive regions. Its north cape at Skinari holds the Blue Caves, a series of limestone sea caves glowing with reflected blue light, while the Keri Caves on the south coast offer large arches and swim-throughs crowded with groupers and lobsters. Marathonisi, the "Turtle Island," sits in Laganas Bay, a nesting ground for loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) that divers and snorkellers meet on the surrounding reefs and seagrass meadows. The massive rock arch off Keri attracts schools of barracuda and jacks, and Laganas Reef itself is a calm, shallow training site rich in pipefish and seahorses. With a lively resort scene, dramatic white cliffs and a strong protection effort for its turtles, Zakynthos blends easy diving with iconic Mediterranean scenery and very good visibility through the long season.

Highlights

• ✓Marathonisi (Turtle Island): a loggerhead turtle nesting area with reef and seagrass
• ✓Blue Caves (Skinari): limestone sea caves with intense blue light
• ✓Keri Caves: large caves and arches with groupers and lobsters
• ✓The Arch (Zakynthos): a massive rock arch with barracuda and jacks
• ✓Laganas Reef: a shallow, calm training site with pipefish and seahorses

Getting There

Fly into Zakynthos International Airport (ZTH) at Dionysios Solomos, or take a ferry from Killini on the Peloponnese. A rental car reaches the Skinari cape, Keri and Laganas; most dive centres run transfers from the resorts.