The valley is a playground for fans of outdoor sports. Located in the centre of the island of Shikoku with a varied landscape, by turns verdant and steep – especially in the Oboke Gorges – and traversed by cooling mountain streams, the Iya Valley has two faces. Its western slopes (Nishi Iya), which are increasingly popular with visitors and partially traversed by a splendid panoramic route, and its lesser-known eastern slopes (Higashi Iya), which are further off the beaten track. A region well worth exploring.