It takes about an hour and a half from Naha Airport by car and three and a half hours by bus. If you take a bus, it takes 3.5 hours to get to “Odomari Beach” on Ike Island, which is located off the coast of Uruma City in the central Okinawa main island. Although the islands of Uruma City are connected by a bridge, it is difficult to get there because you have to pass through two islands, but if you like snorkeling, this is the place to go.
Point 1: What is the location of “Omari Beach”?
Odomari Beach” is a natural beach located on Ike Island, the furthest of the four islands off the coast of Uruma City on the Pacific Ocean side of central Okinawa Island.
It takes 21 minutes by car or an hour by bus even from Uruma City’s Underwater Road Road, but I am sure you will be glad you went. Ike Island is a natural beach on Ike Island, which is the furthest away from the city of Uruma.
Ikejima Beach, located on the other side of the island, is more famous and most people tend to go there, so it is a relatively empty beach with good facilities.
Point 2: What kind of beach is “Omari Beach”?
Odomari Beach” is a visually very beautiful beach.
It is a wide beach with a width of 600 meters of white sand, and the water is crystal clear as only a remote island can provide. Even in shallow water, there are many rare fish, including tropical fish, making it look like a natural aquarium.
It is common to see small children looking at the fish through underwater glasses.
Even just a few meters from the beach, beautiful tropical fish come close to you, making it very enjoyable. Fish bait is sold for 100 yen, but bringing fish sausages is also recommended. You can meet a school of fish.
Be careful, however, because the water is not shallow, and some parts of the beach suddenly become deeper than 3 meters from the beach!
It costs 500 yen to enter the beach, including parking and shower fees. If you want to bring your own BBQ, you will need to pay for it.
Snorkel rentals are available, but it seems that there is no charge for snorkels of your own.
Point 3: What is the after-beach fun at “Omari Beach”?
Because “Odomari Beach” is located on a remote island and has a sense of being at the very end of the island, there are not many tourist attractions.
However, there are some things to see on a remote island that you cannot find in the city.
For example, the sunflower fields of Ike Island, located across the Ike Ohashi Bridge from Miyagi Island, begin blooming around February because of the warm climate, and they are in bloom not only in summer but also almost all year round!
There is also a “common store,” a place of exchange unique to Okinawa, on the island. There are no convenience stores on the island, and daily shopping is done at the “common stall.
Ikejima also still has an “Ikejima Community Kiosk,” but it is now only found in Yanbaru, remote islands, and Amami on the main island of Okinawa. It is a valuable part of Okinawan culture.
There is also a roadside station “Ayahashikan” on the underwater road that crosses from Uruma City to the first island, Heianza Island. There is an Okinawa Zenzai and Blue Seal store, and many kinds of souvenirs are recommended.
