Walking the volcanic coastline of Yogasaki

My one full day in Ito finds me walking amongst all the old streets and pedestrianised areas finding nic-nac shops just like in any coastal resorts, seeing lots of pensioners and discovering the beach - it is called ‘Orange Beach’ but not obviously because it is orange, in fact it is volcanically grey/black in nature - however, the region does have a lot of citrus fruit trees including oranges ;) there is one place near to Ito worth taking a bus to and that is the Yogasaki coastline, which is made up of the remains of a volcanic eruption and therefore has a coastline of jagged lava meeting rough seas :) (In order to get here take bus 3 outside the station in Ito and buy a round trip sightseeing ticket 1300Y/~£9, this allows you to be dropped off at Yogasaki-Guchi and return from the nearby Izu Kaiyu park on bus at no.2 stop). On the coastal walk you can watch and listen to the waves crashing in against the steep cliffs while enjoying a hearty picnic and then continue on to the suspension bridge (48m across and 23m above the waves below!!) this then leads to a small lighthouse 17m high which you can climb and of course buy an ice cream afterwards at the tourist shack… All in all a good ½day out if you feel bored in Ito, but it is popular with the local Japanese so expect to meet lots of groups/couples as you hike. If you are feeling particularly energetic (I was not…) you could also go to the extinct volcanic cone of Mnt Omuro (which is shaped like a rice bowl…) and take in the stunning views.