⛩ Wakayama · 2–3 days
Kii Peninsula Coast: Kumano Kodo by Car
Drive the Kumano coast: Shirahama’s beaches, Hashigui-iwa rock spires, Nachi Falls and the grand shrines of the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage — 8 michi-no-eki stops on Japan’s spiritual south coast.
The Kii Peninsula is Japan’s spiritual deep south: the Kumano Kodo pilgrimage trails, the tallest waterfall in the country at Nachi, and a subtropical coastline of rock spires and fishing villages. Trains are slow and buses rare — this is a region built for driving.
The route follows the coast from Shirahama’s white-sand beach around the peninsula’s tip at Kushimoto — where the Hashigui-iwa rock pillars line up like a procession of monks — then turns inland along the Kumano River to Hongu, home of the great shrine and Japan’s oldest onsen village at Yunomine. Several michi-no-eki double as trailheads for short, walkable Kumano Kodo sections.
The stops, in driving order
- 1 Michi-no-Eki Kokorozashi Hara Kaigan 道の駅 志原海岸 · Wakayama
Michi-no-Eki Kokorozashi Hara Kaigan (道の駅 志原海岸) is a government-designated roadside station in 西牟婁郡白浜町, Wakayama, Japan, registered in 1995 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, EV charging, free Wi-Fi and a tourist-information desk. There is free parking for about 29 cars and 7 large vehicles. Typical opening hours are 9:00–19:00. 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 Tsubaki Hanano Yu, Inobuutanrando・ Susami and Kuchikumano.
Nearby: 🏛すさみ町立歴史民俗資料館 (6.2 km) · ⛰Mt. Zenjinomori (11 km)
- 2 Michi-no-Eki Inobuutanrando・ Susami 道の駅 イノブータンランド・すさみ · Wakayama
Michi-no-Eki Inobuutanrando・ Susami (道の駅 イノブータンランド・すさみ) is a government-designated roadside station in 西牟婁郡すさみ町, Wakayama, Japan, registered in 1995 as one of the country's official michi-no-eki rest stops for road travellers. On-site you'll find free Wi-Fi, a tourist-information desk, an observation deck and an accessible restroom. There is free parking for about 8 cars and 5 large vehicles. Typical opening hours are 9:00–17:00. 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 Susami, Kokorozashi Hara Kaigan and Ichimaiiwa.
Nearby: 🏛すさみ町立歴史民俗資料館 (6 km) · ⛰Mt. Zenjinomori (8.2 km)
- 3 Michi-no-Eki Susami 道の駅 すさみ · Wakayama
Michi-no-Eki Susami (道の駅 すさみ) is a government-designated roadside station in 西牟婁郡すさみ町, Wakayama, Japan, registered in 2015 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, EV charging and free Wi-Fi. There is free parking for about 123 cars and 9 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 Inobuutanrando・ Susami, Ichimaiiwa and Kokorozashi Hara Kaigan.
Nearby: ⛰Mt. Zenjinomori (10.9 km) · 🏛すさみ町立歴史民俗資料館 (11.1 km)
- 4 Michi-no-Eki Kushimoto Hashigui Iwa 道の駅 くしもと橋杭岩 · Wakayama
Michi-no-Eki Kushimoto Hashigui Iwa (道の駅 くしもと橋杭岩) is a government-designated roadside station in 東牟婁郡串本町, Wakayama, Japan, registered in 2013 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, EV charging and free Wi-Fi. There is free parking for about 48 cars and 6 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 Mushikui Iwa, Ichimaiiwa and Takiyuki Hai Tarou.
Nearby: 🌄展望所 (5.6 km) · 🗿Cape Shionomisaki (6.7 km)
- 5 Michi-no-Eki Mushikui Iwa 道の駅 虫喰岩 · Wakayama
Michi-no-Eki Mushikui Iwa (道の駅 虫喰岩) is a government-designated roadside station in 東牟婁郡古座川町, Wakayama, Japan, registered in 2014 as one of the country's official michi-no-eki rest stops for road travellers. On-site you'll find a cafe, a local-products shop, EV charging, free Wi-Fi and a park. There is free parking for about 32 cars and 1 large vehicles. Typical opening hours are 10:00–16:00. 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 Kushimoto Hashigui Iwa, Takiyuki Hai Tarou and Ichimaiiwa.
Nearby: 🌄Takinohai (8.9 km) · 🌄一枚岩 (9.8 km)
- 6 Michi-no-Eki Taiji 道の駅 たいじ · Wakayama
Michi-no-Eki Taiji (道の駅 たいじ) is a government-designated roadside station in 東牟婁郡太地町, Wakayama, Japan, registered in 2015 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, EV charging and free Wi-Fi. There is free parking for about 45 cars and 5 large vehicles. Typical opening hours are 7:00–17:00. 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 Nachi, Mushikui Iwa and Takiyuki Hai Tarou.
Nearby: 🏛太地町立石垣記念館 (1.3 km) · 🌄平見台展望台 (2.3 km)
- 7 Michi-no-Eki Nachi 道の駅 なち · Wakayama
Michi-no-Eki Nachi (道の駅 なち) is a government-designated roadside station in 東牟婁郡那智勝浦町, Wakayama, Japan, registered in 2010 as one of the country's official michi-no-eki rest stops for road travellers. On-site you'll find a hot-spring (onsen) bath, a local-products shop, EV charging, showers and free Wi-Fi. There is free parking for about 50 cars and 7 large vehicles. Typical opening hours are 9:00–20:00. 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 Taiji, Mushikui Iwa and Kihou Machi Umigame Kouen.
Nearby: ♨足湯「滝乃湯」 (1.8 km) · 📸Tafuke-Oji (4.6 km)
- 8 Michi-no-Eki Dorokyou Kaidou Kumanogawa 道の駅 瀞峡街道熊野川 · Wakayama
Michi-no-Eki Dorokyou Kaidou Kumanogawa (道の駅 瀞峡街道熊野川) is a government-designated roadside station in 新宮市, Wakayama, Japan, registered in 1998 as one of the country's official michi-no-eki rest stops for road travellers. On-site you'll find EV charging, free Wi-Fi and an accessible restroom. There is free parking for about 15 cars and 2 large vehicles. Typical opening hours are 8:30–17:00. 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 Kumano ・ Itaya Kurobee No Sato, Kihou Machi Umigame Kouen and Paaku Shichiri Mihama.
Nearby: ⛰Mt. Nenotomari (3.1 km) · 🌄Hyakken-gura Lookout (7.2 km)
Make this route yours — load all 8 stops into the planner, reorder or remove stops, then open the finished trip in Google Maps.
Customize this route →Onsen baths and beds along this route (Wakayama · 3 with onsen / 3 with rooms)
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Nachi 道の駅 なち · Nachikatsuura, Wakayama · on the route -
Tsubaki Hanano Yu 道の駅 椿はなの湯 · Shirahama, Wakayama · ~5 km off the route -
Okutoro 道の駅 おくとろ · Kitayama, Wakayama · ~17 km off the route -
Shimizu 道の駅 しみず · Aridagawa, Wakayama · ~53 km off the route -
Shirasaki Kaiyou Kouen 道の駅 白崎海洋公園 · Yura, Wakayama · ~56 km off the route
♨ All 143 michi-no-eki with an onsen bath🛏 All 81 michi-no-eki with rooms on site♨🛏 All 46 michi-no-eki with both onsen and rooms📍 Every michi-no-eki in Wakayama
Route tips
- Park at Michi-no-Eki Nachi and combine Nachi Falls, the pagoda and Daimon-zaka’s stone stairway in one stop.
- Yunomine Onsen near Hongu has a UNESCO-listed bath (Tsuboyu) you can rent for 30 minutes.
- The coast road is slow — budget a full day from Shirahama to Shingu with stops.
- Kushimoto Hashigui-iwa is best at sunrise, when the rock spires silhouette against the light.
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 — Kumano / Kii coast
How many days do you need for the Kumano / Kii coast route?
2–3 days is a comfortable pace: roughly 90 km of driving with 8 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 Tanabe / Shirahama and ends at Hongu (Kumano Hongu Taisha). Load all 8 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; typhoon season Aug–Sep.
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 →