[Experience the Shimanami Kaido cycling tour] A guide on the famous cycling course so-called the "cyclist's sanctuary."
The Shimanami Kaido connects Honshu island and Shikoku island and crosses six islands in the Seto Inland Sea. This approximately 60km road was opened in 1999 to join Onomich City to Imabari City. The cycling course along this road is top-rated for its breathtaking scenery. Visitors can enjoy cycling with a private guide who knows the area thoroughly.
The guide arranges your trip at your request.
Our American tour guide, Mr. Peter Card, took us on the trip that departs from Onomich City. It went through the islands; Mukaishima, Innoshima, and Ikuchishima, and returned by ferry from Setona port. Peter usually runs a used-cloth shop in a traditional Japanese house in Onomichi City and also guides English speaking tourists around the area. As he knows well some semi-secret local places and shops, his tour gets good reviews as a unique experience. He also arranges the tour according to the participants’ requests.
The first ferry to the Mukaishima right across from Onomichi City.
We took a ferry to Mukaishima from Onomichi. There are three ferry routes here and they run every 5 to 10 minutes. The view from the deck to the islands and Onomichi was lovely. Once we landed on the island, Peter took us around to his favorite classical townscape spots and shops. Getting to know the atmosphere in the community added to the excellent cycling experience.
A great resting place with a sea view
Peter chose the Tachibana Garden at the southern end of Mukaishima for a rest. This is a popular site to take a break for cyclists because of the large garden right in front of the Seto Inland Sea. In the Tachibana Garden, there is a restaurant that serves lunch menus with local fresh vegetables and also a gallery shop “life:style” selling interesting knick-knacks and fashion items.
Tachibana Garden
- Address
- Tachibana 287-1, Mukaishimacho, Onomichi City. Hiroshima Prefecture
- TEL
- 0848-36-5662 (Tachibana Restaurant）
- Open
- Tachibana restaurant 11:00 am -2 pm, life: style 11:00 am to 4 pm
- Closed
- Tues, Wed, Thursday
Recommended spots on the Shimanani Cycling route.
It’s easy to imagine why people call it the Cyclist's Sanctuary; there are many exciting spots in Shimanami Kaido. We also want to introduce several others we stopped by.
- Lemon Valley: At the Japanese lemon's birthplace, you see the bright fruit fields and the Tatara Bridge in the background. It is Peter's most recommended spot in Ikuchishima.
- The 1480km cable-stayed Tatara Bridge connects Ikuchishima and Omishima. This is the longest bridge among Japan’s numerous cable-stayed bridges.
- Setoda Sunset Beach was selected among the 88 best beaches in Japan. Depending on your arrival time, you may be able to see an outstanding sunset view.
- The old-fashioned shipping street, Shiomachi, has secretive shops known for delicious freshly fried croquettes and juicy roasted chicken with a special sauce.
A private tour allows for adjustment according to your request. Besides the spots above, Peter will make sure each visitor can enjoy the cycling as a unique local experience.
