Chichukai Mura - Your Spanish Vacaciones in Japan

Chichukai Mura - Your Spanish Vacaciones in Japan

Come visit Shima Mediterranean Village in southeastern Mie Prefecture for an elegant Spanish-style getaway that is both relaxing and thrilling at the same time. As a day guest, you can enjoy activities such as tile art, fishing, and cruising, relax in a European style village cafe, or savor the succulent dishes at the 1 Michelin star restaurant RIAS, while enjoying magnificent ocean scenery. As a staying guest, enjoy all of that plus the natural hot spring and other facilities only available to you before retiring to bed in one of the luxurious suite rooms.

My guided tour finished, I decided to explore a bit more on the other side, past Cafe Amigo. There, I climbed Lovers Tower. This cute little tower is just a bit higher than the surrounding guest rooms and offers a great view of the bay, and perhaps the perfect spot to “pop the question” or to surprise someone with a special gift.

From this vantage point, you can also get a close look at the colorful roof tiles, also imported from Spain to give an authentic feel to the village.

Next to the tower was a small bar that, unfortunately, only opened from the evening, but I thought that it was a sign that there were places for all kinds of visitors to relax and enjoy themselves during their stay.

I concluded my tour by visiting with the hotel manager again and was reminded once more how professional and customer oriented he and the rest of the staff were.

I asked about how most foreigners spend their time during their visit. He replied that many visit Ise Grand Shrine and then stay at the hotel afterward. He pointed out that guests can reserve a massage at the resort’s relaxation salon and can usually have service with only an hour notice.

For foreigners who are thinking of visiting the area, he said of Shima Mediterranean Village Resort, “This Village is not like Japan. You can feel as if you are in the Mediterranean - while in Japan!”

A proper beach is only 20 minutes away. The hotel has an outdoor pool available for swimming and relaxing during July and August. And you can even bring your pet dog with you. There are two guest rooms that support dogs. Charges for dogs are 1000, 2000 and 3000 yen per night for small, medium and large size dogs respectively. There are secured posts and rings around the resort so you can tie your dog while you enter a shop, etc.

As I left the village, I found myself already wanting to visit this wonderful village style resort again.

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