Once we arrived at 白浜駅 Shirahama Station, we quickly made our way to 三段壁 Sandanbeki and 千畳敷 Senjojiki via bus.
三段壁 Sandanbeki is a cliff with rocks engraved with the works of nature. Ripple marks were created on the surface of the layers about 16 million years ago when waves and currents moved sand and mud from the seabed. At the bottom, there’s a legendary cave where Kumano naval force hid ships as long ago as the Heian Era, and one of Japan’s largest bronze statue Murodaibenzaiten is dedicated in the cave. One can pay to go down an elevator to the cave but we didn’t venture.
千畳敷 Senjojiki meaning “one thousand tatami mats” is a rocky coastal plateau in Wakayama known for unique geological formations. This is a vast, white, terraced rock plateau eroded by the Pacific Ocean, allowing for coastal hiking.
The weather was beautifully sunny—great for photos, but not so great for our sun-fried selves, LOL! Luckily, a refreshing strawberry-flavored shaved ice (¥150) from one of the souvenir shops revived us a little.
Subsequently, we checked into 紀州・白浜温泉むさし Kishu Shirahama Onsen Musashi and booked the hotel’s free evening walking tour to 円月島 Engetsu.
The viewing spot for Engetsu was just a 5-minute walk away. While it was not the famous location for capturing the “sunset-in-the-hole” photo, it still offered a fantasitc and crowd-free view of the island. The staff accompanying us offered to help us take some pictures and even led us to the foot bath, where we could enjoy a relaxing soak while waiting for sunset.
For dinner, we chose 居酒屋やっちゃん Izakaya Yacchan at the 銀座通り Ginza Dori, which was within walking distance. It turned out to be an excellent decision, as we enjoyed every dish we tried, all at very reasonable pricing:
- ホタルイカ Marinated firefly squid (¥400)
- まぐろ山かけ Tuna with grated Japanese yam (¥600)
- せせりポン酢 Grilled chicken neck meat with Ponzu sauce (¥600)
- いかバター焼き Whole squid butter (¥800)
- プリカマ Grilled yellowtail collar (¥800)
- しいたけバター Shiitake butter (¥300)
- 豆腐とトマトのサラダ Tofu and tomato salad (¥600)
- とん平たまこ焼き Tonpei takoyaki (¥500)
- Oolong tea (¥300 each)
The combination of great food, reasonable pricing, and a cozy atmosphere made it a memorable dining experience.
Eat.Eat.Walk.Walk . 吃吃走走 