Yaeyama Islands
At the north end of the island, on the west coast, you will find this long strip of sand with a bit of offshore reef. As the name implies, this is one of…
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Yaeyama Islands
At the far southwestern end of the Southwest Islands are the gorgeous Yaeyama Islands (八重山諸島; Yaeyama-shotō), which include the main islands of Ishigaki-jima and Iriomote-jima as well as a spread of 17 isles. Located near the Tropic of Cancer, they are renowned for their lovely beaches, superb diving and lush landscapes.
Attractions
Must-see attractions
Yaeyama Islands
Kabira-wan is a sheltered bay with white-sand shores and a couple of interesting clumplike islets offshore. Swimming is not allowed in the bay, as pearls…
Yaeyama Islands
From Shirahama, at the western end of the north coast road, there are four daily boats (¥500) to the isolated settlement of Funauki. Once there, it's a…
Yaeyama Islands
If you're looking to do a bit of snorkelling, head to this beach on the northwestern tip of the island. The beach is named after its star sand, which…
Yaeyama Islands
At the back of a mangrove-lined bay called Funaura-wan, a few kilometres east of Uehara, you can make out the lovely Pinaisāra-no-taki, Okinawa’s highest…
Iriomote Wildlife Conservation Center
Yaeyama Islands
If you are at all intrigued by the yamaneko (Iriomote's endemic wildcat), whose critically endangered population hovers around 100, it's worth stopping by…
Yaeyama Islands
This modest museum has exhibits on the culture and history of the island, which are quite well presented with English explanations. Notable among the more…
Yaeyama Islands
At the southeast corner of the island is this impressive 1km-long cliff of Ryūkyū limestone, pounded by the Pacific Ocean. There's a small observatory…
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Articles
Latest stories from Yaeyama Islands
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- placement: fullWidth
- path: destinations/bottom
- possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [300, 250], [320, 50], [1, 1],
- targeting:
{ "destination": "Yaeyama-Islands", "region": "Okinawa-&-the-Southwest-Islands", "continent": "Asia", "country": "Japan" }