Nature Spots in Okinawa Area

  • Yabuchi Island
    Travel / Tourism
    Okinawa Uruma Yonashiroyakena
    Prefectural Route 10 runs through the southeast part of Uruma City down through Henza Island and Miyagi Island all the way out to Ikei Island, and this historical site is located just off to the west of the center of the island. Numerous relics including pit-type dwellings, pottery, and stone axes have been excavated from this National Historic Site. Presently there's a restored pit dwelling that can be viewed and as the largest in the prefecture it draws lots of tourists to the site. Because the gentle terrain of the island made the settlement vulnerable to the salty sea breezes the people of the time devised a method of protecting themselves by planting trees and vegetation around their settlements.
  • Yakena Straits
    Travel / Tourism
    Okinawa Uruma Yonashiro
    This observatory sits atop a small hill near the entrance of the strait that passes between Yakena Port and Yabuchi Island. Below you'll see the beautiful scenery of the Yakena Strait, mentioned in the Asian Lorelai Fable, and the contrast between the emerald green of the sea and the green of the trees that run along the coastline is a wondrous sight to behold. Out past Yabuchi Island and the Yabuchi Ohashi Bridge you can even see as far as the main island of Okinawa. It's a wonderful, quiet spot situated here on the back side of the peninsula to take in the view of what some call Okinawa's Seto Inland Sea.
  • Shiokawa Utaki and Row of Fukugi Trees
    Travel / Tourism
    Okinawa Miyako-gun Taramason Shiokawa
    This historical site is located just east of the urban area on the northern part of Tarama Island, which lies between Ishigaki Island and Miyako Island. The Utaki is a sacred site said to have been built by village commoners where they witnessed a miraculous flying stone come to rest. The beautifully scenic area has been designated as a Prefectural Natural Monument for the rows of fukugi trees that line the approximately 650-meter-long approach to the site and for the surrounding plant colony. The colony, which is densely populated by a variety of trees including yew plum pine, mastwood, and black ebony, serves as a windbreak that protects the Utaki.
  • Nishikaigan Park / Cape Shiratorizaki
    Leisure / Hobbies
    Okinawa Miyakojima-shi Irabu Sawada
    This park is located on the northeastern tip of Irabu Island about a 45-minute drive from Miyako Shimojishima Airport Terminal. It features a promenade that extends from the bird-shaped Funausagibanata Observatory Facility to Cape Shiratorizaki. The reef that stretches along Cape Shiratorizaki has been designated as a Natural Monument of the city. The park's rest area doubles as an observatory that offers a scenic view of the contrast between the rugged rock faces, the greenery, the white sandy beaches, and the blue sky. It is possible to see as far as Nishihennazaki Cape and Ikema Island. The area around the park is one of the biggest diving spots on the island, so diving boats can frequently be seen anchored offshore. You may even catch a glimpse of manta rays swimming in the winter.
  • Miyara River Mangrove
    Travel / Tourism
    Okinawa Ishigaki-shi Miyara
    This 35.4 square kilometer mangrove forest grows wildly along about 1.5 kilometers of both sides of the mouth of the Miyara River, the largest river on Ishigaki Island. It is comprised of a variety of mangrove species including loop-root mangroves, Kandelia obovata, and black mangroves. Designated as a national natural monument in 1972, the mangrove forest is a habitat and breeding ground for a wide variety of wildlife including wild birds, butterflies, crabs, and fish. Cruising this mangrove river by canoe or standup paddleboard (SUP) is a popular activity. Tours offer participants the chance to explore caves located well up the Miyara River that are only accessible by canoe or similar means.
  • Nagura Anparu
    Travel / Tourism
    Okinawa Ishigaki-shi Nagura
    This wetland in Nagura, Ishigaki City is comprised of marshlands, shoals, and mudflats. It is a habitat for virgin mangrove forests and other subtropical plants as well as rare organisms including the Chinese box turtle, a national Natural Monument. The wetlands are also a well-known waterfowl habitat and are listed in the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat. Visitors can enjoy nature observation, clam digging, kayaking, and other activities.
  • Kumaya Cave
    Travel / Tourism
    Okinawa Shimajiri-gun Iheya Mura Dana
    Kumaya Cave is located in Dana, Iheya Village, Shimajiri County. It was formed over 280 million years ago by erosion of sedimentary rocks. The interior of the cave is about 10 meters high and stretches about 40 meters from its mouth. It has been designated a Prefectural Natural Monument. The Edo Period scholar, To Teikan, advocated the theory that the cave was Amano-Iwato, a cave that figures in early Japanese mythology, and it is also known as the southernmost land of the Amano-Iwato legend.
  • The Great Une Sotetsu Palms
    Travel / Tourism
    Okinawa Shimajiri-gun Kumejimacho Une 5
    Sago palm trees located in Une, Kumejima Town, Shimajiri County. Visitors can pay admission to see these two trees, 4 meters and 6 meters tall, growing in the garden of a traditional-style house. The trees are said to be as much as 300 years old, but their exact age is unknown. They have been designated Prefectural Natural Monuments.
  • Nettaigyo no Ie
    Travel / Tourism
    Okinawa Shimajiri-gun Kumejimacho Hiyajo
    A spot for viewing tropical fish on the coast in Hiyajo, Kumejima Town, Shimajiri County. Tropical fish gather in tidal pools along the coast, so this spot is known as a place where visitors can see the fish without going into the sea. Viewing is especially good when the sea is calm.
  • Hoshino Cave
    Travel / Tourism
    Okinawa Shimajiri-gun Minamidaitoson Kita 64
    "A limestone cave in Minami Daito Village, Shimajiri County. It is located on the Minami Daito Island, which was formed by the uplift of a coral reef, and it was formed through the erosion of the limestone that originated from the coral reef. It is the largest of the limestone caves scattered around the island. Visitors can view stalagmites, stalactites, ""curtains,"" and other limestone formations along with fossilized coral."
  • A Paradise for Subtropical Plants Yubujima
    Travel / Tourism
    Okinawa Yaeyama-gun Taketomicho Komi 689
    "This remote island belongs to the Yaeyama Islands southwest of Okinawa Main Island. It is located just east of Iriomote Island, and you can go back and forth between these islands on a water buffalo cart that travels across the long shallow sea. On the island, where there is a rich natural environment with lush subtropical plants, you will find the butterfly park, where you can observe pupa of Japan's largest butterfly ""tree nymph butterfly"" sparkling in gold color, a water buffalo pond where water buffalo rest, a bougainvillea garden, restaurants and shops as well."
  • Manza Beach
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    4.0
    292 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Okinawa Kunigami-gun Onnason Serakaki

    Great beach with lots of activities. Toilets and showers. A shop and also a small snack bar which sells tasty hot dogs, shaved ice and drinks

  • CAVEOKINAWA
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    4.5
    21 Reviews
    Travel / Tourism
    Okinawa Uruma Ishikawa Kadekaru 479-1

    Nice natural cave. You cannot beat the price to experience here; a must do for a quick afternoon. Not necessarily a day trip in itself, but easy to combine with other nearby experiences.

  • Kohamajima Island
    Travel / Tourism
    Okinawa Yaeyama-gun Taketomicho
  • Chinen Cape
    Travel / Tourism
    Okinawa Nanjo-shi
  • Iriomotejima Island
    Travel / Tourism
    Okinawa Yaeyama-gun Taketomicho
  • Minamidaitojima Island
    Travel / Tourism
    Okinawa Shimajiri-gun Minamidaitoson
  • Hirakubo Cape
    Travel / Tourism
    Okinawa
  • Mt.Katsu
    Travel / Tourism
    Okinawa Nago-shi
  • Hanashiro Beach
    Travel / Tourism
    Okinawa Shimajiri-gun Yaese

Okinawa Areas

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Let go of your image of a busy, ordered Japan and replace it with crystal-clear waters, white sand beaches, and relaxing folk music: You’ve arrived in Okinawa. A world away from the high intensity of Tokyo, Okinawans appear to live a laid-back beach life on this paradisiacal tropical island that lies in the middle of the East China Sea almost 1,000 kilometers south of mainland Japan’s most southern tip. Home to a spattering of islands, prepare yourself to discover underwater caves, star-shaped sand, and an island culture sometimes unrecognizable from mainland Japan.

Okinawa Photo Album

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