Taking a Hot-Sand Bath
The most popular thing to do in Ibusuki is to have yourself buried up to your neck in black sand at Yunohama Beach, heated naturally by hot springs that surface close to the ground before running into the sea. To take part, head to the Natural Sand Bath (Suna Mushi Onsen) (tel. 0993/23-3900; daily 8:30am-noon and 1-9pm), a modern facility nicknamed Saraku by the locals (saraku has two meanings: to walk around and to enjoy the sand). Take the elevator up to the reception, pay ¥900 ($7.50/£3.75) for the baths and rental yukata (add another ¥100/85¢/45p if you didn't bring a towel), change into the yukata in the dressing room, and then head down to the beach. One of the women there will dig you a shallow grave. Lie down, arrange your yukata so no vulnerable areas are exposed, and then lie still while she piles sand on top of you. It's quite a funny sight, actually, to see nothing but heads sticking out of the ground. The water, a hot 185°F (85°C), contains sodium chloride and is considered beneficial in alleviating rheumatism, arthritis, gastrointestinal troubles, neuralgia, and female disorders. It is also valued as a beauty treatment for the skin. After your 15-minute sand bath, go indoors for a relaxing, hot-spring bath and the sauna. The Natural Sand Bath is a 20-minute walk or 7-minute bike ride from Ibusuki Station; from the main exit, head straight down Chuo Dori to the beach and turn right. You can also take a bus to the Suna Mushi-kaikan stop.
Swimming & Hiking
Also on the beach, but on the opposite edge of town, is Ibusuki's popular public beach, Sun-Beach Ibusuki, as well as Chiringashima, a small, uninhabited island and national park. During low tide, you can walk to the island via sand-bridge in about 10 minutes. Be sure to inquire beforehand what time the tide comes in, however, so you don't get stranded.
