Lake Saroma Wakka Nature Center — Attraction in Kitami

Unfortunately, we were short on time but the hour we spent here was lovely. As we approached by car, the scenery was less than appealing, with a murky looking lake alongside the road, which was then replaced by lots of deserted factory buildings. However, once we bypassed all that and went over the bridge, the scenery suddenly becomes gorgeous, with the sea sparkling before us.

The bicycle rental shop is right next to the entrance to the nature center and staffed by these adorable ojisans, who are concerned for your safety. They have a nice selection of bicycles to choose from--including different sized children's bikes--as well as tandem bikes.

As you ride out from the shop, you are already on the paved path that takes you around the reserve. The path is moderately hilly but fairly easy to navigate and every so often, you'll see these little perpendicular foot trails snaking off to the side. We eventually parked our bike (our tandem had a lock on it, so we could safely leave it and go for a stroll) and walked up a small incline to find a beach along the other side.

Sadly, we didn't get a chance to cycle the entire way but we enjoyed what we saw and noticed many bird watchers...

You can visit here with kids. You rent a bicycle for 600 yens and enjoy the scenery. Cars are not allowed to enter. On the north side there's a long coastline on the Sea of Okhotsk, stretching from Lake Notoro. On the western end of the cycling road is a well and helps quench your thirst. It's supposed to be open to everyone, but it seems not many tourists come here. Highly...

Well worth renting a bicycle during summer! You get to enjoy the nice weather breeze while enjoying the wild flowers that grow on the sand dunes. Apart from that, there is not much to do but there is an archeological site a short drive away.

Rental was about 600 yen for the whole day so it's money well spent. There is a small cafe at the entrance to grab some food...