Okinawa's beaches, compared
For many people the sea is the whole point of the trip. Clarity, the texture of the sand, the facilities — every beach is different. Here are 27 hand-picked beaches in Okinawa, area by area, seen through the eyes of staff who work on them.
Nagahama Beach
A long natural beach ringed by the huge rocks only Okinawa has
Akabaka Beach
The most photogenic beach on Okinawa's main island
Uppama Beach
Good value — you can use the resort hotel pool too
Kouri Beach (west)
A beach you reach by crossing the sea (left after the Kouri Bridge)
Kouri Beach (east)
A beach you reach by crossing the sea (right after the Kouri Bridge)
Yagaji Beach
Camping and barbecues on the wide lawn beside the beach
Sesoko Beach (Sesoko Island)
Clarity, gradation and openness, all three
Anchi Beach (Sesoko Island)
Small, but the clarity and gradation are as good as it gets
21st Century Forest Beach
A wide park beside the beach to play in
Koki Beach
A kilometre of beach with no swimming-area limits
Kariyushi Beach
The beach children most want to be taken to
Mission Beach
Easy to reach, yet it feels hidden away
Nabee Beach
A beach to take it easy in the shade
Moon Beach
A beach for people who come to swim
Nakadomari Beach
A beach with the everyday feel of a small fishing village
Zanpa Beach
Open, with the horizon filling your whole field of view
Nirai Beach
Swimmable year-round, with a horizon that looks curved
Odomari Beach
The widest beach on Ikei and Miyagi islands
Ikei Beach
An emerald green so particular it deserves the name "Ikei green"
Tonnaha Beach
No marked swimming area, so you can swim freely — and the water is clear
Toguchi Beach
A beach for exploring the rocky shore
Araha Beach
Take it easy in the shade of the beachside park
Senaga Beach
The closest beach to Naha Airport as the crow flies
Chura SUN Beach
Roomy beachside, and a favourite of Okinawa residents
Bibi Beach Itoman
Safety first — a pool-style swimming area, and a place Okinawans come to relax
Nishihara Kirakira Beach
Free entry and free parking, a beach for local residents
Azama Sunsun Beach
The clearest water of the southern beaches with swimming facilities
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