August

With summer fast approaching, what better way to appreciate the season than to head out for a nice walk, soak up the scenery and fill your lungs with fresh air? Hiroshima prefecture has an abundance of fantastic walking routes beyond the city, where the Seto Inland Sea and the Chugoku mountain ranges provide lush backdrops. From energetic hikes to leisurely strolls, here’s a quick selection. Sandankyo Gorge This walk is slightly more challenging to access than others, as the gorge is situated a few miles northwest of the city. You can reach it by bus from Hiroshima station, which takes about an hour. What awaits is worth it. The Sandankyo Gorge is an 8-mile trail along a ravine that takes in waterfalls, rapid swirls, rock pools, and plenty of lush vegetation. Although it’s one of the most picturesque parts of the region, it’s a bit of a hidden gem and rarely gets too busy. The trail path alternates between flat and hilly stretches and takes 2-3 hours to complete. If you don’t want to walk the whole route, you can pay a small amount to join a boat tour. The course ends in Akiota Town, where you can get a…