Accessible from Oboke or Awa Ikeda, the west of Iya Valley (Nishi Iya) is the most touristic. Cut off from the rest of the world for many years, its only source of income used to be buckwheat, barley, tobacco and millet crops. It has managed to withstand the onslaught of concrete, in particular along the scenic road (former Route 32) that winds its way for 20km between the hamlets of Nishi Iya and Iya-guchi. It commands a number of breathtaking viewpoints of the gorges.