⛵ Kyoto · 2 days
Kyoto by the Sea: Amanohashidate, the Ine Boat Houses & the Tango Peninsula
Drive the “Sea of Kyoto” north coast: the Amanohashidate sandbar at Miyazu, the Ine boat houses, the cliffs and singing-sand beaches of the Tango Peninsula and one of western Japan’s largest roadside stations — 6 michi-no-eki linking Yosano, Miyazu, Ine and Kyotango.
Kyoto has a coast, and almost no visitor sees it. Two hours north of the temples and the crowds, the prefecture meets the Sea of Japan in a landscape of pine-covered sandbars, fishing villages built out over the water, and a peninsula of cliffs and singing-sand beaches. This is “Umi no Kyoto” — the Sea of Kyoto — and because the railway barely reaches it, a rental car is what turns a string of hard-to-link sights into a single, easy coastal drive.
The route reaches the coast through Yosano — the Chirimen silk town — and out to Amanohashidate, the 3.6 km pine sandbar across Miyazu Bay that has ranked among Japan’s three great views for centuries, best seen upside-down, bent over and looking back between your legs from the Kasamatsu hilltop. From there it runs out to Ine, where some 230 funaya boat houses sit right on the water with the sea lapping at their ground floors, then around the Tango Peninsula past the Tateiwa rock and the “singing sand” of Kotohikihama to Kyotango, and west to the quiet oyster bay of Kumihama near the Tottori line. The michi-no-eki along the way are the region’s pantry: Tango sushi, Kumihama oysters, Kyotango pears and the local Chirimen silk.
The stops, in driving order
- 1 Michi-no-Eki Shiruku Nomachi Kaya 道の駅 シルクのまち かや · Kyoto
Michi-no-Eki Shiruku Nomachi Kaya (道の駅 シルクのまち かや) is a government-designated roadside station in 与謝郡与謝野町, Kyoto, 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 cafe, a local-products shop, EV charging, free Wi-Fi and a tourist-information desk. There is free parking for about 94 cars and 4 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 Umi No Kyouto Miyazu, Maizuru Minato Toretore Sentaa and Tango Oukoku ( Shokuno Miyako ).
Nearby: 🏛与謝野町立江山文庫 (0.9 km) · ⛰Oe Yama (3.3 km)
- 2 Michi-no-Eki Umi No Kyouto Miyazu 道の駅 海の京都 宮津 · Kyoto
Michi-no-Eki Umi No Kyouto Miyazu (道の駅 海の京都 宮津) is a government-designated roadside station in 宮津市, Kyoto, 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 60 cars and 7 large vehicles. Typical opening hours are 直売所 9:00–17:00（年末年始休み）・飲食施設 10:00–17:00（年末年始、水曜日休み）・案内所 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 Shiruku Nomachi Kaya, Maizuru Minato Toretore Sentaa and Fune Ya No Sato Ine.
Nearby: 🌄Amanohashidate (Hiryukan) Observatory (1.9 km) · 🌄Amanohashidate View Land (2 km)
- 3 Michi-no-Eki Fune Ya No Sato Ine 道の駅 舟屋の里伊根 · Kyoto
Michi-no-Eki Fune Ya No Sato Ine (道の駅 舟屋の里伊根) is a government-designated roadside station in 与謝郡伊根町, Kyoto, 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, a tourist-information desk and an observation deck. There is free parking for about 138 cars and 4 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 Umi No Kyouto Miyazu, Tenkitenki Tango and Tango Oukoku ( Shokuno Miyako ).
Nearby: ⛰Mt. Taiko (8.2 km) · 🌄成相山展望台 (12.3 km)
- 4 Michi-no-Eki Tenkitenki Tango 道の駅 てんきてんき丹後 · Kyoto
Michi-no-Eki Tenkitenki Tango (道の駅 てんきてんき丹後) is a government-designated roadside station in 京丹後市, Kyoto, 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 cafe, a local-products shop, a tourist-information desk, a park and a baby room. There is free parking for about 48 cars and 4 large vehicles. Typical opening hours are 3月–11月：9:00–17:30、12月–2月：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 Tango Oukoku ( Shokuno Miyako ), Fune Ya No Sato Ine and Kumihama Sankaikan.
Nearby: 🌄Tateiwa (0.5 km) · 🌄屏風岩 (2 km)
- 5 Michi-no-Eki Tango Oukoku ( Shokuno Miyako ) 道の駅 丹後王国「食のみやこ」 · Kyoto
Michi-no-Eki Tango Oukoku ( Shokuno Miyako ) (道の駅 丹後王国「食のみやこ」) is a government-designated roadside station in 京丹後市, Kyoto, Japan, registered in 2003 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 restaurant, a cafe, a local-products shop and lodging. There is free parking for about 520 cars and 12 large vehicles. Typical opening hours are インフォメーション 9:00–17:00 / レストラン 9:00–17:00（土日祝のみ21:00まで） ※火曜休園. 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 Tenkitenki Tango, Kumihama Sankaikan and Umi No Kyouto Miyazu.
Nearby: 🏛琴引浜鳴き砂文化館 (2.7 km) · 🌄琴引浜 (3.5 km)
- 6 Michi-no-Eki Kumihama Sankaikan 道の駅 くみはまSANKAIKAN · Kyoto
Michi-no-Eki Kumihama Sankaikan (道の駅 くみはまSANKAIKAN) is a government-designated roadside station in 京丹後市, Kyoto, Japan, registered in 2011 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 50 cars and 4 large vehicles. Typical opening hours are 8:00–17:00. 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 Tango Oukoku ( Shokuno Miyako ), Tenkitenki Tango and Shiruku Nomachi Kaya.
Nearby: 🏛兵庫県立円山川公苑美術館 (9.6 km) · 🏛豊岡市立城崎文芸館 (11 km)
Make this route yours — load all 6 stops into the planner, reorder or remove stops, then open the finished trip in Google Maps.
Customize this route →Route tips
- See Amanohashidate from both ends: Kasamatsu Park (north side, cable car / chairlift) is the classic “matanozoki” upside-down view; the Amanohashidate View Land side (south, by Miyazu) frames it as a flying dragon.
- Ine’s boat houses are best seen from the water — the small sightseeing boat or a sea-taxi shows the funaya as the fishing families intended; parking in the village is very limited, so use the roadside station above the bay.
- Tango Oukoku “Shoku no Miyako” near Kyotango is one of the largest michi-no-eki in western Japan — a farm-and-food park worth a proper meal stop rather than a quick break.
- The peninsula roads are narrow and winding in places; fill the tank at Miyazu or Kyotango and allow more time than the map suggests, especially the coast road out to Ine and around Tango’s tip.
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 — Kyoto Tango sea coast
How many days do you need for the Kyoto Tango sea coast route?
2 days is a comfortable pace: roughly 80 km of driving with 6 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 Yosano / Amanohashidate (about 2 hrs from Kyoto or Osaka) and ends at Kyotango / Kumihama. Load all 6 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; calmest seas and clearest views in spring and autumn.
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 →