The sandbar itself is the point of the visit. Stretching 3.6 kilometres across Miyazu Bay, planted with over 5,000 pine trees, it is wide enough to walk or cycle comfortably and narrow enough that you can see water on both sides at almost every point along the way.
Bicycles are available for rent near Amanohashidate Station, and most visitors cycle the full length — a pleasant 20 to 30 minute ride each way. Several small shrines dot the route, including a miniature torii gate that marks the approximate midpoint. The sand beach along the southern edge is swimmable in summer. Take the chairlift or cable car at either end of the spit to reach the viewpoints where you can perform the matanozoki viewing.