Local Guide
8 spots where you can experience the deep charm of Okinawa

Okinawa Prefecture is a place where you can enjoy resorts like those in other countries, even though you are traveling domestically. While guidebooks are filled with a wide variety of glamorous stores and tourist spots, there must be many advanced travelers to Okinawa who would like to visit some off-the-beaten-path spots once in a while. Here are 8 recommended spots for such people.

An exhilarating drive through 4.75 km of spectacular scenery by car!

Enjoy a pleasant drive as you plunge into the sky blue sky!
Enjoy a pleasant drive as you plunge into the sky blue sky!

This 4.75-km-long bridge leads from the Yokatsu Peninsula to four remote islands. It is a perfect driving spot with the endless emerald blue sea on either side.
At "Umi-no-Eki Ayahashi-kan" (Sea Station Ayahashi-kan), located in the middle of the bridge, you can buy local specialties of each remote island, or buy Okinawan tempura and enjoy it while looking out at the ocean. The islands also have a reputation for beautiful sunsets. Be sure to watch the sunset as it sinks into the sea.

Local Guide Comment
Just watching the beautiful sea change makes you happy. At times when the tide is out, you can see a stunning view reminiscent of Rikuzento-Matsushima, one of the three most scenic spots in Japan.
Underwater Road
  • address (e.g. of house) Yonagusuku, Uruma City, Okinawa MAP
  • Direction Approximately 60 minutes from Naha Airport by Car

Municipal market where you can enjoy old-fashioned deep Okinawa

The market is lined with fruit and vegetable stores and butcher stores. You can't help but admire the ingredients unique to Okinawa.
The market is lined with fruit and vegetable stores and butcher stores. You can't help but admire the ingredients unique to Okinawa.

Inside a building covered with bougainvillea is a traditional Okinawan market town. The market is packed with a variety of stores selling locally grown produce and seafood landed at Nago Port, as well as restaurants offering hearty set menus and other delicacies.
There are also stores selling cakes and smoothies, and coffee shops where each cup of coffee is carefully brewed to order, making the area both deep and appealing to the younger crowd.

Local Guide Comment
Nago City Market, located about 45 minutes north of HOSHINOYA Okinawa by car, is my favorite spot. It is a place where you can enjoy deep Okinawa.
Nago City Market
  • address (e.g. of house) 1-4-11 Shiro, Nago City, Okinawa MAP
  • Direction Approximately 60 minutes from Naha Airport by Car
  • Business hours Varies depending on the store.
  • Closed Varies depending on the store
  • TEL 0980-43-0478（Designated manager: Association for Resource Utilization and Management)
  • Parking Yes (free of charge)

Tens of thousands of sunflowers illuminated by 1,000 lights, a rarity in the world

The collaboration of the warm light and sunflowers is soothing.
The collaboration of the warm light and sunflowers is soothing.

Sunset Farm Okinawa is one of Okinawa's top producers of sunflowers. It also operates a sunflower sightseeing farm and regularly holds the "Sunflower Carnival," which realizes sunflower fields illuminated by light, a rarity in the world.
The tourist farm has 1,000 LED bulbs covering 1 hectare (about 1.5 soccer courts), and about 100,000 sunflowers are beautifully blooming. Admission is free, and visitors can experience sunflower harvesting for a "fee-within-a-franchise" experience. Why not enjoy the sunflower field illuminated by light, which is rare in the world, to the fullest?

Local Guide Comment
The lighting up of the sunflower field, which is very rare, cannot be seen anywhere else! I also recommend the drone aerial photography (3,500 yen per flight per couple), which is limited to 10 groups per day, to make memories.
Sunset Farm Okinawa
  • address (e.g. of house) Gima, Yomitan Village, Nakagami-gun, Okinawa MAP
  • Direction Approximately 60 minutes from Naha Airport by Car
  • Business Hours Open 9:00-21:00
  • Closed Open only during the season. Check the official website.
  • Admission Fee Admission free
  • TEL 090-1342-2582
  • Parking Yes (free of charge)

A local roadside station with the appearance of an old private house

The tasteful building and the atmosphere that does not resemble a roadside station are very intriguing.
The tasteful building and the atmosphere that does not resemble a roadside station are very intriguing.

This roadside station is located on Route 58 in Yomitan Village, and tourist guides are always on hand. The current building was built in 2005 as a tourist information center, recreating the atmosphere of the building before it was destroyed by fire during the Battle of Okinawa (circa 1945), and was certified as a "roadside station" in August 2006.
The building, which at first glance does not look like a roadside station, has no restaurant or souvenir store, but rather a spacious area where guides who know the area well introduce Yomitan's history, culture, and crafts. Inside the building, visitors can also enjoy viewing the exhibits, which include photo panels that introduce information on the village's tourism and local products.

Local Guide Comment
The Yomitan Village Hall is located where the old Yomitan Village Hall used to be. Check out the bowl part of the restrooms, which are cute Yachimun! In fact, it is also a spot where visitors can enjoy cherry blossom viewing around January because of the rows of cherry trees.
Roadside Station Kinabanjo
  • address (e.g. of house) 1-2 Aza Kina, Yomitan Village, Nakagami-gun, Okinawa MAP
  • Direction Approx. 50 min. from Naha Airport by Car
  • Business hours 9:00-18:00
  • Closed Year-end and New Year holidays (Dec. 29-Jan. 3)
  • Admission Fee Free of charge
  • TEL 098-958-2944
  • Parking Yes (free of charge)

A photo spot to be enjoyed in combination with Cape Maeda

The area is full of diving and snorkeling spots, such as Cape Maeda and Blue Cave (Ⓒ(Ⓒ(ichisha)Onna Village Tourist Association))
The area is full of diving and snorkeling spots, such as Cape Maeda and Blue Cave (Ⓒ(Ⓒ(ichisha)Onna Village Tourist Association))

This scenic spot is a five-minute walk from the parking lot (100 yen per hour) of Maeda Misaki, a famous diving spot. On a clear day, you can see fish and starfish even in the shallows, and enjoy the beautiful view of the unobstructed sky.
One of the best spots is the view from the cliff at the end of the bushes. It is also a popular photo spot. Enjoy the beauty of the endless expanse of sea and sky from the high point for as long as time permits.

Local Guide Comment
It is located about 15 minutes by car from HOSHINOYA Okinawa. It is a precious beach that is also a place registered as a cultural asset as a war remnant.
Zane beach
  • address (e.g. of house) Maeda, Onna Village, Kunigami-gun, Okinawa MAP
  • Direction Approx. 50 min. from Naha Airport by Car
  • TEL 098-966-2893（Onna Village Tourist Association)
  • Parking Yes (Pay parking lot) *Please use the toll parking lot at Cape Maeda.

A secluded beach for those in the know

The white sandy beach and clear sea are fun to walk barefoot.
The white sandy beach and clear sea are fun to walk barefoot.

Located in a very obscure place and not often mentioned in guidebooks, this is a secluded beach known only to those in the know. Therefore, it is a spectacular spot with unspoiled nature and beautiful blue ocean.
The white, fine sandy beach, the endless blue sky and sea, and the quietness of the beach with only the sound of the waves echoing in the air will purify the fatigue accumulated in the hustle and bustle of daily life at once. The pleasant quietness is comfortable, and it is also a recommended place for yoga and meditation.

Local Guide Comment
This is a very hidden beach that is not well known even to the people of Okinawa. In fact, it is a spot that locals do not like to tell visitors about because it is so cherished by them.
Uvanta beach
  • address (e.g. of house) Yomitan Village, Nakagami-gun, Okinawa MAP
  • Direction Approx. 50 min. from Naha Airport by Car
  • Admission fee No swimming fee
  • Parking None

Enjoy the feeling of America! Exotic townscape

Feel the sea breeze at Depot Island Boardwalk, a promenade along the ocean in Mihama American Village.
Feel the sea breeze at Depot Island Boardwalk, a promenade along the ocean in Mihama American Village.

This town resort was created when the U.S. military base was returned to Okinawa. Visitors can enjoy a real American atmosphere, which is unique to Okinawa, a place that has developed along with American culture. The vividly colored exterior walls, exotic objet d'art, and imported American sundries on the premises will make you wonder if you are in Japan. In the winter, the entire site is decorated with luxurious and comfortable furniture.
In winter, the entire site is decorated with gorgeous illuminations, creating a colorful spectacle.

Local Guide Comment
Of course you can shop, but you can also enjoy taking pictures of the stylish wallpaper and objects everywhere.
Mihama Town Resort American Village
  • Address Mihama, Chatan-cho, Nakagami-gun, Okinawa MAP
  • Direction Approx. 30 min. from Naha Airport by Car
  • Direction by Bus Naha Airport→Kuwae stop, about 1 hr. 10 min.
  • Business hours Varies depending on the store.
  • Closed Varies depending on the store
  • Admission Fee Admission free
  • TEL 098-926-4455（Tourist Information Center of Chatan Town)
  • Parking Yes (free of charge)

A favorite of Okinawan residents! Okinawa's first long-established drive-in Restaurant

At night, billboards are decorated in neon colors and light up Onna Village in a cool way
At night, billboards are decorated in neon colors and light up Onna Village in a cool way

Established in 1967, this was Okinawa's first drive-in Restaurant. The founder, who worked at the U.S. military base as a refrigerator manufacturer, saw the Restaurant on the base, liked the style, and opened it in Onna Village, his hometown.
Many people use the restaurant as a resting place during a drive, and the restaurant overlooks the ocean directly behind the Restaurant. From the time of its opening to the present, the restaurant has been a favorite among residents of the prefecture as a drive-in type Restaurant where all dishes can be taken out or eaten in.

Local Guide Comment
This historic Restaurant has been around since the end of World War II and has been filling the stomachs of American soldiers. The clam chowder soup, a longtime favorite of Okinawans, is a must-try.
Seaside Drive-in
  • Address 885 Nakadomari, Onna Village, Okinawa MAP
  • Direction 5 minutes drive from Ishikawa I.C. on Okinawa Expressway, 8 minutes drive from Yaka I.C.
  • Business Hours 8:00-21:00 (L.O.20:00)
  • Regular holiday Wednesdays *Some days closed in lieu of Wednesdays
  • TEL 098-964-2272
  • Parking Yes (free of charge)
  • Memo Take-out counter is open 24 hours
    No pick-up/drop-off service

MAP

Hoshino Resorts facilities nearby
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The information in this article is current as of the date of the update. Please check before visiting as they are subject to change.