![\"\"](\"https:\/\/ippei-janine.com\/travel-japan-islands\/wp-content\/uploads\/DJI_0215.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
First and foremost, if you’re a nature lover, we recommend visiting other islands in Okinawa Prefecture rather than Okinawa Main Island (Okinawa Honto<\/em>). Okinawa Prefecture comprises 160 islands, 45 of which are inhabited, scattered across a vast maritime area stretching approximately 400 km from north to south and 1,000 km from east to west. If you are considering visiting Okinawa outside the warmer months of May to October, especially if you are an avid snorkeler, we recommend the Miyako Islands<\/a> or the Yaeyama Islands, such as Ishigaki<\/a> and Iriomote<\/a>, instead. Both the air and sea temperatures are warmer there during the cooler months. Okinawa Main Island and the other northern islands of Okinawa Prefecture have a humid subtropical climate (Cfa), whereas the southern islands, including the Miyako and Yaeyama Islands, have a tropical rainforest climate (Af). This results in noticeable differences in both air and water temperatures from November to April.<\/p>\n For those interested in the traditional arts, crafts, and history of the Ryukyu Kingdom<\/a>, Okinawa Main Island will not disappoint. There are plenty of places to explore the island’s distinctive culture and history. The Churaumi Aquarium<\/a> is also an excellent destination for a family day out.<\/p>\n Naha, the island’s capital, is a busy, bustling city with the worst traffic congestion in Japan and a large population. It certainly doesn’t feel like you’re on an island.<\/p>\n Okinawa Main Island is also home to several American military bases. Their presence remains a source of resentment among some local Okinawans, partly because of misconduct by a small number of American service members.<\/p>\n Yambaru National Park (UNESCO World Natural Heritage site)<\/strong><\/p>\n The most beautiful part of Okinawa Main Island is its northern region, home to the Yambaru Forest<\/a>, one of the largest remaining subtropical rainforests in Asia. However, it takes more than two hours to drive from Naha Airport to reach trailheads within Yambaru National Park or the UNESCO World Natural Heritage area. Given the distance, jungle lovers might be better off visiting Iriomote Island<\/a> in the Yaeyama Islands instead, where the jungle experience is far more impressive. If you want to experience a taste of the Yambaru Forest without driving all the way to the national park or UNESCO World Heritage area, there are some nice spots closer to the center of the island. One example is this stream-trekking spot<\/a> along a stream that flows into Genkao River. To reach the stream, take the path beside the flash-flood warning sign on the opposite side of the small parking area. Once you reach the river, look for a smaller stream joining it from the opposite bank and follow it upstream. Felt-soled neoprene boots are essential if you want to climb the slippery waterfall. We even spotted a giant eel in the stream, as thick as a human neck!<\/p>\n Idyllic White-Sand Beaches with Clear Water<\/strong><\/p>\n For idyllic white-sand beaches with crystal-clear water, we recommend a day trip to Tokashiki Island<\/a> in the Kerama Islands if you’re staying in the southwest of Okinawa Main Island. The other Kerama Islands, such as Zamami<\/a> and Aka<\/a>, are too far away for a worthwhile day trip, as you’d have only about two hours to explore. The same applies to Izena and Iheya Islands<\/a>.<\/p>\n If you’re staying in the north, Minna Island and Ie Island<\/a> are great options. <\/p>\n There are also some lovely beaches on islands connected to Okinawa Main Island by bridges, including Sesoko Island<\/a>, Kouri Island<\/a>, and Hamahiga Island<\/a>, although they don’t quite match the beauty of those accessible only by boat. <\/p>\n For a quick half-day trip from the southeast, we recommend Kudaka Island<\/a>, Tsuken Island, or Komaka Island<\/a>, an uninhabited island. <\/p>\n It is not possible to visit Miyako Island<\/a>, Ishigaki Island<\/a>, or other islands in the same region on a day trip from Okinawa Main Island, as they are a 50\u201360-minute flight from Naha.
\nOkinawa Main Island is a large island with beautiful spots scattered across it, including small offshore islands that can be visited on day trips, as shown in the photos on this page. You need to be prepared to do a lot of driving to explore it properly. Even then, its most beautiful beaches are underwhelming compared with those found on other islands in Okinawa Prefecture.<\/p>\n
\nThere is already plenty of information available about hiking trails in Yambaru National Park, so we won’t cover them here. However, one of our favorite spots for stream trekking, with relatively easy access, is the route starting at the bottom of Nagao Bridge. Follow the pink ribbon down to the river from this spot<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\nIf you’re a nature lover, we highly recommend spending your holiday on other islands in Okinawa Prefecture instead, as reaching the most beautiful natural areas on Okinawa Main Island often requires a lot of driving. With a good flight connection, it can actually be quicker to reach islands with more impressive natural scenery, such as Miyako Island and Ishigaki Island. Both also have direct flights from major cities on mainland Japan, so you don’t necessarily have to transit through Naha. They offer warmer air and sea temperatures (especially from November to April) and far fewer tourists than Okinawa Main Island.<\/p>\n[put_wpgm id=21]\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":66254,"parent":0,"menu_order":23,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"portfolio_category":[],"class_list":["post-416","portfolio","type-portfolio","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ippei-janine.com\/travel-japan-islands\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/portfolio\/416","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ippei-janine.com\/travel-japan-islands\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/portfolio"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ippei-janine.com\/travel-japan-islands\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/portfolio"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ippei-janine.com\/travel-japan-islands\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ippei-janine.com\/travel-japan-islands\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=416"}],"version-history":[{"count":39,"href":"https:\/\/ippei-janine.com\/travel-japan-islands\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/portfolio\/416\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":66982,"href":"https:\/\/ippei-janine.com\/travel-japan-islands\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/portfolio\/416\/revisions\/66982"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ippei-janine.com\/travel-japan-islands\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/66254"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ippei-janine.com\/travel-japan-islands\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=416"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"portfolio_category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ippei-janine.com\/travel-japan-islands\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/portfolio_category?post=416"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}