GuideNaha, Okinawa, Japan
Okinawa's Best Beaches and Islands
Coral water, island time and the Kerama archipelago
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Japan's subtropical south is a world away from Tokyo. Where to find the clearest water, the best snorkelling and the quietest sand in Okinawa.
Japan, but tropical
Okinawa was the Ryukyu Kingdom until 1879, and its islands still feel like another country: the language, the music played on the three-stringed sanshin, the food built on pork and bitter melon, and the pace, which locals call Okinawa time. The water is the attraction, warm enough to swim from April to November and so clear that you can watch turtles from a paddleboard.
Skip the busy resort strip of the main island and take the ferry from Naha to the Kerama Islands, forty minutes away. Tokashiki and Zamami have white beaches, coral reefs within wading distance and humpback whales offshore from January to March. Aharen Beach on Tokashiki and Furuzamami on Zamami are both rated among the best in Japan.
Further south, Ishigaki and Iriomote offer mangrove kayaking, manta rays and jungle waterfalls, a short flight from Naha.
Island-hopping basics
- Ferries to the Kerama Islands leave Tomari Port in Naha
- Book the fast ferry in summer; it sells out by mid-morning
- Pack reef-safe sunscreen and a rash vest
- Typhoon season peaks in August and September; keep a buffer day
When to go
Tokashiki Island
About this story
Saki SakuraAuthor
Sakura JourneysPublisher
Reviews
Write a reviewAverage rating 5.0 out of 5
1 review- LJLars Johansson5 out of 5 stars4 Dec 2025
Every food recommendation was a hit, and the etiquette notes meant we never felt lost ordering.
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