Camping on the Kumano Kodo. 7 campsites, including one near Hongu Taisha shrine.
The Kumano Kodo, which has been selected as a World Heritage Site, is rich in nature, with paths that retain their old-fashioned atmosphere. As well as mountains, there are places facing rivers and the sea, and hot springs spring water is available in many places. Camping enthusiasts will love these places.
This issue introduces campsites along the Kumano Kodo by area! There are campsites with a wealth of character that will capture the hearts of campers.
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Kumano Hongu Taisha area
The first campsite is near the Kumano Hongu Taisha shrine, one of the three Kumano mountains.How about spending a night camping while touring the Kumano Sanzan…?
田辺川湯キャンプ場
Tanabe Kawayu Campsite, which does not require reservations and can be used on a free site, is a campsite where you can enjoy camping in the grass and riverside areas. It is also possible to stay here with your pet dog or cat, making it ideal for those who want to visit the Kumano Kodo with their family. The Kumano Hongu Taisha shrine is a 10-minute drive or a 1-hour walk away.
You can buy firewood and fatwood handmade by the campsite staff. Next to the reception area, there is a vegetable stand where you can buy fresh local vegetables. If you go to the trouble, why not try BBQing with local vegetables?
Firefly season starts from around late May. This place was famous as a firefly-viewing spot before it was turned into a campsite. Campers gather here to enjoy the fireflies.
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Also, a 10-minute walk away is the Senninburo (Kawayu Hot Springs), where visitors can enjoy hot springs that spring from the bottom of the Oto River.The water from the bottom of the river is hot, at over 70°C, so water is drawn there from the Oto River and the temperature is adjusted to around 40°C.It is only available from December to the end of February every year!Some people visit the campsite to take a bath in this hot spring.At night, it is lit up with lanterns, creating a fantastic atmosphere.
Address
〒647-1717 1288 Kawayu, Hongu-cho, Tanabe City, Wakayama Prefecture
Contacts
073-542-1168
Facility overview
Grass sites (approx. 30 tents)
Riverside sites (approx. 150 tents)
Usage fee
Overnight stay (per night)
Adults (junior high school students and over) … 700 yen, children (0 years to primary schools students) … 400 yen.
Cars … 700 yen, motorbikes … 200 yen.
Day camp (4 hours)
Adults (junior high school students and over) … 500 yen, children (0 years to primary schools students) … 300 yen.
Cars … 500 yen, motorbikes … 200 yen.
Access by car
70 minutes by car from Kamitonda IC.
80 minutes by car from Odomari IC.
Access by public transport
112 minutes by bus from JR Kii-Tanabe Station, 7 minutes walk from Fujiya-mae bus stop.
60 mins by bus from JR Shingu Station, 7 mins walk from Fujiya-mae bus stop.
Official website
https://tanabe-kawayu-camp.com/
Official Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/kawayucamp/
Official YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCoKPWB2LIwKLo6uuG2MYJqw
Watase Onsen Centre ‘Otonashi no Sato’ Cottages and campsites
The next stop is Otonanosato, an eight-minute drive or one-hour walk from the Kumano Hongu Taisha shrine.
Wi-Fi throughout the site, co-working space and tent sauna, hot springs on site, washlets in all toilets, hot water supply kalan with hot water… If you are looking for ‘comfort’ during your stay, we recommend the Ottonashi no Sato.
There are a total of 30 free sites and motorbike-accessible sites, as well as 3 reserved auto sites with AC power and car access. In addition, there are 10 cottages equipped with air-conditioning, kitchens and toilets.
The tent sauna, which just opened in January 2022, has priority reservations and can be enjoyed for 100 minutes for JPY 2,200 per person. Sauna ponchos and swimming costumes are available for rent. The water bath is located in front of the Yonchon River! A natural water bath is a luxury..!
Enjoy camping while listening to the murmuring of the river, and then get fit in the hot spring and sauna…
We recommend you enjoy such a luxurious camping stay at a low price.
Address.
〒647-173345-3 Watase, Hongu-cho, Tanabe City, Wakayama Prefecture
Contacts.
0735-42-1777（10:00〜20:00）
Facility overview
Auto sites…3 sites
Plotted sites … 9 sites
Free sites … 15 sites
Motorbike sites … approx. 20 sites
Usage fee
Auto site
Charges: 3,500-5,000 yen + accommodation: 2,450 yen (2nd person – 1,550 yen, children 900 yen, 1,750 yen for bikes).
Compartment sites
Usage fees: 1,500-3,500 yen + if using a power supply: 500 yen + accommodation fees: 2,450 yen (1,150 yen for a passenger, 900 yen for a child, 1,750 yen for a motorbike, 1,400 yen for a motorbike passenger, 1,750 yen for a bicycle, 1,400 yen for a walk)
Free sites (including motorbike sites)
Motorbike 1 person … 1,750 yen
Motorbike passenger 1 person … 1,400 yen
Car 1 person … 2,450 yen
1 passenger in a car: ¥1,150
Children (3-12 years): 900 yen
Bicycle: ¥1,750
On foot: ¥1,400
Day camp
Entrance fee: adults 1,000 yen (children 800 yen) + parking fee: cars 1,000 yen (motorbikes 400 yen).
Closed on
Thursdays (open on public holidays and national holidays, closed the following day).
Access by car
From the Kansai region
Hanshin Expressway → Hanwa Expressway ‘Kamitonda IC’, approx. 70 mins via National Routes 42 and 311.
From the Tokai region
Nagoya Expressway → Higashi-Meihan Expressway → Ise Expressway ‘Owase Kita IC’, approx. 150 mins via National Routes 42 and 168.
Access by public transport
From Kansai area
Take a bus bound for Hongu Taisha from JR Kii-Tanabe Station (120 mins).
From Tokai area
Take a bus bound for Hongu Taisha from JR Shingu Station (approx. 60 mins).
By plane from Tokyo
From Haneda Airport to Nanki-Shirahama Airport, take the Meiko Bus ‘Kaisoku Kumano Kodo’ (140 mins) (Note that only one bus a day departs at 9:28).
From JR Kii-Tanabe Station, take the Ryujin Bus or Meiko Bus bound for Hongu Taisha (120 mins).
Official website
Nakabeji area
The next section introduces campsites along Nakahechi, the most visited route of the Kumano Kodo!
Iris Park Auto Campsite
Iris Park Auto Campsite is a campsite located in Kondoro, halfway along the Kumano Kodo Nakahechi Road.
The Hioki River flows nearby, so you can enjoy playing in the river, or spend a relaxing day soaking in the Okukumano hot spring ‘Megami no Yu’. This hot spring has a thick water quality. A bath fee is charged when using the hot spring as a day spa, but campers do not need to pay extra as the bath fee is included in the usage fee.
Day-camping is also available, and there are 40 auto-camping sites and 14 bungalow facilities. There is also a rental service for crockery, cassette stoves, sleeping bags and firewood, so you can go as lightly equipped as possible.
Address.
〒646-1402 128-1 Chikanuro, Nakaheji-cho, Tanabe City, Wakayama Prefecture
Contacts.
0739-65-0410 (9:00 – 21:00)
Facility overview
40 auto-camping sites (15 sites with AC power supply)
14 bungalows (only bungalows with 12-mat lofts have toilets)
Usage fee
Day camp
Adults (junior high school students and over) 700 yen Children (5 years and over) 350 yen (*not including bath fees)
Admission fee
Adults (junior high school students and over): 1 day … 1,300 yen, 2 or more days … 1,200 yen
Children (5 years and over): 1 day … 800 yen, 2 days onwards … 700 yen.
Facility charges
Bungalow: 16,000 – 30,000 yen
Camping: 1,000 – 3,500 yen
Access by car
45 minutes from Kamitonda IC on Kisei Expressway via Route 311.
Access by public transport or on foot
From JR Tanabe Station, take the Ryujin Bus for Hongu Taisha or Hatsushinmon Oji, approximately 60 minutes → alight at Kannonji-mae bus stop and walk 10 minutes.
Official website
Private campsite hidden in the forest, limited to 4 groups per day.｜Grandma’s Garden Kamitonda
The camping boom has made all campsites very busy. In such a situation, you want to have a quiet and relaxing camping experience… We recommend Grandma’s Garden Kamitonda, which is limited to four campsites per day. There are four campsites, each separated from the others so you can spend time without worrying about being seen.
There are no showers, but most people go to bathe at the Shirahama Onsen, which is a 10-minute walk away. There is also one western-style toilet, and tents, sleeping bags, lanterns and BBQ grills can be hired.
Cars are not allowed to drive up to the four sites. The owners want you to enjoy the nature on the way to the sites. Choose from four different sites: ‘a site with a view of the sky’, ‘a moderately wooded site’, ‘a site perfect for hammock nights’ or ‘a site that gives you a private feeling’.
The Tacos in the Forest is also open on the same site. It is open as a restaurant only on Fridays, and is open for take-away except Saturdays. In addition to tacos, you can order drinks such as hand-drip coffee and organic plum basil soda, which you can order on line and have delivered to your site, so if you’re feeling a bit peckish while camping, why not order some? (Click here to see the menu you can order)
There is also a shop 10-15 minutes’ drive away where you can get locally produced food, so be sure to taste the delicacies of the sea and mountains in Wakayama.
Not only day camps but also night camps are available (except on Saturdays). A special half-year pass is also available for those who plan to use the camp more than 10 times in six months.
The owner, who is from Osaka, used to visit her ‘grandma’s house’ every holiday. The name was given to the campsite when she opened it in her garden.
Address.
〒649-2105 3491 Asago, Kamitonda-cho, Nishimuro-gun, Wakayama
Contacts.
Telephone.
090-9113-7565
Mail.
ggkamitonda@gmail.com
Facilities
Camping sites 4 sites
Fees.
Adults 2,800 yen, elementary and junior high school students 1,000 yen (normal season)
Access by car
5 mins drive from Kamitonda IC on Kisei Expressway.
15 mins drive from JR Shirahama Station.
Access by public transport or on foot
From JR Shirahama Station, 20-minute bus ride ⇒ 10-minute walk from the bus stop.
20-minute taxi ride from Nanki Shirahama Airport.
Official website
Official Instagram.
https://www.instagram.com/ggkamitonda/
Hioki River area (Oheji area)
There are several routes on the Kumano Kodo, of which the Ohechi is a 120 km route along the sea from Tanabe City to Nachi-Katsuura Town.In the past, people with time to spare used this route to reach the Kumano Sanzan (three mountains of Kumano) while enjoying the scenery.The Hioki River is the river that runs through the Oheji.
Mukoudaira Camping Village
Mukodaira Camping Village, through which the Hioki River flows, is a recommended campsite for both solo and family campers.It offers a wide range of experiences, including river play, hot springs and camping.As experience programmes such as canoeing & SUP experience are also offered, it is popular for stays with children and friends.
The ‘Ebine Hot Springs‘ are a 7-minute walk away.One-day bathing is available for 600 yen for adults and 400 yen for children.
The full-fledged hot spring resort Rivage Spa Hikigawa Nagisa no Yu is also a 20-minute drive away.Here, too, day-trip bathing is available, complete with family baths, open-air baths and saunas.
It is quite inexpensive, even in high season, so it is a good option for those who want to keep costs down! This is a good option for those who want to keep costs down. Camping plots are approximately 7m x 7.5m per plot, so it is recommended to book two plots for family camping.
Kumano Nachi Taisha, one of the Kumano Sanzan (three mountains), is about a 2-hour drive away, while Kumano Hongu Taisha is 1.5 hours away. As it is located right in the middle, this campsite is a must-visit when touring the Kumano Sanzan.
Address.
〒649-2535 27 Kuki, Shirahama-cho, Nishimuro-gun, Wakayama Prefecture
Contacts.
0739-53-0055 (Weekdays 9:00 – 17:00)
Facility overview
Usage fee
Normal season
Entrance fee: ¥660 for 16 years and older, ¥440 for elementary and junior high school students.
Compartment rental fee (per compartment): ¥1,650.
High season (every year around GW, July-September)
Entry fees: ¥880 for 16 years and older, ¥660 for elementary and junior high school students.
Compartment rental fee (per compartment): 2,200 yen.
Closed.
End-April to end-October: open all days, November to end-April: open only on weekends and public holidays.
Access by car
15 minutes by car from Kii-Hiki Station on the JR Kisei Main Line.
15 minutes by car from the Hiokigawa IC on the Kisei Expressway.
Access by public transport or on foot
Approx. 2-hour walk from Kii Hioki Station.
Official website
Nemunemu Forest campsite
Nemunemu Forest Campsite is located near the Mukodaira Campsite introduced earlier.
The Hioki River also runs right in front of this campsite, and camping is possible while enjoying nature, such as playing in the river. Tents, sleeping bags and cooking utensils can all be rented, making it ideal for those who want to enjoy camping without any equipment.
The campsite was recently reopened on 10 August 2022, with new toilets, hot shower rooms and barbecue facilities.
Address.
〒649-2533 313 Nakajima, Shirahama-cho, Nishimuro-gun, Wakayama Prefecture
Contacts.
090-4900-7022
Usage fees
Entry fees: adults 1 day … JPY 1,000, children 1 day … JPY 500, (small and medium-sized) pets 1 day … JPY 500.
Parking fee … 1,000 yen.
Lodging.
Charges: General site … 2,800 – 3,300 yen, power supply site … 4,300 yen, cottage 1 day … 10,000 yen.
Easy camping (set-up and clean-up) … 12,500 yen.
Day camps
Fees: riverside sites … 500 yen; power sites … 4,300 yen; tents/tarp … 1,500 yen,
Regular closing days
Open all year round (please enquire).
Access by car
About 10 minutes by car from Hioki Station on the JR Kisei Main Line.
About 10 minutes by car from Hiokigawa IC on Kisei Expressway.
Access by public transport or on foot
One and a half hour walk from Hioki Station on the JR Kisei Main Line.
Official website
Formula Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/nemunemunomori_camp/
Mie area
The Kumano Kodo extends not only into Wakayama Prefecture, but also into Mie, Nara and Osaka Prefectures.The southern part of Mie Prefecture is the perfect place to visit Kumano Nachi-taisha Shrine and Kumano Hayatama-taisha Shrine. We will therefore also introduce some campsites in the southernmost part of Mie.
Hisetsu Falls Campsite.
Tobisetsu no Taki Campsite is a great place to enjoy camping in front of the Tobisetsu no Taki Waterfall, which flows down from a height of 30 m. The campsite is located in the southernmost part of Mie Prefecture. It is conveniently located at the southernmost tip of Mie Prefecture, a 20-minute drive from Kumano Hayatama-taisha Shrine and a 50-minute drive from Kumano Nachi-taisha Shrine. This campsite is the perfect place to visit the Kumano Sanzan (three mountains of Kumano).
The highlight of this campsite is the tent sauna! You can cool your body down by diving into the waterfall after getting hot in the sauna. The sauna has become famous for its view of the waterfall and has been ranked in the ‘Best Sauna with a Beautiful View’ list and featured in a TV programme.
Mountains, rivers, waterfalls, rice paddies… you can enjoy camping in a place that embodies the ‘Japanese countryside’, as well as enjoy hot pots and BBQs using local Kiwa beef, seafood (Ise lobsters, to say the least…!) and more. ) and other local delicacies, so be sure to visit empty-handed and taste the local gastronomy.
In addition, there are plenty of other summer experiences to enjoy, such as plunging into waterfalls on a ducky, playing in waterfall pools, walking in the mountains, canyoning, SUP, river rafting and much more..! Seasonal festivals are also held regularly.
A wide range of original goods, such as the original camping spice ‘Tobisetsu Falls Original Spice’, which is essential for camping meals, original coffee beans, enameled cups, T-shirts and sauna hats!You can also buy them in the online store.
Address.
〒519-5718 1409-1, Asazato, Kiho-cho, Minamimuro-gun, Mie Prefecture
Contacts
0735-21-1333
080-5843-6793 (Booking only)
(9:00-17:00 in both cases)
Facility overview
Tent sites (cooking building and shower rooms available)
8 cottages
Usage fees
Tent sites (day camping): Regular site 1,100 yen, Solo site 550 yen
Tent sites (overnight stay): Regular site 3,000 yen, Solo site 1,100 yen.
Camping with nothing: 17,000 yen for overnight stay with no meal, 24,000 yen per night with 2 meals.
Regular closing day
No mid-year break
Access by car.
From the Kansai region
From Kisei Expressway Susami Minami IC, drive National Road 42 towards Shingu, approx. 1hr 40min (80km).
From Nagoya
From Kumano Owase Road Kumano Omari IC, drive National Road No. 42 towards Shingu, approx. 50 mins (35 km).
Access by public transport or on foot.
30 minutes by taxi from JR Shingu Station.
From JR Shingu Station, take the Ainoya Line of the town bus → change at Funada to the Asazato Udono Line → alight at Asazato Jinja-mae.
Official website
Official Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/hisetsufalls_campsite/
Official Twitter
Camping in the nature of the Kumano Kodo!
The recent camping boom has led to an increase in the number of new and renovated campsites along the Kumano Kodo.
Many of these spots allow visitors to enjoy camping with nothing, so take this opportunity to visit Kumano Kodo and enjoy camping while touring the Kumano Sanzan (three mountains)!
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