Shimanami Kaido Part 2 - Omishima to Imabari
This post is a continuation of the cycle journey along the Shimanami Kaido, which started with Onomichi to Omishima.
I slept like a log after the eventful day before, getting a puncture and arriving at the last island after dark. I knew we were right by the shore but couldn't see much at night. Our bed was a futon style on the floor, and very cleverly designed with a long low window the length of the bed, so when I woke up very early at 5.45am, I just pulled the curtain back and could watch the sun rise over a spectacular view of the Seto Sea and the Tatara suspension bridge.
After a quick shower we spent some time walking along the shore and appreciating the tranquility before heading to our breakfast we had booked for 7am. There was a small jetty for the water taxi service between the islands that Wakka offer during the day.
When 7am came we went to the restaurant pavilion and collected our breakfast which was a delicious salad, croissant, sliced local mikan (mandarin orange), yoghurt and coffee. This was the second time in a few days we had a salad for breakfast, which isn't something I'd have at home but we were enjoying and said we should try make a habit of it at home!
As it was still so early after breakfast, and not wanting to leave the view just yet we ordered a coffee and a mikan juice and moved outside to the terrace.
Wakka was the perfect place to stop off on this journey, and it was a shame we landed there so late the night before because it really was beautiful. If you wanted to stay somewhere for two nights in the middle of the Shimanami Kaido to explore more of the islands from it would be absolutely perfect!
We packed up our small backpacks (we had used Ta-Q-Bin to send our luggage on to Matsuyama the day before), and checked out.
I was happy to have my trust Giant bike back after struggling with the replacement bike I had yesterday after my puncture. We began around 10:30, keen to make good time today as when we reach Imabari we were travelling on to Matsuyama by train.
Soon we were back at the Cyclists Sanctuary where we dropped our bikes off in the dark the night before with nobody around, but this time it was a hive of activity with people collecting their rental bikes, mikan juice trucks and fun photo spots.
It wasn't long after setting off that we stopped to admire the cherry blossoms that seemed to be blooming on this island more than anywhere else we'd been so far. We stopped for a few moments taking photos and watching cyclists go past in groups. Across the street from the sakura, a farmer's small bonfire was smoking away in his field.
We kept going down a coastal road for around an hour, and just as I was thinking we were due a break I spotted a simple sign that just said "Coffee" hanging outside of a small building. We pulled in and locked our bikes on a bike rack, and when a friendly older woman came out onto the porch to welcome us, I realised this was her private home where she serves coffee to the passing cyclists.
I think we might have been her first visitors of the day. She brought out a blackboard with a small menu of drinks and we ordered two black coffees and sat at a small table on the deck with another great sea view.
The woman brought our coffees and a map full of pins and asked us to pin where we had traveled from. As I've found most times I've come across one of these maps in Japan - there's not many pins on Ireland, and she got very excited when that's where we placed our pin. She told us she had a friend living in Ireland, and she immediately grabbed her phone to send her a photo of WhatsApp.
This was one of best chances so far on the trip to practice the Japanese I had learnt since my last visit, and she knew enough English words when we were stuck that nobody had to produce Google Translate which kept the moment nice and natural.
As got back on the road we decided we wouldn't stop as much as the previous day. Usually at the cycleway signs and maps at the start of each island there was a more direct option, and a scenic route. We stuck to the direct routes this time, and we didn't see a lot of coastline on the last island, but it was still nice cycling through the countryside.
On our final kobini stop before the final big bridge we got talking to another cyclist who was doing the full 70km in one day. He said his legs were giving in (and I was starting to feel it from the day before too), but we all encouraged each other before setting off.
The final bridge was extremely long windy so there was no stopping, we just powered through. I had a mirage moment where I thought I was at the very end but it turned out to be an island about 2/3rds of the way through the bridge with more to go.
Finally we had reached Shikoku, the smallest of the 'major' islands of Japan, but much much larger than the islands we had just cycled through. The final stretch down into Imabari city was mostly downhill, with interesting views of factories, then lots of fancy looking large houses as we approached the city centre.
We got a little lost looking for the bike rental return at the end when our trusty blue line on the road disappeared as we had now reached Imabari but it turned out to be right by the main train station. As we dropped our bikes back we caught up with the guy we had met at the last konbini and gave each other a pat on the back. He was running to catch a bus across the Shimanami Expressway, all the way back to Onomichi.
We were catching a train to Matsuyama and had just about an hour to pass so we had another quick konbini snack and hung around the train station.
The final downhill approach in Imabari had my mind made up that it is definitely best to do the Shimanami Kaido in the same direction we did (Onomichi to Imabari), and when I do it again I will allow two days stay on the islands to explore them a bit more as we did feel a little bit rushed to keep on the move with the early sunsets.
Places visited
🚲 Shimanami Rental Cycle - Bike rental, we collected our bikes at the Cyclists Sanctuary in Omishima, the half way point of the Shimanami Kaido. eBikes and tandems also available, and they were fast to rescue me when I got a puncture!
🏡 Wakka - Gorgeous accommodation half way between Onomichi and Imabari. They also offer all sorts of services for cyclists like bike rental and a taxi service for you and your bike - both on land and sea, they have a water taxi too! Worth stopping for the cafe even if you don't stay a night.
☕️ Coffee - The place we stopped for coffee was a private home in south Omishima before the south bridge. Keep an eye out for a sign as you enter the village on your righthand side. If it isn't open there were two nice looking cafes further into the village.