2 Best Sights in Side Trips from Tokyo, Japan

This attractive stretch of coast running east and then north out of Shimoda is ideal for some beach time. On an inlet a short distance from town, the white sands of Sotoura Beach provide a calm point for swimming, paddling with kids, or even sea kayaking. A little ways north is Shirahama Beach, an 800-meter (875-yard) belt of sand that has become one of Izu's most popular beach spots: good for swimming and tanning in summer and surfing year-round. For the latter, you'll find several surf shops renting gear near the beach. There are also convenience stores and café–restaurants in the area.

If you love the sun, make sure you stop at Yumigahama. It's one of the nicest sandy stretches on the whole Izu Peninsula. Although the water is usually warm enough to swim from June, the crowds come out during Japan's beach season in July and August, which is when the beach has food and drink options as well as lifeguards. The bus from Izukyu Shimoda Station stops here before continuing to Iro-zaki, the last stop on the route. Amenities: food and drink; lifeguards; toilets; parking (fee). Best for: swimming; solitude.