Eco-tourism activities in the National Marine Park of Zakynthos
NATURE WORLD TRAVEL: Just a 5 minute walk from the villa towards the beach. The owners of Villa Karissa highly recommend using this organisation due to their commitments as stated below
Based at Gerakas, the southern most peninsula of the Greek Ionian island of Zakynthos, home to the critically endangered Loggerhead Sea Turtle. Nature World Travel first opened in 2003, with the
aim of providing tourist excursions in the area of the National Marine Park of Zakynthos,
specifically Laganas Bay, but done sensitively, so as not to disturb the turtles or other
wildlife. Many of the turtle spotting tours advertised are indiscriminate and pursue turtles
relentlessly, often telling tourists “see a turtle, or your money back”. Frequently each
summer we see turtles surrounded by so many boats that they are unable to get away.
Turtles are notoriously sensitive creatures, easily stressed, and are often forced to dive under boats to try and escape. This can lead to propeller injuries which can be fatal.
We believe there is a different way of showing visitors these ancient creatures. We are fully dedicated by constitution to “promote environmental awareness to visitors of the National Marine Park of Zakynthos (NMPZ) and contribute to the protection of the area, following the NMPZ Management Body Guidelines.” This means that our trips and our guests adhere to the strict guidelines and laws of the NMPZ. We do not chase turtles, we do not dump rubbish/empty septic tanks into the water. We do not enter A-Zone, we travel
Things to do while staying at
Villa Karissa
Our Guidelines
All the activities are limited to a small number of people in order to be able to offer the best services and to provide our guests with adequate personal time and space, which also limits pressure on the environment
All the activities comply with the NMPZ guidelines for eco-tourism which include the availability of personnel and equipment in cases of need, such as the rescue of weak or injured wild animals in the park area
All the activities take place in environmentally sensitive areas, therefore all guests are asked to follow the instructions of the eco-guides at all times
We do not swim with the turtles, make noise to try to attract their attention, throw rubbish into the sea, or generally disturb the marine world. Instead we just sit quietly and observe
All bookings must be made at least 1 day in advance
Children under 12 years of age will receive a discount and infants under 2 years, where accepted, will join us for free
Children will be on board under their parents’ responsibility
Walks
Of course the closest walk is down to the beach. Left out of the villa, through the olive groves and within 5 minutes you will reach the National Marine Park of Zakynthos information kiosk, feel free to ask any questions you may have, they are very helpful. Heading towards the beach you will notice a wooden viewing platform to your right (built especially for Queen Sophia of Spain's visit in 2008). The views from here are spectacular. You will see the wooden steps leading down to the beach on your right.
Walking right out of the villa will take you up a steep hill to the crossroads. Take a left here towards Galini restaurant and follow the trial up the cobbled hill leading to the old Zakynthian barracks. The surrounding area is covered in Cyprus and Alpine trees. Follow the trial for some spectacular high views of Lagana Bay and the mud formations down by the beach.
Back at the crossroads and take a left towards Porto Roma. This downhill walk takes you past some traditional tavernas and eventually to Porto Roma beach and it's tiny rock faced marina. From here you can take a slip up to the left and you come across a row of unfinished Villas built on the rocky coastline, again the views of the sea and facing Peloponnese are breathtaking.
no faster than the 6 knots speed limit in zones B and C, and we take only a small number of people at any one time on each trip (which is better for both the wildlife and our guests). We have a volunteer from Archelon, Sea Turtle Protection Society on our trips to inform our guests about the Loggerheads. - We believe that informing tourists is half the battle won in the bid to protect the turtles and their habitat. We do not make noise to attract the turtles’ attention, nor do we enter the water to swim with them. We remain at least 10 metres away from the turtles, and stay no more than 5-10 minutes at the most, so as not to disturb them. We merely observe them in their natural habitat.
Nature World Travel is owned and managed by Yannis Vardakastanis, a Zakynthian with a long history of working for the environment and offering alternative vacations to those seeking to escape the onslaught of mass tourism. Yannis has fought for many years to keep Gerakas from over development, indeed he grew up here so the area is very close to his heart. He built the Wildlife Information Centre at Gerakas, and the Gerakas you see today is down to him — he was here long before the marine park.
We wish you a pleasant stay and invite you to join us in our activities.
Kalo taxidi!
Yannis
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