Travel should increase your experiences...
Here at Gloriamaris hotel & suites we want to help you to make the most of your holidays and ensure that you take back home those special moments.
Trip to Keri Caves
Zante Island has so many experiences and pleasurable moments to offer. Start your fist attempt to explore Zante and join us on a cruise to the southern waters of zakynthos to the stunning Keri Caves. A trip to keri caves is a lovely way to spend a couple of hours on the sea where we will inform you about the caves and their unique features. Also we will stop for swimming where you can explore on your own the keri caves for a while.
We strongly recommend the trip to Keri caves as the majority of our guests are satisfied and they usually characterise it as stunning, breath taking...experience!
Trip for sea turtle spotting
If you wish to be familiar with the well known turtle caretta - caretta, the only thing that you need to do is to book a caretta-caretta trip with us. The caretta - caretta trip includes a cruise on the bay of Laganas where you can see the spectacular loggerhad turtles in their natural habitant.
A few words for your information: Careta-Careta (turtle beach) (click to view)
 Caretta-Caretta sea turtle (loggerhead turtle) is the only species of Mediterranean sea-turtles that nests in Zante . Sea turtles are reputed to be strongly philopatric, and always return to the same beach they were born on to lay their own eggs.
Nesting beaches in Greece are mainly located in Zakynthos, Peloponnese and Crete. To date, almost 4,000 sea turtles have been tagged in Zakynthos since 1982.
Caretta-Caretta sea turtle is an endangered species and it needs the help of us all. The Caretta-Caretta sea turtles are severely threatened by development, both legal and illegal, of nesting beaches. Due to the lack of infrastructure, the pressures of the tourist industry lead to considerable amounts of solid waste, litter, noise, traffic, pollution and coastal degradation. Each year, speedboats kill several turtles in the bay. In the evening, noise from discotheques, low-flying aircraft and the lights, frighten and disorientate nesting turtles and hatchlings.
Top tips to help save the turtles
- Take your rubbish home with you - do not leave it on the beach! Plastic bags, balloons and other litter can be mistaken by the turtles as food and once they have eaten it, it can cause them to suffocate or be poisoned (not a nice way for the turtle to die).
- Be careful where you place beach umbrellas - check that you are not putting them on a turtle nest and put them down at night.
- Kick down your sandcastles as you leave as they can prove a huge obstacle to the baby turtles struggling to find the sea. Just think - knocking sandcastles down can almost be as much fun as making them!
- Try not to take pets on beaches where you know there are turtles-as they can disturb the nests. However if it is unavoidable keep dogs on a leash.
- Do not drive or park on the beach - as this can crush nests and turtles. Also respect that watersports are restricted on many beaches.
- Do not go on the beaches at night as your presence and noise can disrupt nesting turtles who may give up their attempt at laying their eggs, instead heading back to the sea.
- If you are staying in accommodation near a beach where turtles nest, make sure your curtains/ blinds are drawn at night so that the turtles do not get confused by the bright lights - as they follow the light of the moon to find their way back to sea.
- DO NOT help hatchlings into the water, even if they appear to be struggling. They have to flex and stretch their muscles before they can swim - and the stress of being picked up or prodded by humans can prove too much for the baby turtles.
- Learn as much as you can about the turtles and visit the Wildlife Centre at Gerakas beach. Tell your friends about the beautiful Caretta Caretta turtles and their plight.
- If you see a turtle swimming in the waters off the coast of Zakynthos, enjoy the moment and delight in the fact that you are glimpsing such an ancient species, swimming in the clear calm waters- ignorant to the fact that it faces extinction thanks to human intervention.
Trip to Marathonisi
Ma rathonisi is a small uninhabited island, just off the coast of Laganas bay.
The island's shape resembles a turtle and it is also a nesting area for the Caretta Caretta turtles which is why it is affectionately known as Turtle Island.
There are two main beaches on Marathonisi, one is where the turtles lay their eggs in the soft golden sand and the other beach is pebbly with two coves nearby which are fun to discover and explore. Marathonisi can be reached from either Laganas beach or Keri Lake by boat.
It is a lovely place to visit for a tranquil day of swimming and sunbathing. There are no facilities at this beach, so why not take a picnic to enjoy eating alfresco in the warmth of the Mediterranean climate amidst pretty scenery?
Marathonisi Island offers a great opportunity to work on your san tan!
Trip at the sunset
Spend a romantic evening with your partner and enjoy a sunset on the boat.
Sunset trip is a unique experience on the boat which is only available here at Gloria Maris Hotel Suites & Villas!! Sunset is a romantic and relaxing cruise around the south east coast of the island between the cliffs of Keri.
Take advantage of our unique special offer and book all three trips at the price of 25 euros. That includes:
We start with the keri caves where we stop for swimming. After we go around the turtle beach-marathonisi island and make another stop for a swim. On our way back to the hotel we will spot the famous caretta caretta turtles. Come and see the famous caretta caretta turltles to swim in the sea. |
