The Road Map
WHEN – January 27th – January 28th
WHERE – Onomichi – Mukaishima – Innoshima – Ikuchijima – Omishima – Hakatajima – Oshima – Imabari.
Accommodation
- Onomichi Guest House Anago, Nedoko. It’s a fab Japanese house-style hostel, really cute.
- Imabari Kokusai Hotel – Nice fancy hotel, can’t miss it, it’s a huge tower!! They had an onsen, indoor and outdoor, and a sauna, so nice! Amazing after cycle and rooms were fab!
LINK FOR THE CYCLE
- https://www.cyclonoie.com/en/shimanamikaido-e/ – I USED THIS website to help me plan. It has very good and clear info !! It was my bible for the cycle. There were great tips on hidden gems too.
January 27th – ONOMICHI – IMABARI – (70km)
Day 1 – The day started with a walk to the GIANT SHOP to collect my bike at 9.30 am. Paid for the bike (500hkd for two days but you can get cheaper). Off I went on the ferry to Mukashima. I started cycling through flat coastal roads for about 10km, then across the bridge to Innoshima, a big white dinosaur, beautiful. It was very, very cold today but still beautiful. Then onto Ikuchijima Island – I think this was my fav :0) There was a tiny shopping street, and I went to a cycle cafe called ACA – and bought a cycling jersey hehe.
I cycled past Sunset Beach and palm trees lined along the streets. Went over Tatara Bridge and onto the cycle sanctuary – and took pics with the bridge in the background. I took a detour to a bakery, yum. Cycled through to a little lemon cafe – closed – oh no! On I went to a Lawson for a takeaway coffee and sat on the beach, it was so quiet on the beach, and it was baltic haha!
Then I took off again to Hakata and Oshima where the biggest bridge of my life was, haha. It was so high and so eerie but also so beautiful but omg the wind!!!! It was WILD, people were getting off their bikes to walk across the bridge. I cycled across so slowly, nearly going backward haha. My phone died and it took a while to find my accommodation. But when I found the hotel I was in awe, it was amazing, so fancy and a reasonable price. It was AMAZING, had the whole onsen to myself and the sauna, so nice! Had a beef burger and a vino in the restaurant in the hotel. It was yum. I had the most amazing night’s sleep with BLACKOUT CURTAINS!!!
January 28th – ONOMICHI – IMABARI
Day 2 – I got up at about 8.30, wow blue skies today….please last! I checked out of the hotel and I went on my bike again. It was a bit messy trying to get out of Imabari – I was dreading the bridge again but it was actually fine and I think the wind was on my back – woohoo! I ended up going up to the Kirosan Observatory, 4km uphill between 5-15% gradient. It was like climbing up the peak – FAB, I would defo recommend it if you are used to cycling hills although the end part was really steep (for me). The views of the ocean, islands, and bridges were fab. Defo do it if it is a clear day.
I came straight back down as I was behind time. I found the lemon cafe again and this time it was OPEN!!! I got hot sweet lemon tea in a little glass tray and you need to drink it as you walk around the tiny shop, everything is made of lemons and lemon little trinkets. I bought a cute little lemon charm.
I continued to Ikuchijima and had a fab coffee and savory bread. I called into the other cafe for my cycle jersey and got a free coffee! I also went into another cafe and got some hot orange tea to take away, in a glass bottle. I called into a cafe up the hill near the dinosaur and bought a wee organ rice cake to take away. It was great trying out all these cafes with their specialties. I crossed the last bridge and went on the hunt for this chocolate cafe. (It should be called “the Cycle of Cafes’ haha).
Well, I found it. I am not sure if it was worth it haha!! It was up a really small country road and a steep gravel path, I thought I would get a puncture for sure. It was only 1.5km but so, so steep lol. I don’t know how I didn’t get a watch. I got there at 4.50 pm and it closed at 5! Sat there for ten minutes, bought some homemade chocolate, and cycled back downhill and onto the main road again! It was flat and then a 9km cycle, it was head-on winds too. I just made the ferry that brought me back to the Giant store before 6 pm!! I left the bike back in good nic! I had a delicious ramen afterward on the shopping street near the hostel.
SHIMANAMI KAIDO CYCLE ROUTE
Onomichi
- Cute shopping street
- Old Japanese Houses with shops and restaurants
Mukaishima
- Chocolate Cafe (1.5km climb up on windy roads)
Innoshima
- Cafe overlooking bridge
- Rice cake with orange inside up a steep hill 300m
Ikuchijima
- Sunset beach – palm trees
- Cycle cafe
- Tatara bridge
- Flat cycle
- Another cafe by the beach
Omishima
- Cycle sanctuary – beautiful
- Off-road to a bakery
- Lemon Cafe – cute as a button. Hot lemon drink as you walk around the shop FAB – must visit.
Hakatajima
- A salt island
Oshima
- Korosan viewpoint – 4km climb up 5-15% gradient
- Architect lookout sculpture on top
- Rose park