Doro-kyo

The wide ocean views of the coastal journey to Shingu give way to gorges and mountainsides of a deep mossy green when you pass through the tunnel five minutes north of the city. Up the Kumano River, the walls of the steep-sided Doro-kyo rise above you. Farther up, sheer 150-foot cliffs tower over the Kumano-gawa.

The best way to see this gorge is on a four-hour trip (¥5,100) upriver on a flat-bottomed, fan-driven boat. Outside seats on the boats are the best. You can book a trip that includes bus and boat at the Shingu information center. If you have a JR Pass, taking a 30-minute bus ride from Shingu Station to Shiko, the departure point for the boats going up river, will save you ¥1,120.

The boat trip doesn't venture much beyond Doro-hatcho before returning to Shiko. You can hire different boats (two hours round-trip, ¥3,280) to explore the two other gorges and rapids that extend for several miles upstream. Buses back to Shingu from either Doro-hatcho or Shiko.