Iki Island

Located between the East China Sea and The Sea of Japan, Iki Island (also known as Ikishima) is blessed with clear blue water and white sand beaches. The marine life is similar to that of the Goto Islands, home for both tropical fish with hard coral, and temperature fish with kelp. The offshore barrier type coral reef is 20km off Iki Island and is recognized as the northern limit of coral reefs in the world.
The rich history of Iki Island is very interesting with many archaeological findings, and over 150 shrines dotted around the island.
Nagasaki has more islands than any other prefecture; a whopping 971 of 6,852 total islands of Japan, and Iki Island definitely ranks high in Nagasaki for those who love snorkeling, spearfishing, etc.

Many beaches are manned/controlled during the summer months, however the most beautiful unmanned beach we found was this one, which is accessible only from the water by kayak/packraft.

We really enjoyed our stay at Chigaso, which had a great view of an idyllic beach from our room. The meals were amazing, using local ingredients including lots of seafood caught on the day.

It’s worth noting that it’s also a great island to visit during the typhoon season, as it is often a lot more protected than the islands on the Pacific side.

PrefectureNagasakiSize139 sq kmPopulationApproximately 26,750AccessA high-speed jet ferry from Fukuoka (Hakata Port) takes about 1 hour (car ferry takes about 2 hours). A high-speed jet ferry from Saga (Karatsu Higashi Port) takes 1 hour and 45 mins. A flight from Nagasaki takes about 30 mins. Getting aroundCar rental