Sunabe Beach, also known as Sunabe Coast, is a beach in Chatan, in central Okinawa.
White sand and remarkably clear water are what define it.
The area around Sunabe Beach sits close to Kadena Air Base and is home to many foreign residents; you will often see them walking along the shore or taking their children to nearby Sunabe Baba Park.
It feels less like a tourist site and more like somewhere the local community comes to unwind.
Sunabe Beach ratings
*Ratings are the subjective assessment of the Okinawa Bookmark editor, compared with other beaches in Okinawa Prefecture.
Sunabe Beach at a glance
| Swimming season | None in particular |
| Hours | None in particular |
| Swimming fee | Free |
| Jellyfish net | None |
| Lifeguard | None |
| Showers | None |
| Lockers | None |
| Swim gear rental | None |
| Water sports | None |
| Shop | None |
| Restroom | Yes |
| Official website | None |
There is no jellyfish net and no lifeguard at Sunabe Beach, so it suits anyone who wants to relax on the sand with family or friends rather than swim.
Sunabe Baba Park is close by, with play equipment, benches and restrooms.
The Highlights
A beautiful beach
The water is clearer and more beautiful than we expected.
The moss-covered rocks sit well against the sea, too.
Wide, fine sand
The sand is lovely and soft enough to walk on barefoot without discomfort.
Some stretches are stony, but most of the beach is fine sand.
Snorkeling and diving are possible
The Sunabe area has dive sites such as Sunabe No.1 and is known as one of the best spots on Okinawa’s main island. Miyagi Coast, a little further along, is a well-known snorkeling spot too.
Chatan offers snorkeling, diving and much more, so take a look on GetYourGuide or Viator.
A fine view from the lookout
The lookout has benches, so you can sit down and rest.
The view from up there was beautiful.
The rocks and the jetty are lovely too
The small tide pools among the rocks are full of crabs, hermit crabs and little fish.
There is a jetty, which does give the place a slightly man-made look, but it has a charm of its own.
There is a restroom and a covered pavilion
It sits inside neighbouring Sunabe Baba Park, but there is a covered pavilion that works well as a rest spot.
Restrooms and vending machines are there too, so the facilities are reasonably good.
Points to Note
As the posted notices say, this is not a designated swimming beach, so please take care if you go in the water.
Follow the rules and enjoy the place safely.
Access & Parking
| Access | About 45 minutes by car from Naha Airport |
| Address | 247-5 Sunabe, Chatan, Nakagami District, Okinawa |
| Activities | None |
| Parking | Yes (free) |
| Restroom | Yes |
It is not a dedicated lot for Sunabe Beach, but there is parking on the Sunabe Baba Park side.
It is free, with room for about 25 cars.
From the parking lot it is roughly a three-minute walk to Sunabe Beach.
Please check the photo and map below for details on the parking.
Around Sunabe Beach
Activities in Chatan
Chatan offers a wide range of water sports.
You can book diving, snorkeling, SUP and more.
If you are interested in diving or snorkeling, why not take a look at what is on offer in Chatan?
Sunabe Baba Park
Sunabe Baba Park has play equipment, a basketball court and a skateboard practice area.
It is a wide-open park, and plenty of children were out on the basketball court and the play equipment.
There are signs setting out the rules for using the park, so please follow them.
Hamaya Soba
Hamaya Soba is about three minutes by car from Sunabe Beach.
It is a well-known Okinawa soba restaurant among locals.
Highly recommended if you want to try Okinawa soba.
A rental car is the way to go in Okinawa
A rental car is by far the best way to get around the main island of Okinawa.
The places worth seeing are scattered across the island, from Shuri Castle in Naha to the beautiful beaches of the north and American Village in Chatan, and with a car you can take them at your own pace. Buses are infrequent and do not always run on time, so having a car or not makes a real difference to 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.
In summary
This article introduced Sunabe Beach.
Many foreign residents live around Sunabe Beach, and nearly everyone we saw playing in the park or walking along the shore was a foreign resident.
The park is well equipped, and the beach is so quiet you might wonder whether it is private, which makes it a good place to relax on the sand.
Chatan has plenty of other beaches besides Sunabe Beach, from busy favorites to quieter hidden gems.
We have also put together a guide to every beach in Chatan, so please take a look if you would like to know more.
We hope this article was of some help.
Thank you for reading to the end.
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