Join a turtle conservation project & protect the sea turtles on the gorgeous beaches of Greece.
Highlights:
- Help save our natural environment
- Protect turtle nests and females from predators, inundation and human threats
- Assist those baby turtles arrive safely at sea
- Experience Greek culture, gastronomy & hospitality in one of Greece’s most beautiful corners
- Enjoy fantastic beach life, swim, snorkel & relax
During this Sea turtle conservation holiday in the South of the Peloponnese peninsula, you protect nests and baby turtles, so that populations can thrive once again.
Check out the video by Deike Behringer during her stay “Saving Sea Turtles in Greece.”
This sea turtle holiday is suitable for young and old, students, families, friends and couples. Children as young as 8 years old can participate, as long as there is adult guidance. Accommodation will be in a caravan, tent or apartment in 1 of Greece’s finest camping sites, camping Gythio Bay. Sandy beaches provide the setting for this project where you make a difference! The holiday location is near Gythio, a pretty coastal village. A perfect setting to enjoy those long, warm Mediterranean Summer evenings. A local, friendly group leader is there for you to make this the perfect Summer getaway with a difference.
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| DEPARTURE/RETURN LOCATION | Athens, Greece |
| TOUR DURATION | 9-days |
| PRICE | Contact us for updates on availability and prices |
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Day 1
Arrive at Athens airport. Meet the group and the tour leader! Your hotel for the first night will be along the pretty Athens Riviera. Within walkable distance from the Sea Turtle Rescue Center. In the evening there’s a welcome dinner. Great Greek food & company in an authentic Greek place!
Day 2
Your small group gets the transfer in a comfortable vehicle to the South-Peloponnese (289 km/180 miles, 4 hours’ drive), Gythio. The drive is over good roads and the scenery is beautiful. Halfway: it’s time for a break at the world-famous Corinth canal!
Your accommodation for the following week will be at Camping Gythio Bay, in Mavrovouni. Near Gythio town. A stunning location, right on the beach where you will be offering your services for the Caretta caretta or Loggerhead Sea Turtles.
Dinner & overnight at an apartment, caravan or tent at luxury Camping Gythio Bay. Time permitting, you get your first presentation & training – about loggerhead sea turtles.
Day 3-8
Start sea turtle volunteering.
Depending on the time of the year, activities include:
- looking for adult turtle tracks,
- locating nests, enclosing and marking them
- relocating the threatened nests
- locating baby turtle tracks,
- dealing with any hatchlings that are still on the beach
- shading of the nests to protect the hatchlings from disorientation
- help baby turtles arrive at the sea
- excavations of hatched nests to determine the hatching success
During your stay, you may also be needed for activities like:
- beach cleanings
- collection of reeds to construct the protection of the nest
- wooden constructions such as boxes for injured turtles and
- maintenance activities for the equipment
- raising awareness – inform beach users how to behave on the nesting beaches
However, there is plenty of time to chill, explore and relax. The actual volunteering will take roughly 4 hours a day. This means there is time to:
- swim or snorkel in the Med or in the pool of the camping
- sunbathe, sip cocktails, chat or read near the pool
- explore the local fishing port of Gythio town
- take a windsurfing lesson
- table tennis at the campsite
- watch movies under the stars or TV in the lounge room
- rent a bike & cycle
Alternatively, you could visit nearby places like:
- the caves of Dyrou
- world-famous Sparta –yes, the hometown of those famous Spartan warriors!
- Monemvasiá, a breathtaking medieval tower town also dubbed the Gibraltar of the East.
Dinner is Greek, authentic, and delicious. vegan/vegetarian options are available.
Day 9
Transfer from Gythio back to Athens airport is included. Take a flight back home or extend your stay. We suggest finding a flight with a departure later than 2 PM. Of course, you could extend your stay in Greece.
Contact us for more information
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Tour Reviews
Sea turtle conservation holiday in Kefalonia 2022 –
The trip was amazing I would definitely recommend it. Getting to see the adult and hatchlings was incredible and it was well organized. Had a great time!
Sea turtle conservation holiday in Kefalonia September 2022 – I had a fabulous time. It was just the right mix of volunteering and holiday. My group were great and we all got on so well. Watching the hatchlings make their way to the sea was very special. Special memories. Thank you.
Sea turtle conservation holiday in Kefalonia September 2022 – Excellent group. Very informative and insightful talks from Wildlife Sense. Lights for the bikes would be useful. Very much enjoyed our trip . Information on other projects/volunteering would be helpful
Sea turtle conservation holiday in Kefalonia September 2022 – Really great mix of activity and free time 🙂
We had a fantastic time. The location was beautiful and the accommodation was good. Chris, our guide, was really helpful and knowledgeable. We learnt a lot about turtle conservation and were able to do some useful things. We learnt a lot from the Archelon volunteers and also were able to enjoy the beautiful scenery of the area. I’d recommend it to anyone interested in an introduction to turtle conservation.
I had the most brilliant time. The conservation work Archelon do is very important and it was uplifting to feel part of the team involved in such vital work. The volunteers were really enthusiastic and informative and glad to have a few extra hands. The Peloponnese is the most beautiful part of Greece and the sea is clear, blue and warm. Our guide Christos was invaluable taking us snorkelling and sorting out any problems. I totally recommend to anyone wanting more than just a holiday.
Deike und ich hatten eine tolle Zeit bei euch in Griechenland und haben die Zeit sehr genossen. Vielen Dank, dass wir so viel über die Schildkröten lernen durften.
Wir haben sehr viel über die kleinen und großen Schildkröten gelernt und es war toll miterleben zu dürfen, wie die kleinen schlüpfen und ihren Weg ins Wasser finden.
Vielen Dank für die unvergesslichen Tage, Erlebnisse und die gute Betreuung vor Ort auf dem schönen Camping Platz Gythio Bay.
Wir kommen gerne wieder!
Great holiday. The turtle project was interesting and rewarding. The accommodation was better than expected. The food was excellent and plentiful with lots of vegetarian options. I found the Peloponnese region stunning with beautiful beaches surrounded by dramatic mountains and one advantage of the early morning surveys was that we got to see a gorgeous sunrise every day.
It was awesome. It was a great experience. It was really interesting learning more about turtles and the threats to the environment. I loved helping the baby turtles get to the sea.
I really enjoyed this holiday and can only agree with Louise’s review, which was posted on the 24th of August. The most exciting part was helping the little hatchlings make it safely into the sea. Also I enjoyed learning about the turtles, what to do if you see one etc.
The area was very beautiful with lovely beaches and towns. It is worth hiring a car for a day or taking a bus somewhere to explore the place a bit.
All in all I had a great time.
What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Rescuing some hatchling turtles, which had been confused by the lights of the adjacent campsite when they emerged from their nest on the beach, and encouraging them to go the right way towards the sea. Two hours after the “turtle emergency” was declared, all but a handful of the escapees had successfully flapped their way to the water, and were taking their first swims. Between the volunteers and the interested and helpful campers of all ages, we probably rescued about 50-60 turtles.
Bring a dependable alarm clock, as the starts are early. The food is great, but watch your waistline. Bring a mask and snorkel for swimming, especially at Valtaki Beach. It is vv hot in August, so take it easy.
Overall = Very relaxed pace, good to have a chance to make the world better. Gythio is a pretty little town and the surroundings in Mani have very very dramatic scenery.
In general we are very happy and satisfied with our trip!
Great experience, thank you so much!
ACCOMMODATION: Rating on a scale of 1 to 5 (Poor to Excellent): 5 ACTIVITY PROGRAM: Rating on a scale of 1 to 5 (Poor to Excellent): 4 YOUR LOCAL GUIDES: Rating on a scale of 1 to 5 (Poor to Excellent): 5 Overall rating for this holiday: Rating on a scale of 1 to 5 (Poor to Excellent): 4 Thank you for a very nice week!
Caroline Kube
The Netherlands
ACCOMODATION-4 I could stand up in my tent and am grateful for that. However due to gaps in canvas and floor some ants and insect life – very hot. ACTIVITY PROGRAM-5 excellent YOUR LOCAL GUIDES- 5 couldn’t have been more helpful and pro active. Katrina and Chantal were SO helpful and really helped me – especially when I cut my foot.i had to go to hospital and have stitches. without their help I would have been lost. A BIG Thank you.They went beyond the call of duty OVERALL RATING- 5- really good experience. Lovely group of people.
Xanthe Oliver
UK
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