Beaches on Okinawa Main Island

Mibaru Beach in the southeast of the island

The entire prefecture of Okinawa is famous for its warm climate and beaches. While Okinawa Main Island (Okinawa Honto) is not considered to have the prefecture's very best beaches (these are found on smaller islands such as Miyako), it, nevertheless, has some attractive beaches where visitors can enjoy the sun, sand and sea. See the list below for some of the island's best beaches and snorkeling spots.

The best time to go swimming at the beach in Okinawa Honto is between May and October. From December to March the air temperatures can drop to levels below 20 degrees Celsius which many people will consider too cool for swimming. Water temperatures around Okinawa Honto never drop below 20 degrees and reach about 30 degrees during the summer months.

Some beaches are great snorkeling destinations

When using the beaches, beware of strong currents that can pull you out to sea and poisonous creatures such as Habu Jellyfish, a type of box jellyfish, which are most prevalent from June to October. Signs at the beaches inform about the dangers, while some beaches have netted off swimming areas. Although stings are rare, if stung you should pour vinegar over the sting, remove any tentacles, and seek medical help as it may become life threatening.

  • Manza Beach•
    Hours: 9:00 to 17:00 (until 19:00 in Jul and Aug; until 18:00 in Sep)
    Admission: Free (visitors pay 500 yen for facilities during main season)
    Manza Beach is an attractive beach with soft sand. It is part of the ANA InterContinental Manza Beach Resort whose large hotel building overlooks the entire 300 meter long beach. A wide range of facilities and activities are offered to staying guests and daytime visitors.
  • Moon Beach•
    Admission: 2000 yen
    Parking: 1000 yen (free from November to March)
    Moon Beach is an attractive sand beach located within the grounds of Hotel Moon Beach. The beach extends 150 meters and is often quite densely covered with bathers. There is a designated swimming area, spots for parasols and volleyball nets. The hotel offers many facilities and water activities to staying guests and daytime visitors.
  • Okuma Beach•
    Hours: 9:00 to 18:00 (until 17:00 November to February)
    Admission: 1500 yen
    Okuma Beach is an attractive beach that belongs to the Okuma Private Beach & Resort. Located in Okinawa Honto's less densely populated north, the resort area is more spread out and the beach stretches over a kilometer along the coast. Many facilities and water activities are offered to staying guests and daytime visitors.
  • Emerald Beach (Ocean Expo Park)
    Swimming season: April to October
    Hours: 8:30 to 19:00 (closes earlier in Apr, Sep and Oct)
    Admission and parking: Free
    Emerald Beach is one of many attractions spread out the Ocean Expo Park on the Motobu Peninsula. The beach is divided into three areas: one for playing, one for resting and one for viewing. Each of the three areas is about 150 meters long. A number of facilities and water activities are available to visitors.
  • Mibaru Beach
    Swimming season: late April to September
    Admission: Free (use of facilities 500 yen from Jul to Sep)
    Parking: 500 yen
    Located on the southeastern shore of Okinawa Honto, Mibaru Beach stretches well over a kilometer along the shoreline, although some sections of the beach are rather rough. Accommodation and various facilities are available at the beach, but are much simpler than those found at the above listed beaches.
  • Zampa Beach
    Swimming season: April to October
    Hours: 9:00 to 18:00
    Admission and parking: Free (200 yen to use showers)
    Zampa Beach is an attractive beach in central Okinawa Honto that stretches about 200 meters along the western coast. The beach consists of a designated swimming area, spots for parasols and volleyball nets. There are a number of facilities and water activities available to visitors.
  • Sunset Beach
    Swimming season: mid April to October
    Hours: 9:00 to 17:30 (until 18:00 in July/August, 17:00 in October)
    Admission and parking: Free
    Sunset Beach is located just next to the Mihama American Village, a shopping and entertainment complex in central Okinawa Honto. The beach has about 250 meters of shoreline and is located in a small artificial bay on the western shore, making it a good spot to see the sunset. There are many facilities and spots for holding barbecues.

Snorkeling

The sea life along the shores of Okinawa Honto is not quite as colorful as around some of Okinawa's smaller islands. Nevertheless, there are a few nice snorkeling spots.

  • Cape Maeda•
    Hours: 7:00 to 19:00
    Admission: Free
    Parking: 100 yen per hour
    Cape Maeda is located in central Okinawa Honto and is the most popular spot for snorkeling and diving on the island, often busy with groups of snorkelers and divers. Maeda's popularity is well founded, as there is a wide variety of marine life in the area, as well as a cave that you can swim into. Good facilities are located at the site.
  • Odo Kaigan•
    Admission and parking: Free
    Odo Kaigan Coast (also known as John Man Beach) near the southern tip of Okinawa Honto offers interesting snorkeling with smaller crowds of people. While the marine life is not quite as dense as at Cape Maeda, a wide variety of creatures and plants can be found. Odo Kaigan is mostly rough and rocky, and facilities are limited.

Getting there and around

Manza Beach

Manza Beach is connected directly with Naha by bus number 120 (120 minutes, 1420 yen from Naha Bus Terminal or 130 minutes, 1510 yen from Naha Airport; 2 buses/hour) and airport limousine bus (70 minutes, 1630 yen from Naha Bus Terminal or 80 minutes, 1730 yen from Naha Airport; every 1-2 hours). Get off at Manza Beach-mae (万座ビーチ前). By car, it takes about 50 minutes (more during rush hours) from Naha if using the expressway between Naha and Yaka IC (700 yen one way).

Moon Beach

Moon Beach is connected directly with Naha by bus number 120 (90 minutes, 1210 yen from Naha Bus Terminal, or 100 minutes, 1320 yen from Naha Airport; 2 buses/hour) and airport limousine bus (55 minutes, 1430 yen from Naha Bus Terminal or 65 minutes, 1530 yen from Naha Airport; every 1-2 hours). Get off at Moon Beach-mae (ムーンビーチ前). By car, it takes about 50 minutes (more during rush hours) from Naha if using the expressway between Naha and Ishikawa IC (650 yen one way).

Okuma Beach

Take highway bus number 111 or 117 or the Yanbaru Express from Naha to Nago Bus Terminal (80 minutes, 1650-2140 yen from Naha Bus Center; 95 minutes, 1650-2240 yen from Naha Airport; 1-2 buses/hour) and transfer to bus number 67 to Okuma Beach Iriguchi (奥間ビーチ入口, 60 minutes, 1030 yen, hourly). Note that between Naha and Nago the Yanbaru Express is cheaper than the other buses and that it stops at the Kencho Kitaguchi bus stop instead of the Naha Bus Center. By car, it takes about two hours from Naha if using the expressway between Naha and Nago (1040 yen one way).

Emerald Beach

Please see the Ocean Expo Park page for access details.

Mibaru Beach

Take bus number 50 or 51 from Naha Bus Terminal to Hyakuna Bus Terminal (百名バスターミナル, 65 minutes, 730 yen, 1-2 buses/hour), from where the beach can be reached in a 15 minute walk. By car, it takes about 40 minutes from central Naha.

Zampa Beach

Take an airport limousine bus from Naha to Royal Hotel Okinawa Zanpamisaki next to the beach (ロイヤルホテル残波岬; 75 minutes, 1430 yen from Naha Bus Terminal or 85 minutes, 1530 yen from Naha Airport; every 2 hours). Alternatively, take bus number 28 from Naha Bus Terminal to Yomitan Bus Terminal (読谷バスターミナル, 80 minutes, 1100 yen, 3-4 buses/hour) from where it is a 45 minute walk to the beach. By car it takes about 70 minutes from central Naha.

Sunset Beach

Please see the Mihama American Village page for access details.

Cape Maeda

Take bus 120 from Naha to Yamada (山田; 80 minutes, 1110 yen from Naha Bus Terminal, or 90 minutes, 1200 yen from Naha Airport; 2 buses/hour), from where Cape Maeda can be reached in a 20-30 minute walk. By car, it takes about 50 minutes (more during rush hours) from Naha if using the expressway between Naha and Ishikawa IC (650 yen one way).

Odo Kaigan

Take bus number 89 from Naha Bus Terminal to Itoman Bus Terminal (糸満バスターミナル, 60 minutes, 590 yen, departures every 10 minutes) and transfer to bus number 82. Get off at Seimei Byōin-mae (晴明病院前, 20 minutes, 390 yen, 1 bus/hour), from where the coast can be reached in a 10-15 minute walk. By car, it takes about 45 minutes from central Naha.

How to get to and around Okinawa Honto

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Hotels around Okinawa Island

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      La Passione Boutique B&B
      Budget-friendly
      Boasting city views, La Passione Boutique B&B features accommodation with terrace, around 2.2 km from Naminoue Beach. With free WiFi, this 1-star bed and breakfast offers a shared kitchen and luggage storage space. The rooms are fitted with a balcony. Each unit is fitted with air conditioning, a private bathroom and a well-fitted kitchen including a dishwasher, oven, microwave and a toaster. A fridge, a stovetop and kitchenware are also offered, as well as a coffee machine and a kettle. At the bed and breakfast, units have bed linen and towels. Continental and Asian breakfast options with warm dishes, local specialities and pancakes are available. There is a coffee shop and lounge. Tamaudun Mausoleum is 4.1 km from the bed and breakfast, while Sefa Utaki is 20 km from the property. Naha Airport is 4 km away.
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      Best ever hotel -SEVEN Hotels and Resorts-
      Mid-range
      Best ever hotel -SEVEN Hotels and Resorts- features accommodation within 700 metres of the centre of Naha, with free WiFi, and a kitchenette with a microwave, a fridge and a stovetop. The air-conditioned accommodation is 1.4 km from Naminoue Beach. The accommodation offers a lift and full-day security for guests. At the aparthotel, every unit comes with a desk, a flat-screen TV, a private bathroom, bed linen and towels. Tamaudun Mausoleum is 4.7 km from the aparthotel, while Nakagusuku Castle is 20 km from the property. Naha Airport is 4 km away.
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      Southwest Grand Hotel
      Luxury
      Set in Naha, 1.6 km from Naminoue Beach, Southwest Grand Hotel offers accommodation with a fitness centre, private parking, a terrace and a bar. The property is located 4.3 km from Tamaudun Mausoleum, 19 km from Nakagusuku Castle and 20 km from Sefa Utaki. The hotel features an indoor pool, sauna and room service. Certain rooms here will provide you with a kitchenette with a fridge, an oven and a minibar. Guests at the hotel can enjoy a buffet breakfast. At Southwest Grand Hotel you will find a restaurant serving Italian, Japanese and Steakhouse cuisine. Vegetarian, dairy-free and vegan options can also be requested. The accommodation offers 5-star accommodation with a hot tub. Zakimi Gusuku Castle is 29 km from Southwest Grand Hotel, while Katsuren Castle is 31 km away. Naha Airport is 5 km from the property.
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      Hotel Collective
      Luxury
      Set in Naha, 1.8 km from Naminoue Beach, Hotel Collective offers accommodation with a seasonal outdoor swimming pool, private parking, a fitness centre and a restaurant. Each accommodation at the 5-star hotel has city views, and guests can enjoy access to a sauna and a hot tub. The accommodation provides a kids' club, a 24-hour front desk and currency exchange for guests. The hotel will provide guests with air-conditioned rooms offering a desk, a coffee machine, a fridge, a safety deposit box, a flat-screen TV and a private bathroom with a bidet. The units will provide guests with a wardrobe and a kettle. Guests at Hotel Collective can enjoy an American breakfast. Tamaudun Mausoleum is 3.5 km from the accommodation, while Nakagusuku Castle is 19 km away. Naha Airport is 5 km from the property.
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      JR Kyushu Hotel Blossom Naha
      Luxury
      JR Kyushu Hotel Blossom Naha offers accommodation in Naha. Guests can enjoy the on-site restaurant during their stay. Free Wi-Fi is available throughout the property and private parking is available on site for an additional fee. JR Kyushu Hotel Blossom Naha is completely non-smoking and fully equipped with barrier-free facilities. Each of the hotel's carpeted rooms is air-conditioned and soundproofed. The rooms have a flat-screen satellite TV. The bed is equipped with a Simmons pocket coil mattress. Rooms are equipped with an electric kettle, clothes rack and refrigerator. The rooms have a private bathroom with a bathtub. Towels, bathrobes, slippers, toothbrushes and free toiletries are also provided. There is also a safety deposit box and a laptop safe. Free luggage storage is available at the 24-hour front desk. Drinks vending machines and a free trouser press are available on site. Paid massages and meeting/banquet facilities can be arranged for an additional fee. JR Kyushu Hotel Blossom Naha is a 1-minute walk from Naha Kokusai Dori Shopping District and a 5-minute walk from Miebashi Monorail Station. Naha Airport is within 30 minutes by train.
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      Living Inn Nahakoumae
      Mid-range
      Ideally located in the Naha City Centre district of Naha, Living Inn Nahakoumae is situated 22 km from Sefa Utaki, 23 km from Nakagusuku Castle and 30 km from Zakimi Gusuku Castle. It is set 5.4 km from Tamaudun Mausoleum and offers free WiFi plus a lift. The property is 1.3 km from Naminoue Beach, and within 1.2 km of the city centre. Some units come with air conditioning, a flat-screen TV, washing machine and a kettle, as well as a fully equipped kitchenette. At the aparthotel, units come with a private bathroom. Katsuren Castle is 32 km from the aparthotel, while Maeda Cape is 34 km from the property. Naha Airport is 4 km away.
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      The Naha Terrace
      Luxury
      Located a 20-minute drive from Naha Airport and a 10-minute walk from DFS Galleria Okinawa, The Naha Terrace boasts a seasonal outdoor pool, spa facilities, 3 restaurants, a bar and a lounge in the heart of Naha City. Private parking is available on site. Rooms at The Naha Terrace feature a seating area with a city view, a flat-screen TV with satellite channels and free WiFi. The en suite bathroom is equipped with free toiletries. The hotel has a 24-hour front desk with concierge service and free luggage storage. Guests can enjoy a variety of beauty treatments on site. There are sauna facilities for male guests as well. At The Naha Terrace, guests can enjoy Japanese, Western and Teppanyaki meals at on-site restaurants. Okinawa Prefectural Museum is just a 3-minute walk from The Naha Terrace, while Kokusai Dori Street is a 10-minute walk away. Shuri Castle can be reached within 15 minutes by car.
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      Hotel GrandConsort Naha
      Luxury
      Well set in the centre of Naha, Hotel GrandConsort Naha is within 1.5 km of Naminoue Beach and 4.2 km of Tamaudun Mausoleum. This 4-star hotel offers a shared lounge, a 24-hour front desk and free WiFi. Private parking is available on site. The hotel will provide guests with air-conditioned rooms offering a desk, a kettle, a safety deposit box, a flat-screen TV and a private bathroom with a bidet. All units include a wardrobe. Sefa Utaki is 20 km from Hotel GrandConsort Naha, while Nakagusuku Castle is 21 km away. Naha Airport is 5 km from the property.
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      Rihga Royal Gran Okinawa
      Luxury
      Offering direct access from Asahibashi Monorail Station, Rihga Royal Gran Okinawa features spacious Western-style accommodations with free WiFi. Guests can ask for concierge services at the front desk. All rooms are non-smoking and feature air conditioning, a flat-screen satellite TV, safety deposit box and fridge. Guests can make green tea using the electric kettle and wear the provided sleepwear. The en suite bathroom comes with a hairdryer and toothbrush sets. Currency exchange and photocopying services are offered at the front desk. Laundry services are provided and on-site parking is available at an extra charge. The lobby is located on the 14th floor. A breakfast buffet and Western a la carte dishes are served at Dining 19, which offers beautiful sunset views from the top floor. Okinawa Gran Rihga Royal is a 10-minute walk from Kokusai Street and a 25-minute drive from Shuri Castle. Naha Airport is just a 10-minute drive or train ride away. A 24-hour convenience shop can be found next door.
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      Condominium GOLF GOLF Tsuboya
      Mid-range
      Offering city views, Condominium GOLF GOLF Tsuboya is an accommodation located in Naha, 2.9 km from Tamaudun Mausoleum and 19 km from Sefa Utaki. This property offers access to a balcony, free private parking and free WiFi. The accommodation provides a lift, full-day security and luggage storage for guests. Accommodation is fitted with air conditioning, a fully equipped kitchenette, a TV and a private bathroom with bidet, slippers and a hair dryer. A microwave, a fridge and stovetop are also provided, as well as a kettle. The units include a desk. Nakagusuku Castle is 19 km from the aparthotel, while Zakimi Gusuku Castle is 28 km away. Naha Airport is 5 km from the property.
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Experiences around Okinawa Island

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