This time, we would like to introduce Shirasaki Marine Park in Wakayama Prefecture.
AKA “Japan’s Aegean Sea,” the name honestly gives a sense of Showa Era (1926-1989), but we tend to imagine the Japanese seaside as having sandy beaches and pine forests. Far from such a so-called Japanese seaside, Shirasaki Marine Park is a scenic spot where you can feel an exotic atmosphere.
Outline of the spot
Yura Town, Hidaka County, Wakayama Prefecture
Few people may have any idea that this is Hidaka-gun, Wakayama Prefecture. It is a cape on the western tip of the island, about 50 km south of Wakayama City. It is also listed as one of the 100 best beaches in Japan.
The western half of Wakayama is all seaside, but what makes this place so popular is the geology of the area. The rocks in this area are made of limestone, and the scenery you see there is pure white all over.
I have never been to the Aegean Sea, so I don’t know if it is Aegean-like or not, but it is certainly an area that is surrounded by an atmosphere that you don’t see in Japan very often.
Access, etc.
- Address: 960-1, Ohiki, Yura-cho, Hidaka-gun, Wakayama 649-1123, Japan
- Parking lot: Available
- Business hours (Roadside Station): 9:00-17:00
- Closed: None in particular
Currently, it is a rather open sightseeing spot with an auto-camping site and a diving beach, which attracts a lot of tourist traffic. It might be better to choose a season other than winter because of the strong sea wind.
Take a walk
The pure white limestone rocks and the blue Pacific Ocean seen from the observatory
The marine park is a peninsula that juts out to the west, the size of which can be circled in about 20 minutes if you do nothing else. The observation deck at the tip of the peninsula already has a Golgotha-like atmosphere.
The view from beyond this point is exhilarating.
To the west is an unobstructed view of the ocean.
A place where simply gazing at the ocean is soothing.
As you can see, Shirasaki Marine Park is a place where the contrast between the white limestone rocks and the blue ocean is beautiful, but it is also a relaxing place to just look at the ocean.
You can eat fresh seafood at “Shirasaki Marine Park” Roadside Station.
Now, since you have come to the seaside. It is natural to want to eat something delicious. Michi no Eki Shirasaki Kaiyo Koen is the place to meet such a desire.
Starting with the “Shirasu-don” and “Akamoku-don,” the menu is quite different from those at restaurants that simply serve sashimi, making it difficult to decide what to eat.
Among them, we chose the Ajitara set meal, which features a deep-fried horse mackerel, which made a big impact on us.
I think only Mr. Hamaguchi of Yoiko and this restaurant could have such a dish.
The crispy fried flavor of the fish, not to mention the meat, tail, and head, can literally be consumed until the plate is empty.
Conclusion
That’s all for this time.
Since the western half of Wakayama is the sea, many people may think that it is like a driving spot where you can see the sea from the car window no matter where you drive, but surprisingly there are few roads where you can drive by the sea, and even if you can drive, there are many places where the roads are narrow and you don’t want to go near them, but here, access is easy and you can drive anywhere you want. If you are from the Kinki region, it is possible to make a day trip if you try your best.
This is a recommended spot for those who want to take in the out-of-the-ordinary scenery and unobstructed view of Wakayama Bay.
