Zaláta lies 1.5 km (0.93 mi) north of the Drava River and the Hungarian-Croatian border.

It can be reached by road from three nearby towns: Kemse (to the north), Piskó (to the east), and Drávasztára (to the west).

EuroVelo international bicycle route 13 passes by the village on the embankment of the Drava, following the border.

The only significant watercourse is the Gürü channel, which collects water from areas south of Sellye and Csányoszró, then drains into the Drava.

The wetlands are heavily overgrown and rick in species, but is endangered due to the agricultural cultivation of the surrounding areas and insufficient water supply.