{"id":67889,"date":"2025-10-19T07:57:08","date_gmt":"2025-10-19T07:57:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ippei-janine.com\/travel-japan-islands\/?post_type=portfolio&p=67889"},"modified":"2025-11-10T14:09:57","modified_gmt":"2025-11-10T14:09:57","slug":"ie-island-iejima-okinawa","status":"publish","type":"portfolio","link":"https:\/\/ippei-janine.com\/travel-japan-islands\/destinations\/ie-island-iejima-okinawa\/","title":{"rendered":"Ie Island (Iejima)"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Ie Island (Iejima<\/em>) lies just a few kilometers off the Motobu Peninsula on Okinawa Main Island<\/a>. Despite being only a 30-minute ferry ride away, Iejima remains wonderfully quiet, with few tourists \u2014 most beaches are often completely empty.<\/p>\n

For those who love idyllic white sand beaches with clear waters, GI Beach<\/a> is highly recommended. Its fine, brilliant sand rivals that of the renowned beaches of the Miyako Islands<\/a>. You can almost always spot sea turtles around this beach at high tide, though most sea turtles on Iejima tend to be quite shy and swim away as soon as you get close.
\nRight next to GI Beach is the sacred Nyatiya Cave<\/a>, which is also well worth a visit.
\nOther beaches we recommend are Wataruji Beach<\/a> and Green Beach<\/a> \u2014 the short walk<\/a> between the two is especially pleasant.
\nUnfortunately, much of the coral near the shore experienced bleaching in 2024. To see healthy coral reefs, it\u2019s best to join an off-the-boat snorkeling tour.
\nThe northern coastline of Iejima is also worth exploring for its dramatic cliffs and scenery<\/a>. The best viewpoint<\/a> is accessible via a short trail<\/a>.
\nDominating the island\u2019s landscape is Mt. Gusuku<\/a> (known locally as Tacchu), Iejima\u2019s iconic peak, which is visible even from Okinawa Main Island.<\/p>\n

Iejima is also known for its excellent wagyu called Ie Beef and Ie Rum, both produced locally. The rum in particular has earned an excellent reputation among Japan\u2019s growing number of craft rums.<\/p>\n

While day trips are possible from Okinawa Main Island, we recommend staying on Iejima for a couple of nights to fully enjoy all the scenic spots and beautiful sunsets.<\/p>\n

For those who are considering traveling to Ie Island\/Okinawa Main Island outside summer months of May to October, especially for avid snorkelers, we recommend the Miyako Islands<\/a> or Yaeyama Islands (such as Ishigaki<\/a> and Iriomote<\/a>) over Ie Island\/Okinawa Main Island because of warmer temperatures for both air and underwater. Okinawa Main Island and the other northern islands of Okinawa Prefecture have a humid subtropical climate (Cfa), while the southern islands of Okinawa Prefecture (the Miyako Islands and Yaeyama Islands) have a tropical rainforest climate (Af). This results in noticeable differences in both air and water temperatures from November to April.
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