Tinnohama lies in Yomitan Village, in the central part of Okinawa’s main island.
It is a natural beach known for its roughly one kilometre of sand and its wonderfully clear water.
There are few visitors — usually just a handful of guests from the hotel next to the beach.
It is the sort of quiet find that does not appear in guidebooks, and it suits anyone who wants to take their time on the sand.
Tinnohama ratings
*Ratings are the subjective assessment of the Okinawa Bookmark editor, compared with other beaches in Okinawa Prefecture.
Tinnohama essentials
| Swimming season | None in particular |
| Hours | None in particular |
| Swimming fee | Free |
| Safety net | None |
| Lifeguard | None |
| Shower room | None |
| Lockers | None |
| Swim gear rental | None |
| Marine activities | None |
| Shop | None |
| Restroom | None |
| Official website | None |
This beach has no swimming facilities whatsoever.
There is no safety net and no lifeguard on duty, so please take care over your own safety if you go in the water.
The Highlights
Roughly a kilometre of white sand
The sand runs for about a kilometre and is beautiful.
There was a family enjoying the shallows when we visited.
Head the other way along the shore and you will come to Toya Fishing Port.
Wonderfully clear water
The clarity of the water is outstanding.
Photos may not quite convey it, but seeing it in person, “beautiful” is the only word for it.
The wide expanse of the East China Sea
Looking out from Tinnohama towards the East China Sea, the water stretches away into the distance.
Beautiful natural rock
There are several rocky sections, and they are lovely.
Small fish live among the rocks, and just watching them was quietly soothing.
The sound of the waves at Tinnohama — video
Do take a look at our video of the waves at Tinnohama!
Access and parking
| Access | About 50 minutes by car from Naha Airport |
| Address | 40 Toya, Yomitan Village, Nakagami District, Okinawa |
| Parking | None |
| Restroom | None |
This beach has no car park.
You can park in the area around Lazor Sea Resort Annex, close to Tinnohama.
In practice this is a quiet find used only by guests of the resort and people who live nearby.
Around Tinnohama
Activities in Yomitan Village
Yomitan Village offers a variety of marine activities.
You can book diving, snorkeling, SUP and more.
If you would like to try diving or snorkeling, why not take a look at the activities available in Yomitan Village?
Toya Fishing Port
Toya Fishing Port has a direct-sales shop run by the Yomitan Village fishing cooperative, selling fresh fish.
At Uminchu Shokudo you can tuck into seafood rice bowls, set meals and tempura.
Toya Fishing Port also runs snorkeling and diving tours where you can swim with whale sharks.
Tours can be booked through Activity Japan, so do take a look if you are curious.
Whale shark: a shark that grows up to 20 metres long. It feeds on plankton and poses little danger to people.
Source: Wikipedia
LAZOR SEA RESORT
LAZOR SEA RESORT is a mixed-use resort in Yomitan Village with a restaurant, sauna, gym, wedding facilities and more.
It is built right along the shore at Tinnohama, and you can be on the beach within ten seconds of stepping outside.
The location is superb, making it a great condominium-style option for anyone who wants an ocean view.
A rental car is the way to go in Okinawa
For sightseeing on Okinawa’s main island, a rental car is by far the best option.
The places worth visiting are scattered across the island, from Shuri Castle in Naha to the beautiful beaches up north and American Village in Chatan, and with a car you can work through them at your own pace. Local buses are infrequent and rarely run to schedule, so having a rental car makes an enormous difference to how much you get out of the trip.
Cars fill up quickly in the peak season, so we recommend booking early once your travel dates are set. One important note for overseas visitors: to drive in Japan you must obtain an International Driving Permit (Geneva Convention) in your home country before you depart, and remember that traffic in Japan drives on the left.
Summary
In this article we introduced Tinnohama.
It is a natural beach known for its roughly one kilometre of sand and its wonderfully clear water.
There are no lifeguards and no safety net, so please take real care if you go in for a swim.
Yomitan Village has plenty of other beaches too.
If you would like to know about the other beaches in Yomitan Village, we have put together a full list of Yomitan’s beaches — do give it a read.
We hope this article proves useful.
Thank you for reading to the end.
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