Shodoshima International Hotel

The lobby opens up to a generous swathe of ocean and you'll see 'Angel Road' from the moment you first arrive. Common areas have a dependable "resort" feel with a souvenir shop stocked with island-made olive products, soy sauces and handmade somen noodles. Dining is seafood-heavy (and delicious!) and the kaiseki dinner is served course by course, with sashimi and local Sanuki olive beef among the highlights. There are also both indoor and open-air baths fed by natural alkaline hot springs, the latter perched right on the shoreline.

Every room faces the Seto Inland Sea, and you can choose from tatami-floored Japanese rooms to Japanese-Western hybrids. The pick of the lot are the executive rooms on the upper floors, which come with private open-air rotenburo baths overlooking Angel Road. Watching the sandbar reappear from a steaming tub is quite something! Bathrooms in the standard categories are compact and a touch dated, but the communal onsen more than makes up for it.

Shodoshima packs a surprising amount into a small island. Kankakei Gorge — rated among Japan's three most beautiful valleys — is spectacular by ropeway or on foot, particularly in autumn when the maples are ablaze with colour. The Olive Park's windmill and groves feel almost Mediterranean, while the soy sauce brewing district at Hishio no Sato is a fascinating detour into centuries-old craft (the soy sauce ice cream at Marukin is a must). The Setouchi Triennale's art installations dot the coastline, and cycling between ports is an easy way to stumble upon quiet beaches and fishing villages.