Shimazushima Island Walking Trail

This coastal walking trail is about a 15 minute walk from O-matsu-bashi Bridge to Watatsu Shrine. As you walk, you can see the fish and shellfish that live in shallow waters and seaweed swaying in the waves, and forget the hustle and bustle of everyday life. You can also see a mosaic-like rock surface, where artistic patterns were created by volcanic activity. A nearby rock outcrop holds information about the environment of the islands in the distant past. If you look closely, you can see small circular marks in the rock; these are trace fossils, fossils of burrows made by sea creatures that lived here in the sand at the bottom of the sea. At the end of the trail is Watatsu Shrine, where a deity of safe travel is worshipped.