Things to do in Yaeyama District

Kondoi Beach

is a great beach on Taketomi Island with very clear water and exceptionally soft, fine sand. As far as the eye can see, the blue of the sea extends to the horizon. At low tide, you can wade out to the sandbar, which is a unique experience. The beach features restrooms, changing rooms, other rental facilities, and a picnic area. The calm waves make it ideal for swimming and snorkeling.

Taketomi Island

Taketomi Island is a flat, small island formed by coral reefs, spanning 9 km. It once prospered as it was located in the center of the Ishigaki Yaima Village area. There are few signs of human development here, and the original architecture has been well preserved, featuring red roofs surrounded by green trees and shimmering silver roads. The beaches are also very clean and fine, with many beautiful seashells and star sand. Taketomi Island has both sandy and rocky beaches where you can enjoy swimming and snorkeling. Except for , there are no public facilities here.

Kaiji Beach

Iriomote-jima

Iriomote Island is the larger of the Yaeyama Islands, about 470 kilometers southwest of the main island of Okinawa Prefecture, about 18 kilometers west of Ishigaki Island. The subtropical virgin jungle accounts for more than nine-tenths of the island's area. Rare animals such as the Xiobiao lynx and Guduoertou eagle live here, as well as monuments such as Xiandao hematoxylin, palm and other plants. The star beach on the island is famous, and the sand on the beach is shaped like a small star. It's actually the skeleton of a single-celled organism that lives in seagrass. Snorkeling and swimming are possible on this beach, but the water is shallow at low tide and there are no public facilities. Dense mangroves grow at the mouths of the Nakama River and the Urouchi River, and there are sightseeing routes that take boats and kayak upstream in these two rivers to enjoy the majestic scenery of unspoilt nature. There are jungle cruises on the island that provide guided tours of the two major rivers of Iriomote Island, and a cruise on the Urouchi River can also include a 2-hour hike through the jungle to two beautiful waterfalls. You can also rent a canoe or join a guided canoe tour. There is also Iriomotejima Onsen, the southernmost hot spring in Japan, where you can wear a swimsuit and enjoy bathing in an open-air bath.

Japan's Southernmost Point Monument

Monument of the Westernmost Point in Japan

NISHIHAMA

Famous for its blue water, NISHIHAMA is so beautiful that it inspired the term "Hateruma Blue." Many visitors say the stunning scenery here is "something you never get tired of looking at." It is uncrowded, and the water is the color of a gemstone. Walk barefoot on the white sand, gaze at the beautiful water, and enjoy a relaxing time.

Nishi Pier

Nagomi Tower

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