Must-see hotels in Kii Peninsula

Among Kōya-san's most atmospheric temples, with a thatched roof and an old kitchen with exposed wooden beams, Shōjōshin-in is a wonderful choice for your…

This pretty hillside temple, set around a garden, offers both simple but nicely done-up rooms and pricier en-suite rooms with newly updated facilities. It…

An excellent modern B&B in a glen near central Hongū, with immaculate, comfortably minimalist design, lots of English-language sightseeing info and…

In its 29th generation, Kamigoten was built in 1657 for the local lord and member of the Tokugawa family. It's been updated over the years and now feels…

This old minshuku was recently converted into a hostel by the reliable J-Hoppers team. There are spacious, cabin-style bunks and private Japanese-style…

Fukuchi-in has two standout features: a communal onsen bath, including a rotemburo (outdoor bath), and a garden designed by famous modernist landscape…

This beautifully renovated guesthouse, with exposed beams and traditional plaster walls, has two Japanese-style bedrooms and sleeps up to six; there's…

The fourth-generation Kosaka family of innkeepers opened this modern and polished building in 2015. The current-generation Kosaka-san doesn't speak much…

Miyoshiya is a simple travellers' ryokan from the 1940s, and the knowledgeable English-speaking owner makes a stay here worth it. Most of the Japanese…

A boon for budget travellers, this light and clean guesthouse has capsule-style bunks and a few private rooms, all with shared facilities. It's also a few…

One of Kōya-san's smaller temples, with only 14 rooms, Sōji-in is also one of the most modernised: all rooms have air-conditioning, some have baths (and…

This upmarket ryokan features tasteful and spacious rooms, all with river views and private facilities in addition to onsen baths. There are some chic…

This Swiss chalet–style building sits across from the riverside hot springs in Kawa-yu. There's a big communal dining area on the ground floor and…

At the upper end of the village of Yunomine, this seven-room minshuku is exactly what a minshuku should be: simple, clean and welcoming. Only one room has…

Though it's a 10-minute walk from the beach, you do get bang-on views of Shirahama's inner harbour from the balconies here. The Western-style rooms are…

In the centre of town and close to the beach, this former okiya (geisha house) has been refashioned into a modern guesthouse with Western-style rooms,…

This longstanding eight-room minshuku (inn) is only two minutes' walk from the main beach. It has several single rooms and is popular with solo travellers…

This 46-room hotel, across the street from the beach, is a reasonable choice (ask for an ocean-side room, some of which have views through the pines to…

This modern ryokan by the river in Ryūjin Onsen has beautiful views from its expansive lobby. The main building, which has both Japanese- and Western…

Located right across from the Garan, with a big communal bath. The cheapest rooms have shared facilities and no air-conditioning; rooms with bathrooms…