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Uradome Coast Island Cruise

Little knownBarely documented in English. This is the kind of place the site exists for.

Researched and written by Hinato

Uradomeisland cruiseSan'in Kaigan GeoparkIwamisea caves

Tottori · Iwami

35.5781°N, 134.2880°E

Getting the most out of Uradome Coast Island Cruise is less about the destination than about timing the light right.

The Uradome coast is fifteen kilometres of granite worked by the Sea of Japan into caves, arches, stacks and inlets, with water clear enough that the bottom is visible several metres down. It is a national Place of Scenic Beauty and Natural Monument and part of the San'in Kaigan UNESCO Global Geopark. Most of the best of it cannot be seen from land.

The island-circuit boats run from Ajiro port between March and November on an hourly schedule, taking about forty minutes to work through the inlets and past the arches. A smaller boat gets into places the main vessels cannot. Sea kayaking operators work the same water in summer, which is the closest way to see it. The clarity is the thing people remember; on a calm day the boats appear to be floating on air.

What to know before you go

Access hours

Cruises depart hourly 9:30 AM – 3:30 PM, 1 March – 30 November

Closed: No sailings December–February | Cancelled in rough seas

When to go

May–October for the calmest water and best clarity

Fee

Island-circuit cruise ¥1,800 adults, ¥900 children | Small-boat adventure cruise ¥2,500 junior high school age and above, ¥1,800 children, under-fours free

Time to allow

40 minutes on the water | 1.5–2 hours including the port

How to reach it

Directions

2182 Otani, Iwami, Iwami District, from Ajiro port. By car from the Tottori sand dunes. The island-circuit cruise runs 1 March – 30 November, departing hourly from 9:30 AM to 3:30 PM, taking about 40 minutes; ¥1,800 for adults and ¥900 for children. A small-boat adventure cruise costs ¥2,500 for junior high school age and above and ¥1,800 for children, with under-fours free. Sailings are weather-dependent. Phone.

Local knowledge

**Take the small boat if it is running.** The adventure cruise gets into caves and narrow inlets the main vessels cannot enter. It costs more and it is the better trip. **March to November only.** No sailings in winter, and rough seas cancel at any time of year. Check on the day. **Calm water is everything.** The clarity that makes the coast famous only shows in flat conditions. On a choppy day it is an ordinary boat ride past rocks. **Ten minutes from the sand dunes.** Which makes the dunes and the coast a single half-day rather than two trips. **Kayaks are the alternative.** Summer operators run sea kayaking on the same water and get closer than any boat. Booked separately.

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