Beaches in Okinawa Japan

One of the most attractive features for travelers to Okinawa is the beaches. Okinawa offers a huge variety of beaches to kick back and relax on. On Okinawa you're never more than 20 minutes from any beach on any of the Islands. Okinawa's beaches are mostly sandy with white sandy slopes and shallow shores and some even have sand that screams when you walk on it.

The Ryukyu Islands are covered with beaches that range from large resort beaches to the private or public beaches perfect for that BBQ or beach party. Some beaches on Okinawa also feature a rare type of "star sand". Out of the many beaches on Okinawa some are rather popular and easy to find, and others are secluded and hard to reach but many have sandy white shores and sparkling clear waters.

The resort area near Onna Village On Highway 58 has Luxury hotels dotting the pristine coastline with white sandy beaches. Visitors can use many of the hotels in this areas facilities and beaches for the day for a small fee or for free. The Renaissance Resort, located on one of the most beautiful natural bays in Okinawa, offers use of their beach, Jacuzzi, pool, spa, sauna, and showers for about ¥1,000 per day. The Manza Beach Hotel allows visitors to use the beach for free with the option to rent equipment to partake in plenty of marine sports programs.

In Northern Okinawa the beach destinations is Minna-jimaIsland only a short ferry ride away. The crescent shaped island situated off the coast of Motobu is easy to get to but feels like a totally different world than the cities and highways of the main OkinawaIsland.

Popular with SCUBA Divers, snorkelers, and beach goers, but even on busy days the crowds are minimal compared to many Okinawa beaches on the main island. From MotobuTown you catch a 20 minute ferry that takes you across the crystal clear blue waters of the East China Sea

When the ferry arrives at the paradise like island you can easily find the roped off swimming area in the clear waters next to the hundreds of meters of white sandy beach perfect for laying on and soaking up the sun. Near the beach are public toilets and a food stand to get a quick bite.

If you enjoy SCUBA Diving the ocean on Minna-jima offers up a variety of fish species. Coral reefs line the coastal waters and striking blue starfish can be seen sitting on the sandy bottom every few meters. As you travel further out, a small reef is host to incredible colors of plant and animal life and on most days, the water is calm and perfect for a swim. The center of the island features a small, but vibrant forest of palm trees, ferns and other shrubs and can be explored safely. On the other side of the Minna-jimaIsland you can find fishermen working hard in the mid days heat using local techniques to bring in the tasty fish to be bought at the local restaurants

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