A legendary remote region in the central Shikoku mountains, the Iya Valley is a great escape for a couple of days, though you’ll want your own wheels to explore it.

The more accessible Nishi-iya (western Iya) features the legendary Peeing Boy Statue, a great hot springs hotel at Iya Onsen and a famous though over-visited vine bridge dwarfed by a huge carpark.

The much harder-to-get-to Oku-Iya (Higashi / eastern Iya) is the absolute highlight, although you’ll be driving extremely winding roads to get in there (hint: they are what keeps the tour buses out!).

Highlights here are:

• the twin vine bridges at Oku-Iya Kazurabashi
• eye-popping Nagoro village, with its population of life-size scarecrow dolls.
• a relatively easy climb of Mt Tsurugi, Shikoku’s second highest mountain, which sits at the head of the valley.

Hotel Iya Onsen is a great place to stay here, with its own cable-car down to riverside hot springs.

Practical Info

Iya Valley