⛩ Mie · 2 days
Ise-Shima to the Kumano Coast: Shrines, Pearls & the Pacific
Drive from the great shrine of Ise and the pearl bays of Shima down Mie’s Pacific coast to the sacred Kumano shore, linking 7 michi-no-eki along the way.
The Kii Peninsula’s eastern edge is Japan at its most sacred and least crowded: Ise Jingu, the holiest shrine in the country; the pearl-farming bays of Shima; and the wild Kumano coast where cliffs, whale-watching ports and UNESCO pilgrimage trails run down to the sea. A car turns a string of train-inaccessible fishing towns into one clean coastal drive.
This route starts around Ise-Shima and follows the coast road south, dropping through Kinan’s fishing harbours to the Kumano shore near the Mie–Wakayama border. It pairs naturally with the Wakayama-side Kumano drive if you want to loop the whole peninsula.
The stops, in driving order
- 1 Michi-no-Eki Iseshima 道の駅 伊勢志摩 · Mie
Michi-no-Eki Iseshima (道の駅 伊勢志摩) is a government-designated roadside station in 志摩市, Mie, Japan, registered in 2000 as one of the country's official michi-no-eki rest stops for road travellers. On-site you'll find a tourist-information desk, a baby room and an accessible restroom. There is free parking for about 26 cars and 2 large vehicles. Typical opening hours are 9:00–18:00. Like every michi-no-eki it offers free parking and 24-hour restrooms, making it a reliable stop on a Kansai road trip or campervan tour. It also makes a handy base for reaching nearby stations such as Irako Kurisutaruporuto, Oku Ise Ki Tsutsu Ki Kan and Oku Ise Oodai.
Nearby: 🌄五郎山 (0.4 km) · 🌄Yokoyama Tenku (Sky View) Cafe Terrace (3.1 km)
- 2 Michi-no-Eki Kii Nagashima Manbou 道の駅 紀伊長島マンボウ · Mie
Michi-no-Eki Kii Nagashima Manbou (道の駅 紀伊長島マンボウ) is a government-designated roadside station in 北牟婁郡紀北町, Mie, Japan, registered in 2001 as one of the country's official michi-no-eki rest stops for road travellers. On-site you'll find a restaurant, a local-products shop, a tourist-information desk, a park and an accessible restroom. There is free parking for about 80 cars and 5 large vehicles. Typical opening hours are 8:15–18:00（平日） 8:00–18:00（土日祝）. Like every michi-no-eki it offers free parking and 24-hour restrooms, making it a reliable stop on a Kansai road trip or campervan tour. It also makes a handy base for reaching nearby stations such as Umiyama, Oku Ise Ki Tsutsu Ki Kan and Oku Ise Oodai.
Nearby: 🦁大内山動物園 (6.8 km) · 🏛海山郷土資料館 (14.7 km)
- 3 Michi-no-Eki Umiyama 道の駅 海山 · Mie
Michi-no-Eki Umiyama (道の駅 海山) is a government-designated roadside station in 北牟婁郡紀北町, Mie, Japan, registered in 1996 as one of the country's official michi-no-eki rest stops for road travellers. On-site you'll find a restaurant, a local-products shop, a tourist-information desk, a park and a baby room. There is free parking for about 24 cars and 8 large vehicles. Typical opening hours are 9:00–19:00（10–4月は18:00まで）. Like every michi-no-eki it offers free parking and 24-hour restrooms, making it a reliable stop on a Kansai road trip or campervan tour. It also makes a handy base for reaching nearby stations such as Kii Nagashima Manbou, Kumano Kinokuni and Yoshino Michi Kamikitayama.
Nearby: 📸馬越坂の一里塚 (1.2 km) · ⛰Mt. Tengura (1.5 km)
- 4 Michi-no-Eki Kumano Kinokuni 道の駅 熊野きのくに · Mie
Michi-no-Eki Kumano Kinokuni (道の駅 熊野きのくに) is a government-designated roadside station in 熊野市, Mie, Japan, registered in 1997 as one of the country's official michi-no-eki rest stops for road travellers. On-site you'll find a local-products shop, free Wi-Fi, a park and an accessible restroom. There is free parking for about 16 cars and 3 large vehicles. Typical opening hours are 土日祝日（ただし、12月29日–1月3日を除く） 9時–13時 14時–16時. Like every michi-no-eki it offers free parking and 24-hour restrooms, making it a reliable stop on a Kansai road trip or campervan tour. It also makes a handy base for reaching nearby stations such as Kumano ・ Hana No Kutsu, Okutoro and Paaku Shichiri Mihama.
Nearby: ⛰Mt. Ryumon (2.8 km) · ⛰Mt. Hoiro (4.9 km)
- 5 Michi-no-Eki Kumano ・ Hana No Kutsu 道の駅 熊野・花の窟 · Mie
Michi-no-Eki Kumano ・ Hana No Kutsu (道の駅 熊野・花の窟) is a government-designated roadside station in 熊野市, Mie, Japan, registered in 2016 as one of the country's official michi-no-eki rest stops for road travellers. On-site you'll find a restaurant, a cafe, a local-products shop, a baby room and an accessible restroom. There is free parking for about 25 cars and 3 large vehicles. Typical opening hours are 10:00–17:00（季節によって終了時間の変更あり）. Like every michi-no-eki it offers free parking and 24-hour restrooms, making it a reliable stop on a Kansai road trip or campervan tour. It also makes a handy base for reaching nearby stations such as Kumano Kinokuni, Paaku Shichiri Mihama and Kihou Machi Umigame Kouen.
Nearby: 🏛熊野市歴史民俗資料館 (0.5 km) · 📸Matsumoto Pass trailhead Kumano side (2.2 km)
- 6 Michi-no-Eki Paaku Shichiri Mihama 道の駅 パーク七里御浜 · Mie
Michi-no-Eki Paaku Shichiri Mihama (道の駅 パーク七里御浜) is a government-designated roadside station in 南牟婁郡御浜町, Mie, Japan, registered in 1994 as one of the country's official michi-no-eki rest stops for road travellers. On-site you'll find a restaurant, a local-products shop, free Wi-Fi, a tourist-information desk and an accessible restroom. There is free parking for about 200 cars and 4 large vehicles. Typical opening hours are 9:00–17:30. Like every michi-no-eki it offers free parking and 24-hour restrooms, making it a reliable stop on a Kansai road trip or campervan tour. It also makes a handy base for reaching nearby stations such as Kihou Machi Umigame Kouen, Kumano ・ Hana No Kutsu and Dorokyou Kaidou Kumanogawa.
Nearby: ⛰Mt. Nishinomine (8.1 km) · 🏛東紀州まちかど博物館 (8.5 km)
- 7 Michi-no-Eki Kihou Machi Umigame Kouen 道の駅 紀宝町ウミガメ公園 · Mie
Michi-no-Eki Kihou Machi Umigame Kouen (道の駅 紀宝町ウミガメ公園) is a government-designated roadside station in 南牟婁郡紀宝町, Mie, Japan, registered in 1993 as one of the country's official michi-no-eki rest stops for road travellers. On-site you'll find a restaurant, a cafe, a local-products shop, an observation deck and a park. There is free parking for about 43 cars and 5 large vehicles. Typical opening hours are 8:30–19:00（11–2月は18:00まで）. Like every michi-no-eki it offers free parking and 24-hour restrooms, making it a reliable stop on a Kansai road trip or campervan tour. It also makes a handy base for reaching nearby stations such as Paaku Shichiri Mihama, Dorokyou Kaidou Kumanogawa and Kumano ・ Hana No Kutsu.
Nearby: 🏛東紀州まちかど博物館 (4.5 km) · 🏛紀宝町ふるさと歴史館 (4.6 km)
Make this route yours — load all 7 stops into the planner, reorder or remove stops, then open the finished trip in Google Maps.
Customize this route →Route tips
- Visit Ise Jingu’s Naiku at dawn — the sando is quietest and coolest before 7 am.
- Shima’s michi-no-eki sell fresh pearls and akoya oyster products you won’t find inland.
- The Kumano coast is subtropical: Hana-no-Iwaya shrine and Shichiri-Mihama beach are worth unhurried stops.
- Fuel and convenience stores thin out south of Owase — top up in the larger towns.
Before you drive
- Can you drive in Japan? License rules by country
- Renting a car in Japan: the complete guide
- Can you sleep overnight at a michi-no-eki?
FAQ — Ise-Shima & Kumano coast
How many days do you need for the Ise-Shima & Kumano coast route?
2 days is a comfortable pace: roughly 130 km of driving with 7 michi-no-eki stops along the way. You can compress it, but the stops are the point.
Where does the route start and end?
It starts at Ise / Shima and ends at Kihocho (Wakayama border). Load all 7 stops into the free MichiStops route planner to reorder, add or remove stops, then open the finished trip in Google Maps.
When is the best season to drive this route?
Year-round; warm Pacific coast even in winter.
Do I need to rent a car?
Yes — michi-no-eki are roadside stations, realistically reachable only by rental car or campervan. Most visitors can drive in Japan with a 1949-convention International Driving Permit; check the license rules for your country before booking. License rules by country →
Can I sleep overnight at the michi-no-eki on this route?
Resting overnight in your vehicle is tolerated at most michi-no-eki, but tents, awnings and open-air cooking are not allowed. Read the overnight-stay guide for the etiquette. Overnight-stay guide →