10 Recommended Touring Roads and Spots in Wakayama Prefecture, selected by riders who have circumnavigated Japan twice.

Hello to all Webike Plus readers! I am Sasu Rider, a man who would like to eat mandarin oranges in a kotatsu for the rest of his life if he could. I have lived in Ehime Prefecture, the "Mikan Kingdom" for about half a year, and I have also wanted to live in Wakayama Prefecture, the "Mikan Kingdom of Kansai" for the same reason! So, this time, I, a big mikan lover, am going to write a book for all mikan lovers!I've been to eat mikan many times, so I know a lot about it.The information is subject to change without notice. Please check before you go.

1 Scenic Road: Koya Ryujin Skyline

The Koya Ryujin Skyline is a 42.7-km winding road with a superb view that connects Koyasan, registered as a World Heritage site in 2004 as part of the "Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range," and Ryujin Onsen, one of the three most beautiful hot springs in Japan. The Koya Ryujin Skyline is National Route 371, which runs along the ridges of the mountainous Kii Mountain Range, and is a challenging road with many mid- to low-speed corners! It isundoubtedly the best "free winding road" in the Kansai region, andthe autumn foliage, which is usually at its best from late October to early November, is also beautiful.

One Point Advice from a Sasu Rider

A regular stopover for riders on the Koya Ryujin Skyline... The "only decent rest spot" is the "Michi no Eki Tanabe City Ryujin Gomisan Sky Tower". The symbolic"Gomisan Sky Tower" (admission 300 yen) offers a spectacular view of the Kii Mountains below, and the roadside stationis equipped with the three sacred treasures of the Koya Ryujin Skyline: public restrooms, a store, and a cafeteria! To be frank, it is quite hard to miss this place (toilets, toilets, toilets, toilets...) It is a must-stop for all visitors.

2 Umi no Michi: National Route 42

National Route 42, which traces the seaside of the Kii Peninsula, is truly a road for touring, with"a view of the sea, few traffic lights, a good volume of driving, a treasure house of stopover spots, and mild temperatures even in winter! Generally speaking, "touring in the Kii Peninsula" is mainly an act of driving National Route 42, not a named road like "00 Road"... However...! That's why we feel the traveler's feeling of "running on the local ordinary road". By the way, the Kii Peninsula is characterized by the high transparency of the sea due to the Kuroshio Current, and you will be immersed in a happy feeling when you ride alongside the sea sparkling in the sunlight.

One Point Advice from a Sasu Rider

My personal recommendation for a lunch spot along Route 42 is "Roadside Station Shihara Kaigan Umikan," whereyou can enjoy fresh seafood dishes (I recommend the Umikan set meal) in an open landscape lined with palm trees.If the weather is fine, you can have lunch on the terrace, which is very comfortable! You will surely want to shout "Kii Peninsula psycho!

3 Farthest spot: Shionomisaki (Cape Shio)

All riders love the farthest spot on the island! Wakayama Prefecture is known for its "Shionomisaki," the southernmost point on Honshu. Located in the town of Kushimoto, just off Route 42, Cape Shionomisaki is the most open spot with blue ocean and grasslands, andcan be accessed by a paved road!Of course, there is a monument (commemorative photo spot) with the southernmost point of Honshu and the "promise of the southernmost spot" of a certificate of arrival, so you can leave behind a memorial of your car and your journey to the southernmost point of Honshu as a form of commemoration.

One Point Advice from a Sasu Rider

If you visit CapeUshiomisaki, you should definitely stop by the "Cape Ushiomisaki Sightseeing Tower"because the admission fee of 300 yen includes the fee for issuing the "Southernmost Honshu Visit Certificate"! In other words, if you don't stop here, you will not have the "promise of the farthest spot"... You really need to be careful about this (in case you forget, seehere). By the way, the view from the tower, which is the most important thing, offers a wonderful panoramic view of Cape Ushio, and the restaurant with delicious seafood dishes such as tuna bowl and shirasu rice bowl is also highly recommended.

4 World Heritage Site: Koyasan

Koyasan, the starting point of the Koya-Ryujin Skyline introduced earlier, is a sacred site of esoteric Shingon Buddhism founded by Kobo Daishi Kukai, and is a "religious city in the sky" with temples of various sizes clustered around 900m above sea level. Originally, Koyasan was one of the most famous power spots and sightseeing spots in Wakayama Prefecture, but since its registration as a World Heritage site in 2004, the number of visitors from overseas has been increasing, and there is so much to see that it is hard to know where to look...If this is your first visit to Koyasan, we recommend that you first visitKongobuji Temple, the center of Koyasan!Kongobuji Temple is designated as a National Important Cultural Property andis associated with Hideyoshi Toyotomi, andtogether with the beautiful stone garden "Banryu-tei" can be visited for 1,000 yen. Motorcycles can be parked in the "free public parking lots" located in the Koyasan area.

One Point Advice for Sasu Riders

For riders who want to enjoy Koyasan more deeply or have more time to spare,we recommend going to "Okunoin"after seeing Kongobuji Temple!Walking along the approach to the temple, which gives off an intensely spiritual atmosphere as if it were in a movie or anime... (Please see for yourself what kind of place it is.) Okuno-in is a place where "the sense of reality fades away" in a really good way, so you will be hard pressed to find a more "magical" feeling than this.

5 Power Spot: Nachi Falls

Nachi-no-Taki Falls is part of the "Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range," a World Heritage Site like Koyasan, and is one of the three most famous waterfalls in Japan, with a powerful 133-meter drop.There are two ways to view thefalls: from the grounds of Kumano Nachi-taisha Shrine, or from the OtakiHaishobutai(300 yen), which takes you very close to the falls.In any case, the sheer scale and power of the falls are worth seeing, and even in the unusually hot summer of recent years, the area around the falls has the advantage of being cool.

One Point Advice from a Sasu Rider

To see Nachi Falls, you need to park your motorcycle at the toll parking lot near Kumano Nachi Taisha Shrine or at the "Daimonzaka Parking Lot (free)," which requires a reasonable climb up quite a few stone steps. In the former case, itis recommended to park your bike in the parking lot of the"Mt. Nachi Tourist Center", which is 500 yen per day on weekends, holidays, and consecutive holidays, or virtually free on weekdays if you purchase some goods (for now, buy something to drink as you will be walking).In the latter case, you will have to walk from the parking lot to the "Kumano Kodo", a path of stone steps with an excellent atmosphere, but it takes about one hour to reach Nachi Falls, sothis method is only recommended for riders who like to walk(that's me).

6 Spectacular view spot: Hashigui-iwa

Hashigui Iwa is a spectacular spot with a mysterious atmosphere that makes you feel as if you are on another planet. Hashigui Iwa is a "national monument of scenic beauty" with about 40 rock towers of various sizes standing in a row over 850 meters above the sea. Legend has it that Kobo Daishi and the evil one made a bet and built the temple in a single night.The sunrise and sunset times in particular create a mysterious atmosphere, soif you are going to see Hashigake Iwa, it is recommended to go there to take advantage of thesunrise and sunset.

One Point Advice from a Sasu Rider

When I first went to Hashigakeiwa, it was a very simple place with only a parking lot and public toilets, butnow it has been converted into a roadside station called "Kushimoto HashigakeiwaRoadside Station" withclean toilets, stores, and various other facilities. The shop sells soft-serve ice cream and other sweets made from mandarin oranges and other citrus fruits that Wakayama Prefecture prides itself on, so you can enjoy your cafe time while taking in the spectacular view that spreads out before your eyes!

7 Sightseeing Spots: Shirasaki Ocean Park

Shirasaki Marine Park, also known as "Japan's Aegean Sea," is a place where visitors can enjoy the beautiful world of pure white limestone rocks.The contrast between the blue sea and the limestone rocks, whichhave been hardened by coral and shells over a long period of time,is an impressive sightseeing spot!The site used to have its own store and cafeteria, butnow, like Hashikaiwa, it has been converted into a roadside station called "RoadsideStation Shirasaki Ocean Park"(= free parking).

One Point Advice for Sasu Riders

Shirasaki Ocean Park has an auto site anda camp gardenwith a log house, which can be used as a "place to stay while touring.Although the prices are not exactly reasonable...Spend the night in this extraordinary and beautiful place! You can enjoy the best travel feeling of spending the night in this beautiful and unusual place.Even if you do not stay overnight, it is a rider's duty to try the "Shirasaki soft ice cream" sold at the roadside station.

8 Sightseeing spot: Monolith of Kozagawa

Like Ayers Rock in Australia! It may be an exaggeration to say that it is like Ayers Rock in Australia, but... Nevertheless, the huge monolith 100 meters high and 500 meters wide is the "Kozagawa Monolith".It is a beautiful monolith with few cracksstanding along the Kozagawa River, and is said to have been formed by large-scale volcanic activity about 15 million years ago.Personally, I thinkthe most important point is that it is a "relaxing sightseeing spot" that can be visited at one's own pace and peacefully, and is not a tourist attraction in the good sense of the word, making it the perfect place for riders seeking a healing experience.

One Point Advice for Sasu Riders

This is already in the same vein as Hashigakeiwa and Shirasaki Ocean Park... By the way, I am not aiming for this... When I visited here before, it was just a simple tourist spot, butnow it has been converted into a roadside station as "Michi no Eki Ichimaiiwa Monolith"(is it a trend in Wakayama Prefecture to convert tourist spots into roadside stations?) ) So, you should be hungry when you come here, because there is a clean parking lot with roadside station quality, toilets, a store, and a restaurant where you can enjoy gibier cuisine while viewing the monoliths.

9 Onsen (hot springs): Shirahama Onsen Saki no Yu

Along with Dogo Onsen in Ehime Prefecture and Arima Onsen in Hyogo Prefecture,Shirahama Onsenin Wakayama Prefecture is one of the "Three Oldest Hot Springs in Japan. Shirahama Onsen is a tropical hot spring resort symbolized by Shirahama Beach, a beautiful white sandy beach that looks like an overseas resort. One of them, "Saki no Yu," is considered to be the original Shirahama Onsen, whereyou can enjoy a wild open-air bath with the Pacific Ocean right in front of you!

One Point Advice from a Sasu Rider

Since Saki no Yu is a hot spring too close to the ocean, "shampoo and body soap are not allowed" because if you use them, you may end up in the ocean directly. Incidentally, the bathing fee is a reasonable 500 yen, and there is a dedicated parking space for motorcycles, but... At least a big bike like a GS will not fit in the space, soif possible, look at the site before parking your bike and make a decision(if it seems impossible, go to another parking lot in the vicinity).

10 Gourmet Spot: Wakayama Ramen Ide Shoten

Ide Shoten" is a legendary store that won the "TV Champion Japan's Best Ramen Competition" broadcast on New Year's Day in 1998, sparking the current "local ramen boom". Therestaurant is a representative of "Wakayama Ramen"with its addictivemild andrich pork bone soy sauce ramen called "Ide-kei," and its menu is simply "Chuka-soba" (Chinese noodle) (with some variations such as large portions).

One Point Advice from a Sasu Rider

I am an "anti-queue rider" who basically passes on restaurants with 10-minute lines, so when I go to popular restaurants, I do more research on the queue information than anyone else... However, I remember that I was disappointed that it was so easy to get in to Ide Shoten. Iwent there on a weekday evening and the place was completely empty, soit remains to be seen if this is still the case in 2025, but at least the wait should be less than at lunchtime or on weekends! In addition, many of these popular ramen stores located in town do not have parking lots, but Ide Shoten has a large paved parking lot behind the store, so you can ride your bike directly to the location without any problems.

Wakayama Prefecture has everything a touring rider could ask for!

Spectacular wading roads and wonderful scenic spots! Charming sightseeing spots that make you feel like you are on a trip, unique hot springs, and delicious local cuisine.... Wakayama Prefecture is a wonderland that has everything a touring rider could ask for...Go to  (20)

10 Recommended Touring Roads and Spots in Wakayama Prefecture, selected by riders who have circumnavigated Japan twice.

2025.12.31

Hello to all Webike Plus readers! I am Sasu Rider, a man who would like to eat mandarin oranges in a kotatsu for the rest of his life if he could. I h...