Dedicated to sea turtles, the museum's name – Caretta – comes from the scientific name for the Loggerhead Sea Turtle. Inside, there's a lot of turtle info, small tanks and a hatchery with baby turtles aged up to three years. The outside pools house turtles from age four upwards. The facility is on Ōhama Beach, known as a turtle egg-laying spot from May to August.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
 - 29.35 MILES - Ryōzen-ji is Temple One of the 88 Sacred Temples of Shikoku pilgrimage. It is called Temple One because it was the first that temple pilgrims came to… 
 - 28.92 MILES - Away from the crowds and tour buses, the spectacular Oku Iya Ni-jū Kazura-bashi are two secluded vine bridges hanging side by side high over the river… 
  - 0.74 MILES - The major attraction of Hiwasa, Yakuō-ji, Temple 23, is the last temple in Tokushima Prefecture. Yakuō-ji dates back to the year 726, and is famous as a… 
  - Rise & Win Brewing Co. BBQ & General Store - 14.33 MILES - Got to love this place. Everything at Rise & Win's brewery restaurant in Kamikatsu is recycled from old town buildings, from the incredible spectacle of… 
  - 22.94 MILES - At the foot of Bizan, the 280m-high summit at the southwestern end of Shinmachibashi-dōri, the Bizan Ropeway whizzes you to the top for fine city views. A… 
  - 23.45 MILES - Northeast of the train station is Tokushima's central park, Chūō-kōen, a lovely place for a stroll. You'll find the scant ruins of Tokushima-jō (Tokushima… 
  - Awa Jūrobe Yashiki Puppet Theatre - 24.78 MILES - For hundreds of years, puppet theatre thrived in the farming communities around Tokushima. Performances can still be seen here, in the former residence of… 
  - 23.39 MILES - You can get a glimpse into the castle's former Edo-period grandeur at Tokushima Castle Museum, which contains a model of the castle town as well as… 
Nearby attractions
0.1 MILES
Head east from the centre of Hiwasa out to the coast to find the attractive beach of Ōhama, a long stretch of sand where sea turtles come to lay their…
0.74 MILES
The major attraction of Hiwasa, Yakuō-ji, Temple 23, is the last temple in Tokushima Prefecture. Yakuō-ji dates back to the year 726, and is famous as a…
7.3 MILES
This mollusc-shaped structure is on a beach 4km east of the township of Mugi, 16km southwest of Hiwasa – inside, there's an impressive collection of…
10.25 MILES
While most henro over the past 1200 years have struggled up steep mountain paths to get to Tairyū-ji, these days this magnificent mountaintop temple is…
5. Rise & Win Brewing Co. BBQ & General Store
14.33 MILES
Got to love this place. Everything at Rise & Win's brewery restaurant in Kamikatsu is recycled from old town buildings, from the incredible spectacle of…
6. Tokushima Modern Art Museum
21.04 MILES
With a permanent collection that includes modern masters, both Japanese and Western, this surprisingly sophisticated prefectural museum houses two- and…
7. Tokushima Prefectural Museum
21.11 MILES
Full of huge dinosaur skeletons and engaging natural-history exhibits, this prefectural museum will keep kids entertained for hours.


