Travel opportunities abound in Hokkaido whether your on a day trip or a month long excursion. Throughout the island you can find beautiful coastlines, lakes forests and rivers and usually not far from any of these places is a delightful village. The ease of which you can explore Hokkaido is fantastic and simply following your nose with a map and a bit of curiosity are all the plans you need.
A good example of where you might end up is the Sutsu / Shimamaki area on the south west coast of Hokkaido approximately two and a half hours from Sapporo and significantly less from Niseko. Here you will find some actual rocky untouched coastlines with sparkling clear water and an abundance of sheltered coves perfect for picnicking.
The scenery here is quite distinctive with mountains that are very close to the coast, these are especially striking when they are still holding snow. Aside from the scenery the area is also popular for recreational fishing and of course there are some fantastic onsens to be had, try Shimamaki for these. Here you will also find the local delicacy, Oysters.
This area is just a tiny part of what Hokkaido has to offer but it reflects a lot of what travel here can be like. Every town seems to have some must try delicacy and a beaut Onsen is always close by. Free camping is a fantastic way to experience places like this but for those wanting a little more comfort there are usually various accommodations in most towns.
http://www.hihostels.com/dba/hostels-Shimamaki—Shimamaki-YH-032271.en.htm?himap=Y#book