A Cycling Guidebook to Ehime, Where Sea and Mountains Meet

We’re pleased to present a guidebook featuring ride courses that extend beyond the Shimanami Kaido and across the entire Ehime Prefecture.

“Ehime packs both sea and mountains into an incredibly compact area!”
“It’s a world-class cycling destination, with climbs even higher than Alpe d’Huez!”

These were just some of the impressions shared by cyclists from Australia who visited Japan to take part in a FAM (press) tour hosted by Ehime Prefecture.

While Ehime is best known for the Shimanami Kaido, it also offers much more—from the Seto Inland Sea routes including the Yumeshima Kaido to the mountainous roads stretching toward Shikoku’s borders, all of which are highly regarded by international cyclists.

In autumn 2025, Ehime Prefecture hosted a cycling FAM tour, which forms the basis of this guidebook. It features comments from participating cyclists from across Australia—one of the world’s leading cycling nations—along with dynamic, on-the-road photography that captures the experience firsthand.

Starting from the Shimanami Kaido, the guide introduces six routes—one for each day—ranging from coastal roads weaving through quiet inlets and island scenery to mountain routes that traverse deep inland valleys. The diversity of these rides drew enthusiastic praise from the cyclists who took part.

We hope both domestic and international cyclists will enjoy these exceptional routes, where Ehime’s natural landscape, unique history, and the culture of pilgrimage can all be experienced along the way. The guidebook also includes contact information for tour operators at the end, making it easy to plan your trip. Whether you prefer to travel at your own pace by bike or arrange a support vehicle, there are flexible options to suit your style. Practical information on ferry access from Osaka, Hiroshima, and Oita is also included—please make full use of this guide as you plan your journey.

The cycling routes featured in this guidebook were developed with the cooperation of Hidden Japan Travel.

Route Overview

Route1
Shimanami Kaido to Kamijima & Imabari
Distance: 96.5 km／Elevation Gain: 1 ,314m
A scenic loop through the islands of the Seto Inland Sea via the Shimanami Kaido and the Yumeshima Kaido. A Seto Inland Sea cycling loop that takes you from the breathtaking views of the Kurushima Kaikyo Bridge to carefully selected routes through atmospheric fishing villages.

Route2
Saijo to Kumakogen via the UFO Line
Distance: 100.7 km／Elevation Gain: 3,357m
Centered around the UFO Line—one of Shikoku’s most spectacular mountain roads, featuring a 40 km climb—this sacred route weaves in key temples and pilgrim lodgings of the Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage.

Route3
Kumakogen to Kihoku via the Shikoku Karst
Distance: 84 km／Elevation Gain: 1,802m
Centered on the Shikoku Karst—one of Japan’s three major karst landscapes—this highland route runs for 25 km along the border of Ehime and Kochi at elevations of 1,000 to 1,500 meters. From spring through autumn, grazing cattle add to the area’s peaceful, pastoral scenery.

Route4
Ainan to Uwajima
Distance: 103.4 km／Elevation Gain: 1,747m
A coastal-and-mountain route that contrasts scenic shorelines—featuring stone-walled villages, terraced fields for vegetable cultivation, and aquaculture in quiet inlets—with tranquil forest roads, showcasing ways of life and cultural traditions that have endured since the Edo period.

Route5
Uwa Sea to Yawatahama to Sadamisaki
Distance: 85.4 km／Elevation Gain: 1,613m
A roughly 45 km ride along the Sadamisaki Peninsula—Japan’s narrowest peninsula—where gentle rolling hills and winding curves unfold one after another. With ferry services departing for Oita Prefecture, this cape route also serves as a gateway for extending your journey to Kyushu.

Route6
Ozu to Tobe to Matsuyama
Distance: 70.4 km／Elevation Gain: 1 ,444m
A route steeped in Edo-era culture, linking the old town of Ozu—where castles and historic residences evoke the aesthetics of the Edo period—with Tobe, famed for its traditional ceramics, via scenic coastal and hillside roads.

🚴‍♂️🚴‍♂️You can also view the guidebook here.🚴‍♂️🚴‍♂️
English Edition Guidebook

Photos_Eigo Shimojo