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In summer Izu's beaches are packed with surfers and sun-worshippers, but out of season they're usually fairly deserted. The major resort is just north of Shimoda, at Shirahama, but there are a couple of smaller, more attractive bays southwest of the town on the Tokai Bus route to Izu's southern cape, Iro-zaki . From Shimoda Station buses depart for Iro-zaki roughly every thirty minutes, but check before boarding as some buses skip certain stops. If you want to continue round the coast, hop on one of the four daily buses which leave from Iro-zaki for the picturesque ride to Matsuzaki , from where you can loop back to Shimoda, and Dogashima; alternatively, take one of the tourist boats plying between Iro-zaki port and Shimoda for the return journey . Nearly 4km southwest of Shimoda, Highway 136 passes through the village of KISAMI , where a road forks left across a river towards the coast. Ohama , the name of Kisami's sandy bay, is one of south Izu's more attractive beaches - marred slightly by a factory on the far horizon - and a popular surfing spot. Along the road there's a handful of small hotels , the nicest of which is Ernest House (tel 0558/22-5880, fax 23-3906, www.artfarm.co.jp/ernesthouse/index_e.html ; Y10,000-20,000); its fresh, bright rooms get booked up at weekends and in season, so it pays to phone ahead. They offer meals - including great picnic breakfasts - or otherwise try one of the laidback cafes closer to the beach; Marley Cafe is particularly recommended. If you're travelling by bus, ask the driver to drop you on the main road at Ohama-iriguchi, from where it's a ten-minute walk. A little further along the coast, YUMIGAHAMA is a larger, more developed resort but has the advantage that buses from here take you all the way down to the wide horseshoe bay, ringed with pines and casuarina. The beach is about ten minutes' bike ride from Gensu Youth Hostel (tel 0558/62-0035; Y3000-5000), a welcoming HI youth hostel in SHIMOGAMO , a town about 25 minutes by bus from Shimoda (Y630); ask for the Yakuba-mae stop. Evening meals are not provided, but there are shops and restaurants close by, or you can borrow a bike and head back down Highway 136 to the excellent Spice Dog restaurant. Continuing round the coast from Yumigahama, the road climbs through lush vegetation to emerge in an expanse of car parks that cap the headland. Fortunately, IRO-ZAKI improves dramatically as you walk out along the promontory for about 500m, past a missable "Jungle Park", souvenir shops and lighthouse, to a minuscule shrine balanced on the cliff edge. The views here are superb: on either side the sea has cut deep-blue gashes into the coastline, leaving behind a sprinkling of rocky islets between which colourful tourist boats bob and weave. The boats leave from Iro-zaki port - a tiny fishing village sheltering in the northern bay; from the headland it's a pleasant, five-minute stroll downhill, or get off the bus at Irozaki-ko iriguchi on the main highway, a short walk from the village. Depending on the weather and the season, there are one or two trips per hour around the headland (Y1120 for 25min), or three daily sailings all the way back to Shimoda (40min; Y1530).
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