Yaeyama Islands
Yaeyama Islands
The remote Yaeyama Islands offer nature-lovers the chance to enjoy unforgettable outdoor experiences.
Ishigaki Island is one of the largest and most populated of the Yaeyama Islands, and acts as a gateway to the rest, many of which are delightfully rural and sparsely populated (if not uninhabited!). The Yaeyama Islands are among some of the most popular of Okinawa’s island destinations and cater to a wide variety of tastes. There are some luxurious beach resorts on Ishigaki Island to choose from and a visit to scenic Kabira Bay is recommended.
For more adventurous travellers, take an eco-excursion through mangrove forests on Iriomote Island or dive with some hammerhead sharks off Yonaguni Island – Japan’s most western point.
A visit to Taketomi Island is highly recommended – it is just a short ferry ride from Ishigaki Port. The island’s most striking feature is its beautifully preserved Ryukyu village. Limestone walls with hibiscus and bougainvillea hedgerows skirt wooden houses with traditional red-tiled roofs. Many of the roofs are guarded by shisa statues, a mythological guardian lion. Take a leisurely walk along the white coral sand streets for a laid-back introduction to the village.
Our sightseeing recommendations:
Three Island Day Tour – Iriomote, Yubu and Taketomi Island
Book a stay in Yaeyama Islands today:
Fusaki Beach Resort
Fusaki Resort boasts guestrooms so close to the beach, you can feel the sun, sea, and sand.
The resort is also home to Ishigaki Island’s largest swimming pool. But some things cannot be made, with the abundant nature of the Yaeyama Islands and the rich local Okinawan culture will introduce you to new levels of enjoyment at Fusaki.
Art Hotel Ishigakijima
Tropical verve. Island inspiration. Okinawa’s southern jewel. Art Hotel Ishigakijima is your little corner of heaven and the perfect base for exploring some of Japan’s most beautiful beaches.
Art Hotel Ishigakijima reinvents luxury at affordable rates, as it not only boasts a great variety of accomodations but also features a multitude of amenities and services including pool and various restaurants.
HOSHINOYA Taketomi Island
Forty-eight pavilions – each one built using entirely traditional methods – stand in quiet solitude, as if this hotel was just another village on the island.
HOSHINOYA Taketomi Island incorporates these very same traditions, infusing them with a measure of elegance and sophistication so that guests may experience the same level of absolute comfort that the islanders do, without sacrificing contemporary pleasures.