Nanki Kumano Geopark (Kushimoto-cho)

After a five-minutes drive from Kushimoto Station, you will find a mysterious scenery of large and small rock pillars. The landscape was created about 15 million years ago when magma rose from underground and entered the earth's strata, and only the hard parts of rocks remained after erosion by the sea. Around 40 large and small rock pillars rise up in an orderly line like the piles of bridges for a distance of about 900 meters, and create an exceptionally beautiful scenery when the morning sun rises from between the rocks. It is designated as a national site of scenic beauty and a natural monument, and you can see the Hashigui-iwa Rocks illuminated in November. If the tide is low, be sure to take a walk in between the rocks. Nearby, there is also the roadside station Kushimoto Hashigui-iwa where you can have a meal.

Kushimoto Marine Park is the first designated marine park in Japan. Here, you can experience the beautiful coral sea through the aquarium, underwater observation tower and underwater sightseeing boat. The sea of Kushimoto is the northernmost table coral bed in the world. You can see numerous tropical fish swarming around the coral from the underwater observation tower situated 140 meters offshore and from the underwater sightseeing boat "Stella Maris." The aquarium faithfully reproduces the beautiful sea of Kushimoto, as well as focuses on sea turtles from egg laying to breeding, protecting and conducting ecological research. You can even interact with baby sea turtles. Backyard tours, sea turtle feeding and diving experiences are also popular activities.