Yomitan village 読谷村

A beautiful beach near Naha

The city of Naha itself, where Okinawa Airport is located, is of little interest to travelers in search of nature and calm. Having a strong American influence it's certainly lively, but has very few natural or cultural attractions. If you only have a short time in Okinawa and can't hop on another plane to the more southern islands, or you don't have a car that gives you easy access to the wild and unspoiled landscapes of the north, you will find a good compromise in the village of Yomitan.

Read : Miyako Islands

Located about an hour by bus from Naha , Yomitan is a seaside village that hosts many Japanese tourists. Unable to compete with the most beautiful beaches of the archipelago, it isn't listed as one of the first sites to visit. However, visitors eager to meet welcoming locals and relax in an idyllic setting will be very happy here: as few foreign tourists go there, the beaches, with turquoise water, are often deserted. Yomitan is, however, large enough to have some good restaurants. In short, it's an ideal place for a stay for a few days if you don't like the crowds of the usual tourist spots.

To visit around Yomitan

It's easy to walk around Yomitan (although seaside homes are often on a relatively steep slope), but to be more comfortable, cycling is the perfect way to get around. In general, guesthouses or hotels offer bicycle rental. Once on your bike, you will quickly reach Murasaki-mura beach along the coast. It's located a few minutes from a salt works (in front of the Gala hotel-shopping complex) and is an anchor point for one or two pleasure boats that offer scuba diving. Tip: The view, called Sango Batake, is ideal for watching the sunset.

Read also : Kumejima Island

Yomitan specialties

You will probably have noticed if you have walked the streets of Naha, or any city of Okinawa: the local specialty is unquestionably purple sweet potato! Yomitan is no exception, and in fact the most famous sweet potato-based dessert brand on the island has one of its largest stores in the village; probably because the purple sweet potato, beni-imo, is from here! Head to this big store to stock up on not only the famous Beni-imo tart, but also a large number of other typical sweets (or not) from Okinawa.

See : Wagashi, traditional Japanese sweets