Iwa: Coast, Diving and Stone-Masonry History

Along the coast of Iwa, a small sandy beach and several dive sites meet a long history of stone quarrying. A traditional summer festival is another distinctive feature of the area. When planning your trip, you can choose from different priorities: the beach, diving, culture or the area’s geological past.

Beach and Dive Sites

Iwa Beach is a small sandy beach about 200 metres long. There are toilets and showers at the bathing area; their availability may vary by season. From Manazuru Station, you can reach the beach by bus in five minutes or on foot in about 17 minutes. Check this access information again before your trip. These two journey times provide a practical guide when comparing the bus and walking options for a beach visit.

For divers, the IWA Diving Center on the coast of Iwa offers one shore-entry dive site and four boat-entry dive sites. The sites therefore differ in how they are accessed: one is on the shore, while the others are reached by boat. The center’s setup may change. If diving is a key part of your trip, check the current selection in advance.

Stone-Masonry History and Landscape

The Stone Mason Ancestor Monument in the Iwa district records that Tsuchiya Kakuei first began quarrying stone there toward the end of the Heian period. At the beach in the Iwa stone-masonry area, remains of stone quarrying from the 17th century, during the Edo period, can also be seen. The monument and visible traces thus point to two distinct historical periods.

Iwa Beach is also associated with a historical tradition: the beach is known as the place from which Minamoto no Yoritomo set sail. This connection adds another link to the beach’s past alongside the history of stone quarrying.

Hiradai, a plateau formed by a lava flow, lies in the southern part of the Iwa stone-masonry area. It formed about 180,000 to 170,000 years ago. This geological timescale reaches far back beyond the historical traces of stone quarrying and offers a different perspective on Iwa’s landscape.

The Iwaikaigan Summer Festival

The Iwaikaigan Summer Festival is an important traditional cultural event in the town of Manazuru and takes place at 957-1 Iwa, Manazuru. Festival activities include floating lanterns on the water, fireworks over the sea and Bon Odori dancing. There are also food and drink stalls. As the programme and offerings may vary, check the dates and announced activities in advance if you are planning your trip around the festival.

Choose a Holiday Rental Based on Your Reason for Travelling

When looking for a holiday rental in Iwa, you can start by deciding which experiences will shape your trip. For a day at the beach, the two travel times from Manazuru provide a practical planning guide; for diving, the distinction between shore and boat sites is important. The summer festival offers a different focus, as its dates and programme may vary.

Discover more destinations: Yokosuka, Isehara, Chigasaki, Sagamihara, Hiratsuka, Hakone, Manazuru, Yokohama.

Back to the main travel overview: Kanagawa Prefecture.