Miyako Island

Most of the Miyako's 50,000 or so residents live in Hirara (平良), the main business and entertainment district on the island. The rest of the island is pretty much undeveloped, with the exception of a few coastal tourist spots, especially Shigira (シギラ) in the south. Sugar cane and to a lesser extent tobacco are the island's cash crops. There is not much to see, not much of a downtown, no man-made wonders to behold, no rivers to explore and no mountains to climb. Don't despair! The lack of rivers and mountains means there is no silty run-off to cloud the water. Miyako and the two connected islands, Kurima (来間) to the west and Ikema (池間) to the north, have miles of nameless white sand beaches and clear blue water. On a moonlit night you can wade out chest deep to watch the "yakouchu" (夜光虫, Noctiluca scintillans) and still see your toes wiggle. During the day the snorkeling, diving and other beach activities are as good as it gets in Okinawa.

Tourist information site:

The local tourist association has a Japanese-only guide site, also covering five smaller islands nearby.

By plane:

1 Miyako Airport (MMY IATA). Offers direct connections to Tokyo (Haneda), Naha and Ishigaki on JTA and ANA. Chances are you will be transferring in Naha so consider spending some time on the main Okinawa Island as well.

See also Irabu#By plane for Shimojishima Airport SHI IATA, which serves various low-cost carriers and is only a 25-min drive away.

By ferry:

As of April 2024, there are no scheduled ferry services from outside the Miyako Islands.