5 Picture-Perfect Scenic Spots in Wakayama

Breathtaking scenery awaits you in Wakayama Prefecture. A treasure trove of nature with sea, mountains, and waterfalls, this region is dotted with spots that make you want to reach for your camera. This article covers Shirahama and Sandanbeki, Nachi Falls, Shirahama and Engetsuto, Hashigui-iwa and Koyasan and Okunoin.

1. Shirahama and Sandanbeki | The Contrast of Rugged Cliffs and Azure Sea

The Sandanbeki cliffs, towering about 50 m high and stretching about 2 km from north to south, have a sense of scale like a scene from a movie. The contrast woven by the white splashing waves and the emerald-green sea is overwhelmingly beautiful, picture-perfect even without any editing.

• Best time and season: The hours from morning to early afternoon when the light is strong. In winter, the rough waves are full of impact, making for dramatic photos.
• Shooting angle: From the observation deck, we recommend shooting wide with the sea stretching to the horizon as your background. Approaching the unfenced edge of the cliff is extremely dangerous, so never do it.
• Access: About 20 minutes by bus from JR Shirahama Station, get off at the Sandanbeki stop, then about a 5-minute walk. The municipal Sandanbeki car park is free (30 spaces for cars, 5 for large vehicles)

2. Nachi Falls | A Mystical Waterfall with a 133-Metre Drop

Kumano Nachi Taisha describes Nachi Falls as being "133 metres high" and "one of Japan's Three Great Waterfalls." The photo spot where you can capture both the vermilion-lacquered three-storied pagoda of Nachi Taisha and the waterfall together is famous, offering a one-of-a-kind landscape where Japanese tradition and nature harmonize.

• Best time and season: The early morning hours have soft, dreamlike light. The fresh greenery of May to June, and the autumn foliage in November, are especially beautiful.
• Shooting angle: The classic composition framing the pagoda and the falls from the observation deck in front of Hiro Shrine is excellent.
• Access: About 30 minutes by Kumano Gobo Nankai bus from Kii-Katsuura Station on the JR Kisei Main Line, getting off at Nachisan (about 20 minutes by taxi)

3. Shirahama and Engetsuto | The Symbol of Wakayama Dyed by the Setting Sun

Engetsuto is a small island floating in the sea with a round hole opened in it, like a moon. At dusk, the moment when the setting sun fits perfectly into that hole is truly a miraculous shot. It is Wakayama's premier sunset spot.

• Best time and season: The golden time is from 30 minutes before sunset to just after sunset. Around November to January, there is a high chance that the setting sun passes through the center of the hole.
• Shooting angle: Aim straight on from the sidewalk of the coastal road. Be mindful of framing so the setting sun is inside the hole.
• Access: About 10 minutes by bus from JR Shirahama Station

4. Hashigui-iwa | The Silhouette of Strange Rock Formations Dyed by the Morning Glow

Hashigui-iwa is a row of more than 40 strange rocks lined up along the coast of Kushimoto Town. Especially from before dawn into the morning, when the sky is dyed in gradations and the silhouettes of the rocks emerge, the sight is breathtakingly beautiful. It is also a national natural monument.

• Best time and season: Around sunrise is best. Enjoy the moment-by-moment changing colors of the sky with continuous shooting. In summer, the clear air gives vivid colors.
• Shooting angle: The basic angle is from straight on, where the rocks appear lined up in a single row. Adding the reflection on the water surface makes it dreamlike.
• Access: About 20 minutes on foot from JR Kushimoto Station in the direction of Koza (about 2 minutes by taxi). The Michi-no-Eki Kushimoto Hashikuiiwa roadside station has a free car park (45 spaces for cars, 6 for large vehicles and 2 for disabled visitors)

5. Koyasan and Okunoin | The Profound World of Moss-Covered Stone Paths and Cedar Groves

Okunoin in the sacred site of Koyasan, spreading at an altitude of about 900m, is a mystical space where rows of cedars hundreds of years old and moss-covered stone paths continue. The way the light filters through the trees is like a door to another world.

• Best time and season: The misty hours of early morning are especially dreamlike. From the rainy season to summer, the green is deep, beautiful enough to make you want to take a deep breath.
• Shooting angle: Aim for a shot that emphasizes depth with a wide-angle lens, looking down the stone path into the distance. Photography is banned throughout the area beyond Gobyo-bashi Bridge (the Torodo Hall and the mausoleum), so take your pictures along the approach between Ichi-no-hashi Bridge and Gobyo-bashi Bridge.
• Access: About 10 minutes by bus from Koyasan Station on the Nankai Koya Line

The scenic spots of Wakayama are all places where a story seems to be born wherever you frame them. Please go out and find your own favorite shot.

Practical Information for Your Visit

The details below are drawn from official announcements by the facilities, local governments and transport operators concerned (as of September 2026). Opening hours, fees and road closures change, so please check the official websites linked here before you travel.

Sandanbeki Cliffs, Shirahama

• The clifftop: The clifftop viewpoint itself is free and open at all hours.
• Sandanbeki Cave: Open 8:00-17:00 (last entry 16:50), every day of the year, with a free car park. The cave lies 36 m below ground and the walkway inside runs about 200 m.

(Source: Sandanbeki Cave, https://sandanbeki.com/cave/ ; Shirahama Town, https://www.town.shirahama.wakayama.jp/ ; Wakayama Prefecture Tourism Federation, https://www.wakayama-kanko.or.jp/spots/detail_517.html )

Nachi Falls

• Official wording: Kumano Nachi Taisha describes the falls as "133 m high" and "one of the three great waterfalls of Japan".
• Otaki Haisho viewing platform: Admission is 500 yen for adults and 200 yen for elementary and junior high school students, according to the shrine.
• Access: About 30 minutes by Kumano Gobo Nankai bus from Kii-Katsuura Station on the JR Kisei Line, alighting at Nachisan, or about 20 minutes by taxi.

(Source: Kumano Nachi Taisha, Hiro Shrine, https://kumanonachitaisha.or.jp/pavilion/waterfall/ )

Engetsu Island

• Details: The formal name and location are listed on the Wakayama Prefecture Tourism Federation's spot page.

(Source: Wakayama Prefecture Tourism Federation, https://www.wakayama-kanko.or.jp/spots/detail_516.html )

Hashigui-iwa Rocks

• Details: Listed on the official spot page of the Nanki Kushimoto Tourism Association.

(Source: Nanki Kushimoto Tourism Association, https://kankou-kushimoto.jp/ ; Kushimoto Town, https://www.town.kushimoto.wakayama.jp/kanko/kushimoto/hashikui-iwa.html )

Okunoin, Koyasan

• No-photography zones (important): The official guide to worship etiquette from Kongobuji states that "photography is prohibited throughout the interior of the Kongobuji main hall (the Banryutei garden may be photographed), the interiors of the Garan halls, and from Gobyobashi Bridge through Torodo Hall to the mausoleum in Okunoin." The approach from Ichinohashi Bridge to Gobyobashi is not a no-photography zone.
• The approach: Okunoin is properly entered from Ichinohashi Bridge. It is about 2 km from there to the mausoleum, lined by more than 200,000 gravestones.
• Torodo Hall: Open 6:00-17:00 (underground hall 6:00-16:45; memorial and prayer reception 8:30-16:30, no booking required). Sutra chanting begins at 9:00, 10:20, 11:30, 12:40, 13:40 and 14:40.
• Parking: There is a car park at Okunoin.

(Source: Koyasan Shingon Buddhism, Kongobuji, https://www.koyasan.or.jp/guidance/ , https://www.koyasan.or.jp/kongobuji/charges/ and https://www.koyasan.or.jp/meguru/ )