Cycling from “GLAMPROOK Shimanami”! Introducing the charms of Shimanami Kaido

Rent an E-bike at “GLAMPROOK Shimanami”

The Shimanami Kaido , which connects Imabari City in Ehime Prefecture and Onomichi City in Hiroshima Prefecture, is known as one of the world's leading cycling roads.

This approximately 60-kilometre road, where you can enjoy spectacular views of the Seto Inland Sea, was chosen by CNN in 2014 as one of the world's top 7 cycling routes, and has attracted cyclists from all over the world in recent years.

At the hotel/glamping facility GLAMPROOK Shimanami , you can rent an E-bike and enjoy cycling along the Shimanami Kaido.

• Table of Contents
• Let's make a cycling plan from "GLAMPROOK Shimanami"
• About bicycles to rent
• Enjoy the spectacular view from the bridge
• Designed by Kengo Kuma! Kirosan Observation Park
• Yoshiumi Rose Garden
• Cafe Shozan
• Roadside Station Yoshiumi Ikiikikan
• In addition, there are many other attractions on Oshima!

GRAMPROOK Shimanami accommodation reservation

Let's make a cycling plan from "GLAMPROOK Shimanami"

Created based on Google Map.

At GLAMPROOK Shimanami, you can rent an E-bike by applying at the time of reservation or the day before.

Rental hours are 9:00-17:00. The fee is 4,000 yen for 4 hours and 7,000 yen for one day.

Based on this rental time, if you are renting a bicycle for one day, beginners should plan to cycle within a 10 km radius, and experienced cyclists should plan to cycle within a 15-20 km radius .

Cycling destinations from the hotel include the following spots:

・Imabari City Center・Imabari Castle : Approximately 10 kilometers from the hotel

・Oshima Roadside Station Yoshiumi Ikiikikan : Approximately 5 kilometers from the hotel

・Oshima Kirosan Observation Park : Approximately 10 km from the hotel (includes a slope)

・Oshima/ Imabari City Murakami Pirate Museum : Approximately 15 km from the hotel

This time, MATCHA writer Mizzochi cycled around Oshima , which is next to Umashima. I'll let you know how it goes.

*This article contains the writer's personal impressions. Please note that the content does not reflect the official views of GLAMPROOK Shimanami.

About bicycles to rent

This time, we rented a bicycle from GIANT, a bicycle manufacturer with a deep connection to the Shimanami Kaido. I also wear a helmet, so I feel safe.

People who don't usually ride bicycles may feel anxious when they hear the word "cycling." but it's okay! At GLAMPROOK Shimanami, the staff will carefully teach you how to use the E-bike when you rent it out.

The E-bikes rented at the hotel can change gears in seven stages, and the electric assist can be set to multiple modes such as "Sports," "Normal," and "Eco." When you set it to "Sports" mode, it becomes much easier to climb hills.

What's more, you can keep a water bottle handy, and you can also install a smartphone, so you can check Google Maps while driving (*).

*Please be careful as your smartphone may fall off in areas with strong shaking.

Enjoy the spectacular view from the bridge

Now, let's leave.

To go to Shimanami Kaido from the hotel, first go to Kurushima Kaikyo Bridge. A huge elevator takes you up to the top of the bridge.

When you go up to the bridge, you can see the ocean and islands below! Many cyclists ride this road.

E-bikes can easily reach speeds of over 20 km/h using electric assist, even for beginners.

However, there are some uneven parts along the bridge. Be careful not to drive too fast, as there is a risk of your bicycle tipping over!

After driving on the Kurushima Kaikyo Bridge for a while, we entered Oshima via a ring road like this one.

Information signs are posted on the island in Japanese, English, Traditional Chinese, and Korean, making it very convenient.

Additionally, there is a blue line drawn on the road that separates the cycling path from the motorway, making it very easy to ride.

Designed by Kengo Kuma! Kirosan Observation Park

"It's hard to climb, but there's a great view waiting for you at the top!"

Before I started cycling, the staff at GLAMPROOK Shimanami recommended me to Kirosan Observatory Park . I heard that there was an observation deck here designed by the famous architect Kengo Kuma , so I thought, ``I have to go!''

After arriving at Oshima, drive for about 4km and you will arrive at the entrance to Kirosan Observation Park. Up until this point, it's been a flat road.

However, once you enter the mountain road, the slope continues for about 2.7 kilometers.

For people who are not used to riding bicycles, it is quite difficult to cycle up this road. I don't usually ride my bike, so I walked by pushing my bike about half of the way.

Along the way, the beautiful scenery will soothe your soul.

As I climbed the slope, pushing my bicycle and occasionally riding it, I could see the top after about 40 to 50 minutes.

We finally arrived at Kirosan Observation Park!

Kirosan Observation Park, located at an altitude of 301.1m, has a panoramic observation deck bridge designed by Kengo Kuma. This architecture was born out of an attempt to "erase architecture." The beautifully planted observation deck seems to blend in with the mountains and the sea!

There are multiple viewing spots within the park. From one of them, you can see the Kurushima Kaikyo Bridge, which we passed today.

Kurushima Kaikyo Bridge is the world's first triple suspension bridge that connects three suspension bridges in a straight line. This bridge, seen from Mt. Kirosan, is one with the Seto Inland Sea and islands, and has a picturesque beauty.

There is also a shop in the park where you can buy drinks and eat soft serve ice cream. The gelato made with moshio (salt made from seaweed) sold here is said to be a secret specialty.

Let's take a short break while admiring the spectacular view.

Kirosan Observation Park

487-4 Minamiura, Yoshikai-cho, Imabari-shi, Ehime 794-2115

Yoshiumi Rose Garden

Next, we headed to Yoshiumi Rose Garden.

This is a spot where you can enjoy 3,500 roses of 400 varieties on a site of approximately 2.8 hectares, and various varieties of roses from all over the world. The blooming period for roses is from mid-May to the end of December, with the peak blooming periods being from mid-May to early June, mid-October, and early November.

You can enter the park for free and walk around freely.

There are also shops selling rose seedlings and souvenirs made from roses in the surrounding area.

As I went from Kirosan Observation Park to Yoshiumi Rose Garden, I saw a peaceful rural landscape that soothed my soul.

Yoshiumi Rose Garden
Address: 1292 Fukuda, Yoshiumi-cho, Imabari City, Ehime Prefecture
Official website: https://www.city.imabari.ehime.jp/kanko/spot/?a=176

Cafe Shozan

Oshima has a variety of cafes and restaurants. Among them, ``Shozan'' is located near ``Yoshiumi Rose Garden'' and offers an ocean view. This cafe is run by a couple who moved from Kanagawa Prefecture.

There is a rack outside to stand your bike on, which is convenient for cyclists.

There are many books lined up inside the beautiful wooden building, creating a calm atmosphere.

In addition to home-roasted coffee, Shozan offers lunch menu items such as curry and rice, and sweets such as freshly baked muffins.

This time I ordered a cafe latte and a blueberry muffin. The muffins are freshly baked and have blueberries wrapped in chewy dough. Blueberries have a gentle texture that almost melts in your mouth. These muffins are the best I've ever eaten! It was so delicious I thought.

Cafe Shozan
Address: 119 Fukuda, Yoshiumi-cho, Imabari-shi, Ehime
Business hours: Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday 10:00-16:00 (last order 15:00) Official business SNS: https://www.instagram.com/cafe_shozan/

Roadside Station Yoshiumi Ikiikikan

Our last stop was ``Roadside Station Yoshiumi Ikiikikan''.

This place is located right after getting off to Oshima from the Kurushima Kaikyo Bridge, so it is a recommended place to stop by either when you first come to Oshima or just before returning to Umashima.

There is a restaurant and souvenir shop on the premises, where you can purchase a variety of products unique to Ehime Prefecture.

In addition, in the barbecue space, you can enjoy seafood barbecue using the traditional Japanese charcoal grilling tool "Shichirin".

What I tried here was the "Tai Katsu Burger". Actually, the day before, a staff member at GLAMPROOK Shimanami had recommended it to me, saying it was very delicious, so I really wanted to try it.

The cutlet was carefully fried, and the crispy batter and the flavor of the sea bream matched perfectly.

We also tried a drink comparison set of three types of juice from Ehime Prefecture's famous citrus fruits: ``Mikan,'' ``Dekotan,'' and ``Kiyomi.'' Each had a different sourness and sweetness, and I really enjoyed them.

By the way, I didn't have time to ride this time, but you can also ride the Kurushima Strait Rapids Viewing Boat from here.

Kurushima Strait is known as one of the spots with the fastest currents in Japan. If you board a boat, you can see the strong, swirling currents from above the sea.

In addition, Imabari City is Japan's largest maritime city with a concentration of shipping, shipbuilding, and marine equipment industries, and if you ride this boat, you can tour Imabari's famous shipyards from within the bay. You can also tour Kurushima, the ruins of the castle of the Murakami Kaizoku, who once ruled this area, and Kojima, where the ruins of the Geiyo Fortress's gun emplacement remain.

Roadside Station Yoshiumi Ikiikikan
Address: 4520-2 Yoshiumi-cho, Imabari City, Ehime Prefecture
Business hours: Shop 9:00-17:00, restaurant 11:00-14:00 last order, food court 10:00-17:00, barbecue 10:00-15:00 last order
*Please note that business hours may be shorter depending on the season.
*Closed days may be set depending on the season Official website: https://imabari-shimanami.jp/ikiiki/

In addition, there are many other attractions on Oshima!

In addition to these, there are many other spots on Oshima that we could not introduce here.

On the other side, in the center of Imabari City, there are other attractions such as Imabari Castle and Texport Imabari, which sells many famous Imabari towel products.

Please enjoy cycling along the Shimanami Kaido while consulting with your own interests and physical fitness.

Accommodation reservation for GRAMPROOK Shimanami