Wakaura

One of the first shrines to be dedicated to the shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu, Kishu Toshogu was built in 1621 by his tenth son Yorinobu, who was lord of Wakayama. Access to the shrine's sacred precinct is along a wooded path, followed by a steep flight of 108 stone steps known as the Samuraizaka or samurai slope. The main building is known for a series of colorful and elaborately carved murals by members of the famous Kano and Tosa schools of various animals.

founded in the 10th century, Wakaura Tenmangu is dedicated to Sugawara Michizane, a poet and courtier who posthumously became the Shinto deity of learning and academic success. Perched partway up a steep hillside, the shrine is approached by a visually striking stone staircase and offers an impressive view over the bay. Its buildings feature a number of fine relief carvings of cranes, turtles and mythical creatures.

Built by the lord of Kishu domain in 1851 when such structures were extremely rare outside of Tokyo, this arched stone bridge was intended to be used exclusively by members of the ruling Tokugawa Clan when visiting nearby Kishu Toshogu Shrine, but today is open to pedestrians.

Known to have existed since at least 724, this ancient shrine has long been a place of pilgrimage for poets due to its appearance in the oldest collection of Japanese poetry (the Manyoshu), and for one of its three tutelary deities being a goddess of poetry. The area immediately around the shrine was once connected to the mainland only by a landspit that disappeared with the tide, hence its name meaning Round Harbor Island.

This small but atmospheric shrine located within a cave was originally a place of purification belonging to the nearby Tamatsushima Shrine. Later, it was used to store a portable shrine used in the annual Hamaori ritual before being made into a shrine itself in 1917.

Once a lookout point where samurai kept watch for foreign ships, this relatively simple garden features a large grassy lawn and many small pine trees, with the Kii Channel, surrounding shore and two small, rocky islands creating a spectacular backdrop.

Completed in 1826 by the 10th lord of Kishu is a medium-to-large sized landscape garden featuring pine trees and various seasonal flowers, arranged around a large central pond. Alongside Hama Rikyu in Tokyo, it is a very rare example of a garden that makes use of seawater - in this case via a sluice gate connecting the large central pond to the sea.

Officially ranked as one of Japan's top 100 swimming beaches, Kataonami is an attractive, sandy beach extending around 1,200 meters along the Wakanoura Coast.