Easy to reach, yet it feels hidden away
A beautiful beach that feels hidden away despite being easy to reach. Compared with beaches nearby the water is clearer, there are fewer people, and water sports and equipment hire are cheaper. Closed in winter (November to April).
Although the beach sits on Route 58, it is ringed by a low wooded rise that shuts out the noise of the road. There is only one entrance and it serves Mission Beach alone, so passers-by never see in. Through the entrance and down the slope, a view like a private beach opens up in front of you.
Taken from the high ground beside the beach; the beach itself is hidden behind the rock on the left. The transparent blue at the water's edge, the emerald green inside the reef, and the blue deepening from the reef edge out to sea make a gradation that is characteristic of northern Okinawa.
The beach is wide enough, and perhaps because it never gets crowded there is a beach volleyball net on the left-hand side as you face the sea. I think it is the most beautiful place to play beach volleyball on the main island of Okinawa. Watch out for heatstroke, and when you get hot, dive straight into the sea. I forgot to ask whether there is a charge for the net or whether balls can be borrowed — I will check next time.
You can camp on the raised lawn in front of the beach. Play in the blue sea during the day, watch the horizon and the sun turn orange at dusk, and sleep under a bright moon and stars with the sound of the waves for company. That is the kind of day it offers.
The grains of sand are on the coarse side and not easily stirred up, so the clarity is high. As written among the things to recommend above, you get the gradation in full as well.
There is no shade on the beach itself, but a table with a parasol on the terrace (this photograph), a covered bench with a table, and a parasol and chair set on the beach can each be hired for ¥1,500 a day. At nearby beaches the equivalent was around ¥3,500 a day, so this is very cheap.
There is a little tree shade on the lawn in front of the beach. The thirteen white benches with tables are free to use, but they are not much shaded, so on a hot day hiring one of the sets above is the better plan.
The swimming area is only the water inside the jellyfish net. Both ends of the beach are wide open, but swimming there is not allowed. There are fragments of coral about, so water shoes will save you from cuts. Swimming goggles may be used inside the swimming area, but snorkels are not allowed. Divers and snorkellers may find that disappointing, but at a beach with lifeguards and a jellyfish net, as Mission has, the rule is standard.
The swimming area is surrounded by a great deal of coral, so there are small fish. Fish food is sold for ¥100 and swimming goggles can be hired for ¥500. Small children who cannot manage goggles can enjoy it with a water scope. Beaches with this much coral right around the swimming area are rare — make the most of it.
There are separate men's and women's toilets; the building is not new, but it was clean. The showers are separate too, with hot showers at ¥300 and cold ones free. I looked into the free shower room (in the photograph): it is a little old and the floor is cracked concrete, but with beach sandals on it is nothing to worry about. There is no foot rinse, but the free showers make up for it.
There is a parlour, but it was closed on the weekday I visited. Its closing days are irregular, so it is not certain to be open even at weekends. There are no restaurants or convenience stores within walking distance of the beach, so if you are planning to have lunch here it is worth ringing on the day to ask whether the parlour is open. There is a drinks vending machine in front of the shower room.
These are the prices for the marine activities and the hire equipment. The activities are cheaper than at other beaches, where a banana boat costs around ¥2,000. As noted above, the parasol sets are cheap too. It is not in this photograph, but water shoes can also be hired, for ¥500.
Camping costs ¥700 per person plus ¥600 per car for parking (covering two days). It is a shame that charcoal is not allowed, but there is nothing to be done about it — being able to camp in a setting like this is much to be grateful for. For the campsite itself, see the photograph under You can camp here.
The beach is superb in every respect, so its closure in winter (November to April) is the disappointing part. Beyond that, it is only that it does not suit anyone who wants to snorkel, which is not allowed.
In Japanese (for maps, taxis and car navigation): ミッションビーチ 沖縄県国頭郡恩納村安富祖２００５−１
We run beach yoga here too. Check availability and book in a few steps.