Okinawa
Okinawa
Japan's subtropical south for UK travellers: which of the Okinawa islands to pick, how to reach white-sand beaches and reefs from the UK, real costs in pounds and the months to avoid the typhoons.
In short
Okinawa at a glance
Okinawa is Japan's answer to the tropics: a 1,000km arc of subtropical islands south of the mainland with white sand, coral reefs and a distinct Ryukyu culture that feels nothing like Tokyo. There's no direct UK flight — you connect through Tokyo or Seoul, then fly the last leg to Naha (about 2h50 from Tokyo). The main island gives you Churaumi Aquarium and Shuri Castle and needs a hire car; the best beaches are a short domestic hop further south on Miyako or Ishigaki. Allow 7–10 days to pair the main island with one southern island, and travel in May or October to dodge both the rainy season and the typhoons.
Okinawa is the part of Japan that surprises first-timers: a 1,000km arc of subtropical islands strung south towards Taiwan, with coral reefs, white sand and a Ryukyu culture — its own food, music and the ruins of an old island kingdom — that feels a world away from Tokyo’s neon. There’s no direct flight from the UK, so you connect through Tokyo or Seoul and take the last leg into Naha, roughly 2h50 from the mainland. Treat the journey as a full travel day each way and it stops feeling like a chore.
The mistake people make is trying to see every island. Don’t. The main island around Naha gives you the headline sights — Churaumi Aquarium’s whale-shark tank, Shuri Castle, the Onna resort coast — and rewards a hire car, because the buses are slow and the good stuff is spread along the shore. For the postcard beaches you take a short, cheap domestic hop further south: Miyako for the best sand (Yonaha Maehama runs seven kilometres) or Ishigaki as a base to dive Manta Point and ferry-hop to Taketomi and Iriomote. If you only have a few days, the Kerama islands — Zamami and Tokashiki — are a fast ferry straight from Naha for the clearest “Kerama Blue” water without a flight at all.
Timing matters more here than almost anywhere in Japan. The beaches open from March, but mid-May to late June is the rainy season and August–September is the typhoon peak, when a single storm can swallow a short trip. Aim for late April–May or October–November: warm, the reefs open, and the skies mostly behave. Pack reef-safe sun cream and an International Driving Permit for the car, and you’ve got the makings of a very un-Tokyo week in Japan.
The route
A relaxed 7–10 day trip that pairs the main island's headline sights with one southern island's beaches, without backtracking through Tokyo more than once. Domestic flights between the islands are short and cheap (often £50–£90 one way); a hire car is assumed everywhere except central Naha.
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Days 1–2
Naha & the main island south
Land at Naha, ride the Yui monorail into town (¥230–¥370, or an ¥800 day pass) and see Shuri Castle and Makishi market on foot. Pick up a hire car for the rest — a compact is about ¥7,500 (£40) a day. Don't rush off; the south has Okinawa World caves and the Peace Memorial.
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Days 3–4
Northern main island
Drive 1h30–2h up the west coast to Churaumi Aquarium (¥2,180, about £12, and genuinely world-class — go for the whale-shark tank). Stop at Cape Manzamo's cliff view and base a night near Onna for the resort beaches and Blue Cave snorkelling.
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Day 5
Kerama islands day trip (optional)
Back near Naha, take the high-speed ferry from Tomari Port to Tokashiki (about 35 min, ¥2,500-ish each way) or Zamami (60 min, ¥3,950) for the clearest 'Kerama Blue' water and turtle snorkelling. Doable as a day trip if you skip the southern flight.
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Days 6–9
Miyako or Ishigaki
Fly south from Naha (about 50 min). Choose Miyako for Yonaha Maehama — often called Japan's best beach — and the bridge-linked islets, or Ishigaki to base for diving Manta Point and ferry day trips to Taketomi (20 min) and Iriomote. Hire a car here too.
Where to base yourself
Pick one or two bases rather than moving every night.
Naha (Kokusai-dori / Makishi)
£ valueThe arrival base and the only spot you can do car-free: the monorail runs from the airport, and Kokusai-dori has the food, bars and Makishi market. Useful for a night either side of the islands, but it's a city, not a beach — don't plan your whole trip here.
Best for: Arrival/departure nights, no car, nightlife
Onna (main island west coast)
££ mid-rangeThe resort strip an hour north of Naha, lined with beach hotels and within reach of Churaumi, Cape Manzamo and the Blue Cave. The most convenient base for the headline main-island sights, though it's resort-Japan rather than local — you'll want the car.
Best for: Main-island beaches, Churaumi, families
Miyako Island
££ mid-rangeThe pick for sand: Yonaha Maehama's 7km of white beach, the bridge crossings to Irabu and Kurima, and water clearer than the main island's. Quieter and more low-key than Ishigaki, with fewer dive shops — a hire car is essential as there's barely any bus.
Best for: Best beaches, sunsets, a quiet beach week
Ishigaki Island
££ mid-rangeThe Yaeyama hub and the better base if you want to dive and island-hop: it has the airport, the ferry terminal and the dive shops for Manta Point, plus 20-minute ferries to Taketomi's water-buffalo lanes and Iriomote's jungle. A real little town, not just resorts.
Best for: Diving, island-hopping, Taketomi & Iriomote
Getting around Okinawa
Outside central Naha, Okinawa runs on hire cars — buses are slow and patchy, and the beaches, Churaumi and the viewpoints are all spread along the coast. A compact car is roughly ¥7,500 (£40) a day, you drive on the left like the UK, and you'll need an International Driving Permit (the £5.50 1949-convention IDP from the Post Office) plus your UK licence. In central Naha alone the Yui monorail (¥230–¥370 a ride, ¥800 day pass) and city buses cover everything. Between islands you fly: short domestic hops from Naha to Miyako or Ishigaki run about 50–60 minutes and often £50–£90 one way. The Kerama islands are reached by fast ferry from Naha's Tomari Port rather than by plane.
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