Day 3 – Beppu (Beppu Station) to Kitakyushu (Kukura Station)
107km – The longest stage of the trip, after cutting through the North-Eastern mountains of Oita, it’s back into Fukuoka prefecture and along the coast into the town of Kitakyushu, the gateway to Kyushu. After over 250km in 3 days, a well deserved rest day will follow.
A long day of riding will start with a tough climb out of Beppu. Surrounded by mountains, the only way out is up! With a 400 meter climb in just 5km on the road to start the day, we’ll then fly down the mountain roads and onto the flat plain of North Eastern Kyushu.
We’ll pass right through Nakatsu, the home of Kara-age, and get to sample delights from some of the famous road-side chicken stores dotted around the area.
As we cross back into Fukuoka, we’ll ride the longest day of the entire trip and hopefully make it into Kitakyushu, the gateway to Kyushu, before the sun sets in the evening. A vibrant port town with plenty of entertainment options, it’s the perfect place to take a day to rest and recover before heading across to Honshu for phase 2 of the ride.
Highlights
- Brutal mountain ascent to start the day
- Nakatsu – Home of Kara-age
- Kirishima Mountains
- Longest ride of the trip
Food & Accommodation
Kara-age is still on the menu, but once we arrive into Kitakyushu we’ll get access to a greater variety of dishes. A port town with fresh seafood as well as overseas imports, Kitakyushu has a diverse menu, including sushi and baked curry, just to name a couple. We’ll stay in the heart of the city, giving us great access to explore on our upcoming rest day.