The water of the Kumano River is incredibly clear and blue

The water of the Kumano River is incredibly clear and blue (Photo: Virginia Gonzalez)

Kumano River Boots Tour

From Hongu to Shingu on a river pilgrimage route

Virginia Gonzalez Sep 02, 2013 - 1 min read

The water of the Kumano River is incredibly clear and blue

Visitors are taken from the Kawabune Center to the starting point of the tour

The tour comes with a guide who gives detailed information about the route in Japanese, and in English if needed

Visitors are provided with life vests and conical Asian hats during the tour

The friendly boats crew will take pics of you in the boat with your camera

There are two departure times: at 10.00 and 14.30 every day

The Kumano River originates in the Kii Mountain Range and it flows into the Pacific Ocean

The boat makes a stop at Hirushima (Lunch Island), where the gods used to have lunch and play board games, or so the story goes

During the Hayatama Shrine festival, boats row upstream and circle this little island where the deities are believed to have first appeared

The water is usually calm. During the shaky parts, visitors are offered a plastic sheet to cover themselves against splashes of water

Along the route there are several small beaches, islands and waterfalls

Various interesting rock formations can also be found here. Some of them seem to have a mystical background, according to the guide's explanation

The tour guide played a couple of ancient melodies on two different Shakuhachi (Japanese flute)

At times, the area near the river resembles a tropical island

The route ends in Shingu City where visitors are taken on a quick trip to Hayatama Grand Shrine

Ther is not just hiking and sweating in Kumano. The Kumano Kodo pilgrimage takes place mostly on land but there is a part of the journey that takes place on water. In the old days, after visiting the Hongu Grand Shrine, pilgrims made their way down the Kumano River to the Hayatama Grand Shrine in the nearby city of Shingu. Now this part of the route has been revived for tourists to experience the breathtaking nature of Kumano. The unbelievably blue tones of the water and a soft breeze make up for all the effort of walking for hours in the steep mountains of the Kii Mountain Range. The tour's starting point is in the Kumanogawa Kawabune Center where reservations can be made.

Virginia Gonzalez

Virginia Gonzalez @virginia.gonzalez

21 year old English and Literature student from Spain, mostly interested in film, travelling, indie music and pizza.