Okinawa Beaches

A guide to 21 beaches on Ishigaki Island plus five more sights, including capes, observation decks, and the Blue Cave, sorted into three areas. Each area list leads on to a fuller article.

A guide to eight beaches in the Kabira and western part of Ishigaki Island: three-star Kabira Bay, the popular snorkeling spot Yonehara Beach, Sukuji Beach with its jellyfish net, and the quiet shores around Sakieda. Oganzaki, the island's great sunset cape, and the Blue Cave are covered too.

A guide to six beaches in the northern and Hirakubo part of Ishigaki Island, from the well-equipped Ishigaki Sunset Beach to Hirakubo Beach, a music video location, and Hirano Beach at the island's northern tip. Hirakubozaki and Tamatorizaki Observatory are covered too.

A guide to seven beaches in the city center and southern part of Ishigaki Island, including Fusaki Beach, Maesato Beach, and Shiraho Coast. All of them are within 10 to 30 minutes of Ishigaki Airport. Ryukyu Kannonzaki Lighthouse is covered too.

Ishigaki's Blue Cave sits on the coast north of Yonehara Beach, a half-submerged sea cave with a white sand floor and stalactites inside. You swim in at high tide and walk in at low tide. Here is how to get there, how to choose a tour, the best time of day, and what to know before setting out on your own.

A guide to Kabira Tabaga in Kabira on Ishigaki Island. A natural beach of white sand in a small cove ringed by rock, with exceptionally clear water and a handmade swing that made it a photo spot. How to get there, parking, the best tide for snorkeling and what to watch out for.

A guide to Yamabare Coast (Crystal Beach) in Kabira on Ishigaki Island. Natural quartz washed down from Mt. Omoto turns up in the sand here, and the water is clear with coral offshore. Parking, facilities, how to get there and why swimming is not advised.