Taketomi, Taketomi Town (Taketomi Island)
Featuring the longest stretch of sand on Taketomi Island -- one of the Yaeyama Islands -- and tranquil water with a smooth sandy bottom, Kondoi Beach provides a great swimming experience for everyone. In addition the beach is easily accessible from Ishigaki, with regular ferries departing every 30 minutes for Taketomi.
Known as Kume Island’s signature feature, Tatami Ishi is an artistic natural creation of polygonal rocks one to two meters in diameter that look like tatami on white sand. These rocks were created by a unique natural phenomenon in which lava slowly cooled and hardened into rock with regularly shaped cracks.
170-1 Ou, Kumejima Town (Kume Island)
Tel: 098-985-8600
Hours: 10:00-21:00
Open daily
Admission to the pool facilities: 2,000 yen for adults, 1,000 yen for children
The world’s first deep-sea-water facility combining German hot bath therapeutic methods. With a superb view of blue waters, you can relax in a pool and take aqua therapy and various types of aesthetic treatment.
Tokashiki Village (Mae Island)
Mae Island is located about seven kilometers to the east of Tokashiki Island. North of Mae are Hate Island and Naka Island, which are generally included when referring to Mae Island. This island is popular for fishing and diving. Visitors can get to the island by charter boat or by a tour arranged by a travel agency. The cost for a round trip from and back to Tokashiki Island by charter boat can range between 30,000 yen and 50,000 yen. As there is no accommodation on the island, Mae is suitable for day trips only.
Aka, Zamami Village (Aka Island)
This is a stunning beach with a fully developed coral reef and colorful tropical fish. The most popular beach on the island, it is frequented by diving and snorkeling lovers during the summer season.
Ama, Zamami Village (Zamami Island)
Tel:098-987-2277
Five minutes from Zamami Port by vehicle. There is a facility in the vicinity called Kujiranosato, which offers campsites, bungalows and a swimming pool. Even though Ama Beach is not as busy as Furuzamami Beach, it is a convenient spot with shops and food concessions available during the high season.
Zamami, Zamami Village (Zamami Island)
Tel:098-987-2277
The best-known beach on Zamami Island. Visitors can sometimes observe tropical fish even just standing on the shore. This beach is popular among tourists during the summer season.
Aharen, Tokashiku Village (Tokashiki Island)
Tel:098-987-2323
Fifteen minutes by vehicle from Tokashiki Port. A popular beach where visitors can enjoy various marine sports and have access to shower facilities. There are many places of accommodation and restaurants near the beach.
Iriomote, Taketomi Town (Iriomote Island)
There is a spot on Iriomote Island that has been increasingly attracting the attention of tourists for the last several years. Funauki is a small, peaceful village with about 50 residents. The village is isolated from the rest of the island and has a tranquil feeling to it with a different sense of time. It has no paved roads or cars, and its lack of accessibility has preserved its natural beauty. Tours to Funauki are highly recommended. Ferries for Funauki depart three or four times a day from Shirahama Port. To get to Funauki Village from Ishigaki Island, catch a ferry at Ishigaki Ritou Terminal bound for Uehara or Funaura Port on Iriomote, then proceed by bus to Shirahama Port and on to Funauki by ferry. It is quite time consuming to visit Funauki Village by yourself and can cost more than participating in an organized tour.
1355 Kawahira, Ie Village (Ie Island)
There is a popular belief that female infertility can be cured by holding up the Bijiru-ishi, a holy stone found in this sacred cave. The cave is also called Sennin-gama as it was used a bomb shelter and saved numerous lives during the war.
3614-1 Higashiemae, Ie Village (Ie Island)
Tel: 0980-49-5850
Hours: 9:00-17:00
Open daily
Admission: Free
Displayed in the garden are about 1,000 different varieties of colorful hibiscus. Every December the garden plays host to the annual Ie Island Hibiscus Festival.
380 Higashieue, Ie Village (Ie Island)
Tel: 0980-49-2906 (Ie Village Department of Commerce, Industry and Tourism)
Open daily
Admission: Free
In the huge 86,000-square-meter Lily Field Park, some 200,000 lily bulbs are planted with the beautiful landscape of the north coast as a backdrop. The park is the perfect place to go for a walk and a picnic. There are rest areas, and you can also enjoy fishing from the rocks on the coast side of the park. The Lily Festival is held from April to May, when the park is blanketed with 1 million lilies including teppouyuri -- a variety of lily native to the Ryukyu Islands -- and colorful foreign species.
