A natural playground of deep spirituality set in deep green and raging water
The three grand shrines of Kumano-Hayatama, Kumano-Hongu and Kumano-Nachi—known collectively as the Kumano Sanzan—stand at the heart of the park, brilliant red vermillion beacons for pilgrims trekking the arduous Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage Route on their individual spiritual journeys. The park is also a land of raging water—dropping dramatically in the form of the sacred Nachi Falls and roaring through the Dorokyo Gorge. It flows out into the ocean where divers can come face to face with loggerhead turtles gliding gracefully through vivid coral reefs. The Pacific Ocean then throws the water back at the coastline creating dramatic natural formations including the cliffs and caves or Sandanbeki—hidden hideouts for Heian Era (794-1185) pirates.
