Zákynthos - Laganás Bay

In the southeast of the island of Zákynthos, 8km/5mi south of Zákynthos town, is the wide bay of Laganás, with beautiful sandy beaches.

Laganás Bay has long been a breeding area for the endangered loggerhead turtle. However, the turtle habitat was becoming threatened by the huge number of tourists that began frequenting this area in the 1980s. As a result, in 2000 Greece made the area in and around Laganás Bay a managed national wildlife park.

This was met with resistance by local residents who made their livelihood off the tourist trade. Beach areas at Laganás Bay were now protected, patrolled and carried restrictions, and limited some beach access.

In recent years locals have been encouraged to develop