Glass Bottomed Boat Trip

Zante Excursions

Georgina D           

Out of all the trips we went on this was undoubtably the crappest. I usually refrain from moaning but this took the biscuit. Think it was with Pelargos tours. Saw no turtles. "Guaranteed to see turtles" ??? In hindsight, Im glad we didnt see any. The poor creatures must be terrified of the mass of chugging craft gawking at them day in day out. I was more than horrified at our stop at marathonisi beach. Is this not supposed to be exclusively for the turtles? People swarming everywhere! protected area? Marine Park? Id say goodbye to the loggerheads now if I were you. I feel guilty for just being there.

Roy S           

Mario
Thanks again for a great day, see you in June
Best wishes
Roy, Linda, Brian, Vickie

Sue S           

You must only book for Mario's glass bottom boat. It was one of the highlights of our holiday. He takes your safety really seriously. We went in September 2004. Mario dives for starfish and seat erchins. On our stop to Turtle Island, one guy on our trip noticed two turtle hatchlings having trouble getting to the seashore. A Mother turtle had laid her eggs too far away from the shoreline, and the two baby turtles were both exhausted and would have died in the heat if he hadn't put them into the water himself. Mario said they stand more chance of survivial if put into the sea than left on land. It was very humbling to see such tiny creatures swim in such a huge sea. We wished them luck and then later on Mario spotted 2 adults, that was a wonderful experience as well If anyone can find a turtle Mario can. It was a really good trip. We stopped for two swims, and a lunch stop at another resort, and at turtle beach for an hour. We also visited some of the caves en route. A brilliant, educational and interesting day out which we thoroughly enjoyed and glad we didn't miss.

Dave G           

We were on Mario`s glass bottom boat trip last week and yes Simon is no longer with him but let me put your minds at rest that all safety regulations are still adhered to and it is still the BEST glass bottom boat trip to go on, we had an amazing day to remember.
Val & Dave Griffiths.

Bev W           

Hi just to let you all know that Simon the lifrguard who worked on Marios glassbottomed boat in Porto Roma Zakynthos(2003) is regrefully no longer able to offer the service and saftey of swimmers on this trip. Still a good trip.

Darryl G           

oh dear, what a crass barrel load of s**te this trip is. after enduring over an hour on a coach to laganas we set about being hoarded on to an over crowded boat to harass the local turtle who periodically raises her head out of the water. i couldn't help but think our tour guide was the island's champion hypocrite since he told us that turtles had declined due to the capitalist disease that is tourism and the over zealous tourist looking to catch a glimpse of a turtle in it's 'natural' environment. we stopped at a small port which was crap and told to attend a taverna of the guide's choice for further 45 minute education on the decline of the turtle. needless to say we left the bearded hypocrite to rant to those lacking in good sense and morality. this excursion has nothing to recommend about it. avoid at all costs!

Fiona S           

i went to laganas last may and took a boat trip with the people that sit under a yellow gazebo on lagana beach. it cost 10 euros each and i was quite looking forward to it until i noticed the person driving the boat was about 12 years old.
that aside it was a good 2 hours excursion. the beach at the island you stop off at is really nice, it feels like you are in the carribean when you are there. the sea is amazing. it was a bit scary when we went round the island as with it being a glass bottom you could see how close the rocks were and all i could think was titanic

Rimmer            

Neil - Its a bit late in the season for turtle spotting, but there should still be some around. Before you book any turtle spotting tour, go to Cameo Island across the bridge from Laganas harbour. From the cafe / bar there you get a great view across Laganas bay and should see some turtles in the shallows next the island. Best of all...its free!

If this fails, then book a glas bottom boat tour from one of the shops in Laganas and keep your fingers crossed!

Neil B

Hi peeps, whats the chances of seeing a turtle if I was to go on 13th Sept for a week??

And whos the best to go with!!

Also will it still be nice and hot?

Cheers

Jon M           

never took the glass bottomed boat, but still saw loads of turtles about 5... swimstops were good too... cost 15euros with peter in argasi.. hes the man...!

Stephen V           

Besides not being on a glass bottomed boat for the trip, it was still and enjoyable experience. Saw a couple of turtles at sea, and got some good pictures too.

Roy S           

We have taken this trip 4 times, it veries slightly but each time it gets better.

Karen T

I am going with my 3 year old son to Argassi on June 24th and would love to go on a trip of this nature...am I near to Marios? Also...how far am I by taxi (distance and cost) to St Nicholas beach/laganas/kalamaki? I have no idea what to expect when I get there...lol

Calvin F

Is this trip available from Laganas, if not can how do I get there!

Dave G           

Hi Emma, you get Marios boat at Porto Roma beach its the best boat trip by far and great value you book direct with Mario or with joanna at Mai`s supermarket in Vasillikos if you need any help in locating them please e-mail me, have a great time.
Dave.
davegriffiths@ntlworld.com

Emma L

Hi, My boyfriend and I are going to Tsilivi 21 June this year. I was wondering where Marios Boat Trip is located.

Kippax C           

just got back from kalamaki .dont book this trip with your rep,loads of places 15 euros and 7.50 for the kids nice trip but i didnt spot a turtle maybe too early in season

Elly H           

Adelle,
I am going to Laganas in June 2004 too (25th, for 2 weeks) with my boyfriend. Thought we could share info on what we find out! Email me if you want to ejh21@hotmail.com.
Take care
Ely

Adelle C

any thing to help make my holiday to laganas better. i cant find a thing. me n my boyfriend are going in june 2004. will we see any turtles then. is there any thing else for us to do?

Dave G           

What you need to remember there are glass bottmed boat trips and theres MARIOS GLASS BOTTOMED BOAT TRIP this is simply the best, only 25 passengers,Simon a fully qualified lifeguard is on board he`s the first one in the water to check for jellyfish and the last one out,so even if your not a good swimmer you dont have to worry, Mario takes you to the Keri caves,Keri lake,Turtle Island for turtle spotting plenty of stops for swimming and snorkelling, Mario & Simon dive for starfish and octopus so even the kids get in on the act, if your taking kids with you then have peace of mind, because all safety regulations are adhered to, if you are staying in Vassilikos then for more information contact Joanne at Mai`s Supermarket.

Pat H           

Saw no turtles (I went in May and saw three on the same trip) they had come early this year anyway! However, in September no turtles but was just as good and definitely worth the money 15 euros. Plucked up courage to jump off the boat this time ..  wonderful its gotta be done! KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK GRAHAM

Lulu L           

GO ON THE TRIP WITH GRAHAM. Bokk through dionysis tours. It was an excelent trip, swimming in the deep crystal waters was particularly fantastic. We didn't see a turtle but we were there in September and it was still interesting, especially as Graham is so enthuisiastic. Whatever you do, do not go on a trip that lets you get on Turtle island, it is helping to make the turtles extinct, and they are very close already.

Kim            

This trip was fantastic and well worth 10 euros for 4 hours of cruising in the sea! Unfortunately we didn't see a turtle because it was off-season but swimming near Keri Caves and visiting the secluded beach on Turtle Island was definately worth a visit. I was actually surprised at how big the boat was, as i thought with the cheap price that it'd be just a small one, but it is a big ship with 3 decks and i guarantee that you'll enjoy it!

Tim O           

Both our and the neighbouring villa's family went on Mario's day cruise. Be prepared to book in advance - popular it seems. Bought our tickets from the supermarket just before the Puerto Roma turn-off on the Zante-Vasilikos road (36 euros adults, 26 for kids)

Excellent, difficult to praise too highly and easily the highlight of our holiday. Seems only fair we should say something nice about it on this web site and draw to the attention of others by way of a big efharisto..

Describing this as just another glass bottom boat trip bit would be as silly as saying that Mario is just another boat skipper - be prepared for something different !

An action packed (4 cave/swim stops), highly informative, ecologically friendly (even the big headed graduate marine biologist in our party who use to work on turtles on Zakythos many years ago (me..) was silenced), well planned (3 land stops for coffee, lunch and a swim/doze on turtle island), family friendly (kids get most of the attention - make sure you bring a camera !) and good humoured
day out.

This is the also the first boat trip we've been on in the Med where health and safety seemed to be taken seriously - eg the pep talk at the start of the trip re life jackets etc, presence of a diver/life guard to help and show the way (always the first in the water and last out at each swim stop), not letting us go in the water when a jellyfish was spotted at one stop, being suitably assertive when the kids got too near to rocks, putting up sun shades etc etc

The honesty in pointing out its impossible to guarantee seeing a turtle was also appreciated. In the event we did, the diver again coming to the rescue and guiding the boat towards one - funny how other, bigger, boats followed us !

Be prepared to muck-in though - especially kids ! All of ours go to have a go at the wheel - I also overheard Mario's mate (the diver) telling my son to turn the boat starboard into a wave so as to get his mum and dad wet - my boy enjoyed that bit...

Also not rushed, and with a very flexible itinery, in true Zakynthos spirit. We were out for nearly nine hours although the stops on route did'nt make this seem like an especially long day out. He offered to stop and drop off people at the neighbouring resort on the return trip - can't imagine many boat owners doing that. Goes without saying though, important to bring sunblock, hats etc.

When compared to other boats we've been on the difference here seemed to be the size of the boat (small enough to get close to things but big enough to withstand a relatively breezy day), size of the group (capacity of just 25) and the "crew" itself ; Mario, his mate (a mancunian ?!), girlfriend and daughter.

This was one of those trips though where we were all made to feel like crew...

t

Dawn I           

This was our favourite trip - beautiful scenery and the turtles are absolutely fantastic to see, & we saw loads - we booked with the boat company just to the left on Laganas beach but to be honest wouldn't recommend them cos we felt the baot owner harrassed some of the turtles by circling them, also we were pretty upset when we realised he'd dropped us off on a part of turtle island were the turtles were actively nesting -seems to defeat the object of the consevation order! Best to ask before going booking what the itinery is for the day

Carol D           

Went on Glass Bottomed Boat Trip to Keri Caves and Turtle Island. We booked this through Peralagos Tours in Tsilivi. Total cost for 2 adults and 1 child was 32 euros. Boat trip was not all day and we were collected from Tsilivi and travelled to Laganas for the boat which was only about 30 mins drive. Boat sailed at about 11am and returned to the shore at about 2.30. Trip was fantastic. Boat stopped at Keri Caves to allow people to get off and swim. Captain mentioned that there are jellyfish in the caves but be careful if you do go out and swim around the boat as my son saw a jellyfish swimming at the boat. Stopped at Turtle Island for a swim aswell. You can get a boat to the beach area or swim around the boat. It was a great trip but best not to book through your rep as costs are much higher.

Peter N           

Wonderful day out for Granny + 2 Grandaughters. 5 year old spotted 7, 8 year old spotted 10...nanny spotted 1 very obliging one! Plenty of fish to see and a shuttle boat to Turtle Island beach. Had we known that this was a nesting site we would not have booked...so thanks to previous commentor for the tip. We booked this and other excursions through Mamfredas in Tsilivi...and recommend them highly.

David M           

We went on the trip with Graham. It was excellent. He is part of the Turtle protection society and takes the future of these turtles very seriously. Saw four, absolutely brilliant. DO NOT GO ON A TOUR THAT VISITS TURTLE ISLAND! This is the best wayof harming and destroying thier eggs and killing them off. This tour cost €15 and was great value for money. Highly recomended.

Michelle G           

We paid 25 euros for this trip from the beach for 2 adults 1 child. We saw 6 turtles and were out for a good hour. My six year old loved it. The guide was really informative - even telling us when the turtle was going to pop his head up to take a breath so that we could have our cameras ready. Can't remember what the boat was called, but the base is just outside the Fishery Inn on the beach in Laganas. They run on the hour every hour till about 6pm.

Mary M           

We went on the trip organised by Peter in Argassi. It was a fabulous trip! The boat was fab and the views most excellent. We stopped at Turtle Island, and were transported to the beach from the boat by an inflatable with motor....great fun! The water is beautiful and clear, though the beach is very shingly, so wear something on your feet! We only saw one turtle, but it was a wonderful experience...one of those special memories!!!

Kelly R

me and a group of friends are going to Laganas in May 04. Just wondered is the glass bottomed boast trip is expensive??

Pat H           

WE DID THE HALF DAY TURTLE TREK RUN BY DIONISOS TOURS - EXCELLENT ... the Guide Graham was fantastic and tried his best to get the idiots in pedalos to stop crashing into Turtles. THIS IS THE ONLY TURTLE TRIP I WOULD RECOMMEND it cost 15 euros and was totally worth every cent. He is passionate about the little critters and you do get an education! Also the chance to swim off the boat round the back of Turtle Island (Marathonisi Island) then a quick stop in Limni harbour whilst you have some chips in the Taverna and he gives a chat about how the turtles came to be and why they are now extremely endangered ... he has had his life threatend by locals who think he is trying to stop their business of taking innocent tourists down to the beaches to watch the turtles hatch. Not advisable .. anyone who gets offered the chance to go and view this PLEASE PLEASE say no and give the little ladies some peace to lay their eggs and the little fellas a chance to get to safety of the sea so they can grow up and come back and be looked at by people on Graham's tour, from the safety of a great boat, knowledgable captain, We saw three and he always at least spotting one. The wardens on the Island do it for free and if you do stop on the Island please watch were you walk and keep only to within 5 to 10 feet of the waters edge ... Little Mrs Turtle may have come up the night before to lay her eggs and you could be tramping all over them!? I only got this knowledge from Graham and would like to thank him for an excellent afternoon and KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK ... this trip can only be booked through DIONISOS TOURS. Happy Turtle Spotting!!

Nick A           

We enjoyed this trip. First visted Keri Caves where we swam for about ten minutes. Next turtle island where we stayed for about an hour. Then turtle spotting. Only saw one turtle and then the captain returned us to port.

Glass bottom is a bit of a disappointment. It really means 8 portholes on each side about 10" across. We never bothered staying downstairs much apart from about 5 minutes watching the fish.

I think the trip cost us 16 euro for adults and 8 euros for kids. Obviously the prices seem to vary a bit so haggle!

Joanne R           

Four of us booked this trip and we had the boat to ourselves.we first went to the keri caves where the boat went right inside the water was very clear and you could see lots of fish,then we went to turtle island,which does look like a turtle hence the name,and had 2 hours sunbathing it was like being marooned on a island.Then we went in search for the logger head turtles which we saw 3 of and they were amazing especially when they come up for air. We were amazed how big they were some are as big as 70 kilo's.The trip cost 22 euro's each but we were out for 6 hours.

Paul B

Is this trip expensive - 2 Adults 2 Children ???

Sarah A           

i enjoyed this trip very much, but was very dissappointed when we didn't find one turtle, so don't be fooled. this stop off at turtle island was amazing the beach is so beautiful. i definately reccomend this trip

Dave G           

Marios glass bottom boat trip is great, more so if its turtle season he gives you a chance to swim with them, he also dives in and gets star fish, octopus for the kids to look at, dont miss it. Dave Griffiths (September 22, 2002) ps forgot to tick the box it was excellent

Shirley C           

We went with Marios based in Porta Roma, look out for boards and leaflets all around Vassilikos. A fabulous day out for the family - snorkelling, turtle spotting, visiting caves and coves. The difference between this trip and others is Mario. He is a wealth of information, loves what he does and is fabulous with kids. Highly recommended.