The world’s only sandy onsen
For the sand bath, a natural hot spring flows underground toward the shore and the sand there is heated to be utilized for the bath. Ibusuki’s sand bath panacea has been in use for about 300 years, and its effects have been said to be 3-4 times that of a regular onsen, promoting blood circulation and eliminating waste products and inflammatory materials. Also Ibusuki’s salt springs have the effects of suppressing inflammation and elevating skin renewal.
Relax body and soul at the fossil seawater salt springs
Receive your yukata and towel for the sand bath at the entrance, change into the yukata in the men’s or women’s change rooms, and enter the outdoor sand baths without forgetting to bring your small towel along with your camera or smartphone. At Saraku, there are 2 sand bath areas which you can choose from: the all-weather semi-outdoor facility with a roof and the beach where the waves lap onto the shore. Once you wrap the towel around your head, lie on the warm sand so that the staffer can pour the sand onto you with a shovel. Your body will gradually warm up inside the sand so that you can enjoy a natural sauna. It’s recommended that you lie in the sand for about 10 minutes since a prolonged time might make you ill. Place your camera or smartphone nearby beforehand since a staffer will offer to take a picture of you while you are in the sand. After enjoying the sand bath, you can enjoy a leisurely soak at the indoor hot spring facility within the ancient waters of the deep underground area known as the “fossil seawater” that make up the fountainhead for the salt springs. Please take note that weeknights and weekends are crowded and that the baths cannot be entered during high tide. Since there are many pickup buses from the Ibusuki ryokan, it’s good to check at your accommodations.