Kume Island (Kumejima)

Located 100km south west of Okinawa Main Island, Kume Island (also known as Kumejima) was once called “Kumi(琉美)-jima” meaning the most beautiful island of the Ryukyu Islands. It’s no wonder – a 7-11km long coral sand cay, unusual turtle shell geometric rock formations, and pristine white sand beaches against a backdrop of lush forest with a smattering of agriculture, makes this island a perfect getaway. However, Kumejima is not the best island of Okinawa for off-the-beach snorkeling since coral reefs of Kumejima are located further away from the beaches, so it’s better to take a snorkeling tour by boat. In 2010, WWF discovered one of Asia’s largest healthy coral reefs off the southeast coast of Kume Island. For well-experienced snorkelers with long fins, this is one of the only accessible spots for off-the-beach snorkeling with lush coral on Kume Island.
Hatenohama coral sand cay is located off the east coast of Kume Island, and is an iconic spot of Kume Island. It is often referred as one of the best kite surfing spots in Japan.
When the weather is not ideal for beach or marine activities, we highly recommend checking out Yajiyagama Cave, which is close to the airport on the west side of the island.

It’s also fun for families with small children to explore jungle rivers to catch freshwater prawns and crabs.
If you want to try coffee grown on Kume Island, grab a cup of coffee at Makino Coffee

For those who are considering traveling to Kume Island outside summer months of May to October, especially for avid snorkelers, we recommend the Miyako Islands or Yaeyama Islands (such as Ishigaki and Iriomote) over Kume Island because of warmer temperatures for both air and underwater. Kume Island and the other northern islands of Okinawa Prefecture have Humid Subtropical climate while the southern islands of Okinawa Prefecture (Miyako Islands and Yaeyama Islands) have Tropical Rainforest climate, which causes noticeable differences in both air temperatures and water temperatures during November to April.