Wakayama Coast – Hashigui Rocks & Engetsu Island

What?
The coastline of Wakayama Prefecture (和歌山県) is dotted with impressive cliffs, enigmatic caves, mysterious rock formations and the odd sand beach. It makes for a perfect and relaxing drive. Most famous are the Hashigui Rocks or Hashigui-iwa (橋杭岩), a row of stalagmite-like rocks protruding out of the sea, nearby Shionomisaki (潮岬) with the southernmost point of Honshu (本州) and the coastline of Shirahama (白浜). The latter has with the Sandanbeki (三段壁) cliffs & cave and Engetsu Island or Engetsu-to (円月島) two absolute jewels to offer.
Where?
Both Shirahama and Kushimoto (串本) are located along the coastline of Wakayama Prefecture and are served by the JR Kisei Main Line (JR紀勢本線). To reach the main points of interest though, it is necessary to make use of local buses. In that sense it is much easier to travel by car which saves a lot of time and gives you a wider reach.
URL
Visit Wakayama

I have visited Shirahama previously on a one-day trip. Partly because of my emotional state, but mainly because it is so impressive, the coastline that I visited had left a great impression on me.
As I visited this time with my wife, I had no problem at all to see these beautiful spots again.

In the end I only visited the Shirarahama Beach and the Sandanbeki Cave again. They were quite different than I remember though – not because they had changed, but because they were a part of an evening light-up spectacle going on. The beach wasn’t that spectacularly lit though. The lights that were supposed to let the beach bathe in an array of colors weren’t strong enough to light up the whole beach. Additionally, I sprained my ankle going down steps because of the lack of light, so I naturally don’t remember the light-up event as something particularly worthwhile.
As such, I had fears for the light-up event at the Sandanbeki Cave. I didn’t want anything to spoil my previous good impression. But my fears were unfounded, as on this cold evening, the lights were a great addition to the usual spectacle of crashing waves.
I did have the impression though the entrance fee has steeply gone since last time…

The next day we took the car to make a short drive to the southernmost point of Honshu – the main island of Japan. This point is called Shionomisaki, and like most spots on the southern Wakayama coasts it is consists of impressive rocks and cliff scenery. The weather was very fickle with even hail striking us at some point, but it made the sea all the rougher and more awe-inspiring. So must have thought the gazillion cats roaming around the place.
We entered the nearby Nanki Kumano Geopark Center just to use the facilities, but in fact it proved to be quite interesting and educational.

Also in the vicinity are the Hashigui Rocks which make for a peculiar scenery. They were long on my to see list, and although they looked exactly like the many pictures, I was surprised to see how close they were actually to the coastline. At low-tide it might even be possible to walk halfway. If you’re driving a car like we did it’s absolutely worth to get out, but otherwise it might be a little bit disappointing as getting there is a pickle and as the result are rocks backed by a busy street and a small tourist village with shops and eateries.

A wall of water crashing down the Sandanbeki Cave.

It's as if she could jump right up to the Hashigui Rocks.

Lookout duty for this cat. The other million were gathering at Shionomisaki.

This is what they saw during their meeting to take over the world.

Back in Shirahama there was one more spot we wanted to visit. My wife loves watching fish and marine life, and so we boarded the glass boat that would allow us to watch coral life near the scenic Engetsu Island. I love watching my wife watching through the bottom glass of the boat as if mesmerized, but I also have to be honest: there is not so much marine life to behold. I did enjoy the boat ride though and had a good laugh at the bewildered mascots that were waiting at the harbor in light of a local television program. It was clear they couldn’t see a thing and were barely looking at the same direction at the same time.
To see fish and corals, the nearby Kyoto University Aquarium is a way better choice. It’s not big, it’s pretty basic, but it has a great variety fish and invertebrates on display and most importantly, as the aquarium is not very crowded, it’s possible to see all and everything clearly and in the most relaxing way.

I had a great time again in Shirahama, this time along with my wife.
My wife always finds the best spots to eat and have a drink, places of which are plenty around the Shirarahama Beach. More than that though, I would like to strongly recommend a stay at B&B Sampark, a cozy place in the middle of a hill with a perfect view on the sea. It’s owned by a local couple who can recommend all the best spots and who have perfected the art of breakfast. The breakfast is served at the first floor in their café where I never had more relaxed mornings. The rooms are on the second floor and spacious and yet cozy.
This second great experience in the south of Wakayama was in no small part thanks to our stay at this B&B.