Inland from the coast at Ōiso, the land rises into a line of low, green hills between Hiratsuka and Ninomiya, and from their tops you look out over Sagami Bay, the Shonan coast and, on clear days, Mount Fuji and the Hakone mountains. The Shonan-daira hilltop park, above Hiratsuka, has an observation tower with a panoramic view, and in Ninomiya, Azumayama Park is famous for its early-spring display of rapeseed flowers with Fuji in the background.
Hiratsuka, the nearest big town, is known for its Tanabata festival in early July, one of the largest in the Kanto region, when the shopping streets are hung with huge, colourful streamers. The town was heavily bombed in 1945 and rebuilt after the war.
As a food stop, the area is excellent. The Shonan coast is famous for shirasu, tiny whitebait, served fresh or boiled on a bowl of rice, a dish called shirasu-don. Fishing ports along the coast have restaurants serving the day's catch, and Odawara, a little to the west, is known for kamaboko, fish cake, and for its castle.
For riders, the hill roads are winding and pleasant, with views over the sea, while Route 1 along the coast is busier but scenic. Traffic can be heavy on weekends, especially near the coast. Fuel and food are available in Hiratsuka, Ōiso and Ninomiya. This is a good place for a long lunch on the way to Hakone or the mountains of Gunma.