At Banshoyama Park, you can enjoy wonderful scenery and rich natural environments that Engetsuto Islet and tower island view, which is appointed in Yoshino-Kumano National Park.

This nature park is just a short walk from the Rinkai stop on the Meiko Bus town loop. It is located at the southern edge of Tanabe Bay, and there’s a view from the park’s three lookouts of the Engetsu and Tojima Islands. As the park once was home to a botanical garden and a zoo, some unusual flora and fauna remain to this day. In summer and autumn, you might spot the oyadokari hermit crab, a protected species and designated as Natural Monument.

The grounds also host the Minakata Kumagusu Museum which display documents and so on from Minakata Kumagusu, a native of Wakayama Prefecture known as a scholar of natural history and folklore. You can have your fill of both nature and history along with the park’s zodiac carvings.