Beach & Waterfront · Enoshima

Enoshima Iwaya Caves and Chigogafuchi 江の島岩屋・稚児ヶ淵

The wild back side of Enoshima: a wave-cut rock shelf where locals watch the sunset and Fuji, and two sea caves with legends of dragons and Benzaiten.

About

Walk all the way through Enoshima, over the hill and down the steps on the far side, and you reach Chigogafuchi, a flat rock terrace raised by the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake and battered by the open Pacific swell. It is one of the finest sunset spots in Shonan, with Mount Fuji and the Izu Peninsula across the bay. Next to it are the Iwaya Caves, where the islands worship of Benzaiten began; you walk in by candlelight to see statues and the dragon legend at the end of the second cave. A boat (Benten-maru) runs back to the bridge from near the rocks when the sea is calm, saving the climb.

Highlights

• Wave-cut rock terrace facing the open ocean with Fuji and Izu across the bay
• Candle-lit sea caves tied to Enoshimas Benzaiten worship
• Tide pools full of crabs and small fish
• Benten-maru boat shortcut back to the bridge (weather permitting)
• One of the best sunsets on the Shonan coast

Tips

• The Iwaya caves close at 17:00 (16:00 in winter); the rocks stay open for sunset.
• Stay well back from the edge: big waves wash over the rocks without warning.
• Take the Benten-maru boat back to save the uphill climb (calm days only).
• Enoshima Escar escalators help on the way in, but there is no escalator on the way out.

Open in Google Maps · Info checked 2026-10-09

Nearby

• Enoshima Sea CandleVista & View · 370 m away
• Enoshima IslandBeach & Waterfront · 710 m away
• Katase Nishihama and Kugenuma BeachBeach & Waterfront · 1.4 km away
• Katase Higashihama BeachBeach & Waterfront · 1.4 km away
• Koshigoe BeachBeach & Waterfront · 1.7 km away
• Shichirigahama BeachBeach & Waterfront · 3.6 km away
• Inamuragasaki ParkBeach & Waterfront · 4.7 km away
• Kotoku-in (Great Buddha of Kamakura)Temple · 5.8 km away