5 Mysterious Islands Around Ishigaki Island 🏝
♥Posted by Misato♥
Ishigaki Island in Okinawa Prefecture has many attractions such as the clear sea, magnificent nature, tropical resort atmosphere and gourmet food.♪
Actually, do you know there are many remote islands around Ishigaki Island?
There are many remote islands accessible from Ishigaki Island. This time I will introduce 5 islands, Taketomi Island, Iriomote Island, Yonaguni Island, Hateruma Island and Kohama Island.
They are islands with beautiful sea, glittering starry sky, tropical food and many sightseeing spots.☆彡
It is a recommended place for people who want to escape from their daily life and spend a relaxing time unique to the island.
I also introduce attractive spots of each island, so please use it as a reference for your trip.
Contents
Iriomote Island
Untouched nature remains
Landscape of Iriomote Island
Iriomote Island can be reached in about 35 minutes at the fastest by ship from Ishigaki Island.
It is the second largest island after the main island in Okinawa Prefecture, and it is a place where you can feel the power of nature as it is without human intervention.(✿◡‿ ◡)
It’s a spectacular view that makes you feel as if the Amazon is right in front of you. Let your body and mind open up with the feeling of being at the origin of nature.
Japan’s Largest Mangrove Forest
The Nakama River has the largest mangrove basin in Japan. You can take a cruise boat around Japan’s largest mangrove forest, including Japan’s largest Heritiera littoralis.
If you want to relax and enjoy the view, take a pleasure boat, and if you want to enjoy actively, take a canoe. Feel the refreshing breeze and feel the nature in your body as if you are going on an adventure trip!
Miracle Island
Balas Island is a 5 to 10 minute boat ride from Iriomote Island. It is a small uninhabited island floating on the blue sea and disappears at high tide.
It is a miracle island that is not on the map of Japan. The size of the island changes with the rise and fall of the tide, and the view changes with time. The scenery you see here will always remain in your heart.*:･ﾟ✧
Balas Island is called a miracle island for a reason. That’s because it’s an island made of coral fragments, only two in the world. Depending on the tour, you can snorkel or dive, so go underwater and enjoy the beautiful coral scenery.
For more information
Taketomi Island
Remain the original scenery of Okinawa
Taketomi Island is located 10 to 15 minutes by boat from the Ishigaki Port Remote Island Terminal. It is the closest to Ishigaki Island, and there are many services so you can go there easily.
The attraction of Taketomi Island is that it still has the original scenery of Okinawa. Why don’t you enjoy a view you can’t enjoy in the city?
Get a Water Buffalo Cart!
There are also bicycles to travel around the island, but I especially recommend a water buffalo cart. The course takes about 30 to 40 minutes and guides will guide you around the island.
Riding a water buffalo cart, which is more relaxed than the speed of people walking, makes you feel calm. Let’s enjoy the island time leisurely in this unique way.♪(^∇^*)
Highly Transparent Beach
Kondoi Beach on the west side of the island is a popular spot where you can see a beautiful view of the pure white beach and turquoise blue sea.
The transparency of seawater is among the highest in Okinawa. It is blissful to just gaze at the sea, not to mention the sea bathing in summer.
(✿✪‿ ✪。)
The water reflects the sky, clouds and yourself. You might be able to take mysterious pictures like the famous Uyuni Salt Flat.
You can’t experience the feeling of being surrounded by such a wide sky in the city. Spread your hands and look up at the sky and try to shout. Remember the childish innocence a little bit, and enjoy the time to go back to being a child.(●ˇ∀ˇ●)
HOSHINOYA Taketomi Island
HOSHINOYA Taketomi Island is recommended for staying. The building that is the charm of Taketomi Island and the structure that imitates the village, the hotel itself seems to be the village.
The houses are built in the motif of the island’s traditional architecture, and you can feel closer to the island by spending time there. Enjoy an extraordinary space that combines the history of Ryukyu with the luxury of a hotel.
When you sit on the veranda and look out, the quiet time and comfort is like a paradise. At night, please look up at the sky and be surrounded by the starry sky.*★,°*:.☆
If you open the window, a comfortable sea breeze and a south wind called good luck breeze will blow through. Please go to the lounge where Okinawan folk songs live is held too.
(❁´◡`❁)
There is also a pool where you can swim for 24 hours, and you can feel like you are swimming in the sky or the starry sky. Beauty and energy produced by nature come naturally into the body. Have a good time for your body and mind.♡
In order to protect the darkness of Taketomi Island at night, there is only a limited amount of light on the roadside. Not only the blue sky in the daytime, but also the dark night is the charm of Taketomi Island.
HOSHINOYA Taketomi Island
Hateruma Island
With a beautiful starry sky!
Hateruma Island is the southernmost island in Japan, and it takes about 100 minutes by high-speed boat from Ishigaki Island. It is a place where the beautiful sea called Hateruma blue and calm nature remain, and it has a different charm from the beautiful sea of other islands.
It is also said to be the closest island to the starry sky, so it is suitable for astronomical observation. Spend time surrounded by the sparkling sea and sky.
See the Southern Cross
The Southern Cross can be seen only in Okinawa Prefecture in Japan, but this island is said to be the easiest place to observe. It’s because they have good conditions such as high latitude and clear air.
You will be amazed at the difference from the starry sky you see in the city. Just knowing that stars are so bright makes a wonderful trip.☆彡
Not only the starry sky but also the sunset is beautiful, so it is also recommended to enjoy the process that the sky gets darker and the stars start to shine. Please spend a relaxing time.
Eat a Big Shaved Ice
There is a shop called Parlor Minpika that is famous for its extra-large shaved ice. It’s big enough to make you worry if you can eat it up, but you can eat it easily with the fluffy ice and the Okinawan taste.
The most popular item is Kuromitsu Special, which is a luxurious item combining brown sugar from Hateruma, soybean flour and condensed milk. The sweet and gentle taste will make you smile. It is recommended to eat while looking at the sea on the terrace.(╹ڡ╹ )
There is also a menu called Hateruma Blue that is refreshing in appearance and taste. It looks like the beautiful blue sea of Hateruma Island. Let’s enjoy the refreshing feeling that we forget the heat!
For more information
Yonaguni Island
Have a magnificent view
This is the westernmost island of Japan. It takes about 30 minutes by plane and 4 hours by ship from Ishigaki Island. The terrain is full of ups and downs such as the rock of the precipitous cliff, and the calm and magnificent nature unique to this place is famous.
It is the westernmost place, so it is the place where the sun sets the latest in Japan. It is also fun to see the different way of the day from the city!
The Symbol of the Island, Tachigamiiwa
The Tachigamiiwa rock has an overwhelming presence that can be said to be a symbol of the island, and has a spectacular shape that you cannot believe was created by nature in the southeast part of the island. You will feel energy just by looking at the figure rising in the rough waves.（⊙ｏ⊙）
There are 2 observation decks where you can see Tateshiniwa, so I recommend you to see them from different angles.
A Scenic Spot with a Tranquil Landscape
Agarizaki Cape is a cape at the eastern end of the island. It is a pasture where Yonaguni horses and cattle, which are native to Japan, are grazed. Even though it is not a safari park, animals live freely. You will be heartened by the peaceful scenery overflowing with healing.
The sea, the sky, the spreading grassland, the animals … let’s enjoy the scenery that can only be seen here.( *︾▽︾)
Morning at Agarizaki Cape
The blue sky is not the only beauty. The morning sun in the silence and the evening glow in the twilight are the moving beauty without the same scenery. Just looking at it will wash your mind. It is good to visit at different times.
☆*: .｡. o(≧▽≦)o .｡.:*☆
Yonaguni Soba’s Famous Wakana Soba
Wakana soba, which is very popular in the local area, is a homemade pork bone soup that is thoroughly cooked and topped with 3 slices of meat.
The pork used for cooking is the pork raised by the owner himself. You can eat the soup so easily that you can drink it up to the last drop. Traveling to the island is a lot of traveling and you will be hungry, so let’s eat well with the local gourmet.
For more information
Kohama Island
A resort with a tranquil landscape
It is located 25 to 35 minutes by boat from Ishigaki Island, and has an attractive landscape of sugarcane fields. There are many people who go on a day trip because there are many fast ferry services per day, but I recommend staying at a large resort hotel which is full of charm.
Relax and spend a relaxing time on a compact island where the tranquility of old Okinawa and tropical resorts coexist.♪
360 Degree Panorama
The only mountain on the island is Mt. Ufudaki. There is nothing to block from the observatory, and you can enjoy a 360 degree panoramic view. Whether it’s the horizon connecting the sea and the sky, the islands floating in the sea, or the gentle breeze, everything will heal you.(≧ ▽ ≦)
Why don’t you grab all the dynamic views of the small island?
Sugar Road Continuing to the Sky
The sugar road is covered with sugarcane fields. There is a straight road that continues to the sky between the fields. You can get drunk with the atmosphere unique to Okinawa.
There is grazing land on the way, and goats are walking leisurely on the road … Why don’t you enjoy a pleasant cycling with the feeling of renting a bicycle and becoming the main character in the movie?
Haimurubushi, a Vast Resort Hotel
Haimurubushi is Japan’s southernmost beach resort, with a total 400,000 ㎡ of land located within a national park. Subtropical plants and coral reefs are all the best places to take pictures. Please spend a dreamy time in a paradise with a sense of openness and luxury.
(✿◡‿ ◡)
There are plenty of marine activities such as snorkeling, kayaking, and SUP. The blue sea looks like floating in the air depending on the point. You can also experience horseback riding and yoga, so enjoy the resort time of paradise!
Of course, you cannot miss the stars in full sky on a clear night. If you look over your head, you will find the scenery that is beyond description … All the glitter of the stars and the darkness of the sky in which the stars float, will be beautiful and moving. Sometimes you need time to just gaze at the night sky.*:･ﾟ✧
Haimurubushi
I introduced you to the islands accessible from Ishigaki Island.
Look at the picture, you want to go here! I’m sure there’s something you’re looking for right now. No matter which island you go to, the beautiful sea and sky will welcome you!
And the experience will be an irreplaceable memory. Forget your troubles and let the magnificent nature take care of you. A peaceful island time will surely heal you.♥
#beautiful_scenery #luxury #night_view
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