DISTANT PLACES
Travel tips by Bremen sehenswert far from the Hanseatic City of Bremen
Zakynthos
An island defined by the Caretta caretta
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A loggerhead sea turtle surfaces from the shallow water to take a breath
Zakynthos is the primary nesting site for large, endangered sea turtles in the Mediterranean. The loggerhead sea turtle (Caretta caretta) can grow up to 120 centimeters long and weigh up to 110 kilograms. While these animals appear quite agile while swimming in the water, they have no chance against intrusive ship propellers. And that is precisely the problem.
The Scene: The expansive bay of Laganas is the island’s tourism hub; a local tourism professional probably hit the nail on the head by referring to it as the "Ballermann (german) of Zakynthos." Shops, taverns, and supermarkets seem to line up endlessly along the narrow beach, colorful lights flash, and music blares from countless speakers all day long. Not much can be seen from the beach because the sunbeds are packed so closely together that a stroll along the water's edge evokes images of sardines packed into a tin. Well, to each their own, and beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
The idyll is deceptive: at the port of Agios Sostis, excursion ships and boats set off into the bay of Laganas; motorcoaches bring guests all the way to the pier
The concentration of mass tourism in this location is no coincidence, as the swimming conditions are fantastic. The seabed slopes gently and is predominantly sandy; the water is clear and free of dangerous currents. But as they say in real life: one person’s joy is another's sorrow. This is because the turtles do not only swim in deeper waters further out, but also in shallow water near the beach at depths of 5 to 6 meters. Nowhere else can one get so close to these impressive creatures - which look like relics from the era of the dinosaurs - in such a simple way with a diving mask and snorkel.
Information provided by Archelon, a non-profit organization founded in 1983 that has dedicated itself to the protection of sea turtles in Greece. Volunteers and honorary assistants support the work of the association, which is also funded by the sale of small souvenirs at information events
In 1999, the area was declared a marine national park, intended to provide even more protection for the already-protected animals. However, this does not exclude tourism. Therefore, they attempt a balancing act: while beach sections are monitored or closed entirely where the animals lay up to 1,000 eggs during several visits in June, the armored creatures are - during the day - a tourist attraction, followed almost mercilessly by watercraft. Furthermore, it is inevitable that people on motorboats, pedal boats, or larger excursion ships also get in each other’s way.
Time to be serious at Turtle Beach: On a 5-meter wide strip from the water's edge, people are still allowed to lie down and walk during the day; beyond that, the sand becomes softer, making it ideal for the turtles to lay their eggs.
And when evening falls in Laganas during the summer, the party starts, while the neighboring beach is closed off for the turtles at 7:00 PM. The numerous helpers and activists on-site can only hope each year that as many animals as possible defy the adverse conditions and bury their clutches in the warm, soft sand; if the females feel too disturbed, they will abandon the eggs after several failed attempts. You don't have to be a math genius to calculate the chances for the loggerhead sea turtle as a species when there is only a survival probability of 1–2 animals per nest and a period of 20 years until reaching sexual maturity. This is especially true since they only return to the place where they hatched, and even then, only if they managed to make their own way from the nest into the initially life-saving water on their own.
View over Porto Koukla Beach toward Marathonissi
From Agios Sostis and the adjacent coastline to Keri, one can look across to the small uninhabited island of Marathonissi. Whether the shape of the island resembles a turtle or not is left to the viewer's imagination, but the fact that the inviting beach is also a preferred resting place for sea turtle hatchlings does not make the situation any easier. During the season, tourists flock to the island; on the wide, fine-sand beach, it is "see and be seen." Here too, the swimming conditions are dreamy, and floating kiosks provide refreshments - including things that would hardly count as a healthy diet - accompanied by a constant stream of music, such as reggae.
At the beach of Marathonissi
Giving in to indignation as an outsider and wagging a moral finger at the Greeks - arguing that all of this couldn't be handled differently - would be entirely misplaced. The roughly 40,000 residents of Zakynthos live primarily off tourism and are well aware of what "trump card" they hold with the Caretta caretta. While turtle-watching is offered on the island with such inflated frequency that images of turtles permeate one's dreams during hot nights (until one realizes it is actually just one’s own sweat they are swimming in, rather than the fine waters of the Ionian Sea, and that their bed is indeed turtle-free), this interest also makes many visitors receptive to information from those who work with great commitment - often voluntarily - for the protection of the animals, such as the people at Archelon.
Blooming Oleander
Ultimately, it is nature that makes the "green island" so appealing; most places remain rather featureless. Unlike, for example, the capital of Corfu, Zakynthos Town (or Zante Town) appears relatively uninviting. This may be linked to the devastating earthquake on August 12, 1953, which was preceded by lighter tremors in the days prior. Along with the neighboring island of Kefalonia, Zakynthos was shaken so hard that almost no building remained undamaged. Architectural cultural assets - some dating back to the 400-year period of Venetian rule - also fell victim to the destruction. What the tectonic friction between the Eurasian and African plates had left standing in many places was sacrificed to flames because the earthquake struck at noon, a time when many herds and stoves were fueled in residential homes. Some things were reconstructed authentically; others were replaced by modern structures.
Small church in the village of Lithakia
The island will have to contend with earthquakes in the future; fires also break out repeatedly, leaving behind charred skeletons of trees. The main thing is that it does not hit the olive trees, which are often several centuries old, as they are a significant economic factor on Zakynthos. One resident who moved to the island says there are 2 million trees cultivated and cared for on the island, though she notes that this figure is an aggregate of various counts from different plantation owners and has not been verified. Furthermore, skepticism is justified; for such a number of trees, the island would have to be larger than it actually is - a remark made after a short pause to the general amusement of the listeners. Regardless, one tree more or less, "who cares?" is what many residents might think.
Map
UNESCO World Heritage Site on Rhodes
A journey through the historic Old Town of Rhodes
Relics from various eras - ranging from antiquity to the period of Italian occupation - can be found almost everywhere on the island. Many have left their mark; in some places, they must be sought out, while in others, they appear in clustered, fascinating density and variety. Yet, nowhere else on the island are these traces as prominent as they are in the city of Rhodes. It is not for nothing that the historic Old Town was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1988.
read more about Rhodes Old Town ...
The "Green" Island of Corfu
From the sights of the capital, Kerkyra, to the Corfu Trail
The Greeks call not only the city but the island itself Kerkyra. According to legend, it was named after the nymph Gorgyra (also known as Kerkyra), who was brought to the island by the sea god Poseidon. A legend, indeed. In fact, the name appears in a modified form, "Korkyra," on written records as early as 1200 BC. The current name, Corfu, dates back to the Byzantine era. Once an independent island and later the first Roman province of modern Greece, it became part of the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire after the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 395 AD. On a rocky promontory jutting into the sea, the Byzantines built a fortress in the early 6th century and named the city emerging from this core "Koryfo."
read more about Kerkyra ...
