Jozani Sea Turtle Sanctuary

Zanzibar Island

LoginSave

The aim of this community initiative is to help local people benefit from tourism and conservation. In three large pools you can observe sea turtles and fish-farming side by side. It's also a great place to see giant tortoises, translocated here from Chunguu Island as a gift from the president of Zanzibar. A helpful guide will show you around.

There's a small information centre where drinks are on sale, and local meals can be arranged with advance notice.

The sanctuary is 35km southeast of Zanzibar Town, just off the road to Paje; take the dirt road opposite the entrance to Jozani-Chwaka National Park. You can get here by organised tour (usually combined with Jozani Forest), or by bus 309 or 310 from Paje or Zanzibar Town.

Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

  • Tanzania, Zanzibar, Stone Town. The Anglican Cathedral Church of Christ had its foundation stone laid on Christmas Day 1873

    Anglican Cathedral

    17.47 MILES

    The tall spire and grey-yellow walls of the Anglican cathedral dominate the surrounding streets in this part of Stone Town, while the dark-wood pews and…

  • The Sultan's Palace (Palace Museum) is one of the main historical buildings of Stone Town, Zanzibar as seen at sunset.

    Palace Museum

    17.69 MILES

    Occupying several large buildings along the waterfront, this was the palace of Sultan Seyyid Said from 1828 until it was largely destroyed by the British…

  • Two red Colobuse Monkey in a rainforest of Jozani Chwaka Bay National Park, Zanzibar, Tanzania, Africa

    Jozani-Chwaka National Park

    0.28 MILES

    Jozani Forest is the largest area of indigenous forest on Zanzibar Island. Situated south of Chwaka Bay on low-lying land, the area is prone to flooding,…

  • Paintings for sale outside Old Fort, Stone Town.

    Old Fort

    17.75 MILES

    With its pale-orange ramparts overlooking Forodhani Gardens and the ocean beyond, the fort was built by Omani Arabs when they seized the island from the…

  • House of Wonders, Stone Town, Zanzibar, Tanzania.

    House of Wonders

    17.72 MILES

    An icon of Stone Town, the House of Wonders rises in impressive tiers of slender steel pillars and balconies overlooking the waterfront. Its enormous…

  • ZALA Park

    ZALA Park

    2.37 MILES

    ZALA (Zanzibar Land Animals) Park was founded as a project to help local people appreciate the value of wildlife, with funds raised by tourist visits. The…

  • Darajani Market, Stone Town, Zanzibar, Tanzania

    Darajani Market

    17.42 MILES

    Zanzibar's main market is a hive of activity, with everything – from spices, fresh fish, slabs of meat and huge baskets full of live chickens to sandals,…

  • Forodhani Gardens in Zanzibar, Tanzania.

    Forodhani Gardens

    17.8 MILES

    One of the best ways to ease into Zanzibar life is to stop by this waterfront public space. It's a social hub for tourists and locals alike; there's a…

View more attractions

Nearby Zanzibar Island attractions

1. Jozani-Chwaka National Park

0.28 MILES

Jozani Forest is the largest area of indigenous forest on Zanzibar Island. Situated south of Chwaka Bay on low-lying land, the area is prone to flooding,…

2. Zanzibar Butterfly Centre

0.59 MILES

Protecting numerous butterfly species indigenous to Zanzibar, this centre is a huge tropical garden with net walls and roof. You can see the various life…

3. ZALA Park

2.37 MILES

ZALA (Zanzibar Land Animals) Park was founded as a project to help local people appreciate the value of wildlife, with funds raised by tourist visits. The…

4. Kizimkazi Old Mosque

11.19 MILES

Although this mosque is thought to be one of the oldest Islamic buildings on the East African coast, it has been extensively restored and appears…

5. Mbweni Ruins

15.71 MILES

The upmarket suburb of Mbweni, 5km south of Zanzibar Town, was a Universities Mission to Central Africa (UMCA) base and settlement for former slaves in…

6. Maruhubi Palace

16.99 MILES

Maruhubi Palace was built outside Zanzibar Town in 1882 for Sultan Barghash to house his impressively large harem. A few years later it was destroyed by…

7. Kidichi Persian Baths

17.03 MILES

Sultan Seyyid Said built this bathhouse at Kidichi (11km northeast of Zanzibar Town) in 1850 for his Persian wife, Scheherezade. The royal couple would…

8. Kiwengwa-Pongwe Forest Reserve

17.21 MILES

Set back from the main road between Kiwengwa and Pongwe, this reserve protects a swathe of indigenous forest and its wildlife, including groups of the…

  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting: 
    {
  "url": "tanzania/zanzibar-island/attractions/jozani-sea-turtle-sanctuary/a/poi-sig/1576403/1001289",
  "destination": "Zanzibar-Island",
  "continent": "Africa",
  "country": "Tanzania",
  "region": "Zanzibar-Island",
  "position": "superzone"
}