Suggestions for Best Section over 2 days / 1 night?

Hello all,

I hope someone with experience can help me with this query.

My girlfriend and I are coming to Japan and would like to do a short section of the Shikoku pilgrimage - perhaps two days with one or two nights in lodgings. We are trying to work out what is the best section to do? The best section would be with the most natural beauty and away from roads and but accessible by public transport (we will have JR passes).
Could you make a couple of suggestions for us, please? What sections do you think we should do?

David Turkington has very kindly suggested:
"A traditional two days could be the climb up to Temple 12 from Temple 11, then down the other side of the mountain to lodging for day one. Then on day two, from that lodging on to Temples 13-17, or as far as you feel like walking that day. By afternoon you will be in an urban enough area to find a bus/train/taxi to get you back into downtown Tokushima City where you can call it quits."

This sounds great, but I'm wondering if there are any other suggestions? (perhaps not right in the south). You help appreciated ...

If you don't mind having one of the hardest parts of the whole thing right off the bat yeah that's good suggestion. You could do 12 that way and on day 2 I was able to do bangai temple 2(one of my favourite temples) and temples 13 to 16 though that was brutal day(36.5km according to my phone and included steep climb while getting back from temple 12).

Temples 1-11 would be 2 day but not much of rural section there so guess that's out.

Bus from Tokushima to Katsuura town and do bangai 3(very nice mountain hike) and main temples 20 and 21(mountains) and maybe 22 MIGHT be possible though requires bus rather than train. Price isn't that expensive, tricky part will be figuring out schedules and departure spot. But Bangai 3 is another temple I love.

Temple 66 and onward would be good except for wee little bit issue of getting to good starting point...

Temple 71 was nice little mountain area and easily reachable with trains so something like 71 onward(76-77 should be possible) which would give the supposed temple of Kukai.

But really the David's suggestion IS probably the best one. Easy to reach starting point, T12 is wonderful trail(though not easiest walk out there) and you can reach public transport easily enough. And if you feel like walking on day 2 more that bangai temple is well worth the side trip(might want to have mask though in advance. Long tunnel to go through and back. Found myself feeling like spitting exhaust fumes after that). If you find you are out of strenght after that train station is close by as well from bangai 2.

Thank you Tneva82 - that is very helpful.

One way to do temple 66 btw could be take train from Tokushima to Awa Ikeda, go to bangai temple there(number 15). Steep climb on a hill. Then walk back down and toward minshuku at the foothills of temple 66(if it's still working. Owner is seriously old veteran. He was old even when David visited that place in '90's and in 2018 was still kicking strong! Amazing fellow). and on day 2 do the temple 66(tallest mountain in the pilgrimage) and then from there 67, 68/69 and you are in train area again.

Might require essentially 3rd day due to public transport depending on how things work out. If you can time it so you get to Awa Ikeda on evening so next day you can do temple and head toward 66 it works fine.

Are you going to be on Shikoku anyway? If not, it seems like a long way to go to only do two days. If what you want is to walk in Japan, seems like you should consider the Nakasendo?

we were going to be on Shikoku anyway .... I just looked up Nakasendo ... good idea. Thanks :-)