The area encompasses the Laganas Bay and the islets of Marathonissi and Pelouzo before the southern coast of Zakynthos. The substratum is sandy and the waters are shallow (10 m deep ad maximum), thus favouring the wide spread of Posidonia seagrass. The coastal zone of Laganas is of high biological importance, due to the existence of significant natural habitats, such as sandy beaches with sand plant (psammophyte) communities, rocky coasts and coastal lakes. Low sand dunes occur on the beach of Marathonissi, some of them extending up to 50 m. inland. The beach is backed by dense Mediterranean maquis. The area of Laganas is renowned for its small sandy beaches which are considered to be the most important nesting sites for the Mediterranean green loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) both in Greece and, perhaps, the entire Mediterranean region. The two islets (Marathonissi and Pelouzo) lying in the Bay of Laganas support well-developed types of Mediterranean vegetation.
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The beach of Laganas is one of the major nesting sites in the Mediterranean for the green loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta). The area also has great ecological importance due to the presence of the marine plant Posidonietum oceanicae, which forms a highly sensitive type of habitat occurring in the Mediterranean.
