Shirahama

Shirahama is a seaside resort town on the southern coast of Wakayama Prefecture, facing the Pacific at the western edge of the Kii Peninsula. Its name means white beach, and it pairs that crescent of sand with some of the oldest recorded hot springs in Japan, mentioned in ancient court chronicles.

At Saki-no-yu, you soak in oceanside rock pools close enough to the Pacific to taste the spray. At dusk, crowds gather to watch the sun drop through the hole in Engetsu Island just offshore, and the Sandanbeki cliffs hide a pirate-legend cave reached by elevator.

Summer turns the beachfront into Kansai's favorite seaside resort, so book ahead for July and August. Direct trains run from Osaka on the Kuroshio limited express, and flights land at a small local airport. Off-season visits trade crowds for quiet baths and easier ryokan bookings.