Well, here we go again. If you enjoy something, why not do it again. A couple of years ago we rode this world class cycling route, the Shimanami Kaido. It follows a formula…the ride is about 70 km from Imabari, Shikoku to Onomichi, Honshu. The route is comprised of 6 bridges connecting seven islands which are famous for the stunning bridges, fresh seafood, citrus groves and a phenomenal infrastructure. Your job is to follow the blue lines, no map required. Each island is quite distinct with Road Side Michi-no-Ekis offering food and local crafts, Konbinis and island communities. The bridges are an attraction on their own merit as they are quite beautiful and are an engineering feat. To reach each bridge, you must climb on a circuitous paved route with blue lines (of course) and then enjoy a downhill ride at the end. At no point, do we see or meet vehicles. The first bridge, the Kurushima Kaikyo Bridge begins the route at Imabari. Completed in 1999 it is the world’s first triple suspension bridge with a total length of about 4 km. The views from the bridge are stunning as you can see for miles as we are positioned at a very high level.
The vast majority of riders have rented their bicycle from the countless rental shops. This route attracts people from around the world.
On the Imabari side (Shikoku), there is a Giant store featuring a large fleet of road bikes and e bikes.
And now we must climb to the suspension bridge to make our way to the first island. This bridge is particularly high…we are over half way to the top. The planners have done a superb job of creating a winding route to the bridges as they are positioned very high above the water. They understand that the route will attract a wide variety of riders with different skills. As a result, their design ensures that the gradient accessing and departing the bridge at each island never exceeds 3%.
So many scenic islands on the Seto Sea. These islands are but a few of the numerous islands we will see from the bridges. They are only accessible by ferry and are not part of the Shimanami Kaido route.
Indeed. These women are from Poland and are riding the Shimanami Kaido and have completed the complete 1000 km circle of Shikoku This Michi’s restaurant is known for their selection of freshly caught fish in tanks where you choose your fish and then it is grilled at your table.
The image on the sign tells you that this is a Michi no Eki. They are throughout Japan and they celebrate local produce, crafts and interesting Japanese food typical of the area..always at a reasonable price. We love visiting them.
Looking down from the second bridge at a free campground. We camped here on a previous trip. The location is lovely and there is a toilet and washing area. Japanese people love to camp and It is very popular with locals.
This map shows where we will be camping tonight. It is just before the Tatara Bridge and is called the Tatara Campground. We are basically below the bridge by the water. It is nicely positioned beside a Michi no Eki and a Konbini. We will have good choices for food tonight.
How lucky are we to have this opportunity to camp by the ocean with only a few other campers. The weather has been great but it looks like it may rain tonight. A good ending to a wonderful first day.
