Okinawa travel guide

Not far from American Village is this artificial city beach with facilities like toilets, parking spaces, enclosed swimming area with lifeguards. It's part the Araha Park, which also includes a basketball court, a playground (with a life size pirate ship), and a promenade for running and cycling.

Cape Zanpa is within the cheesy tourist zone of western Okinawa. Here are hotels, restaurants and every activity under the sun is offered. Zanpa Beach has (besides cafes, lifeguards, enclosed swimming area) also a blowup slide right on the beach. The white lighthouse further down the road is another popular sight. There are several paths leading to lookouts over the East China Sea, but watch out for crashing waves. There is even a petting zoo with goats right at the large parking lot.

Katsuren Castle Ruins sit dramatically on a hill with amazing views over the (today upbuilt) eastern coast and islands of Okinawa. The ruins are part of
Okinawa's UNESCO enlisted Ryukyu sites, which mostly include other castles from the Gusuku period (12th-15th century). The small Katsuren Castle Ruins are like most of the other Ryukyu ruins with just the stonewalls restored. The castle was constructed in 13th-14th century with beautiful views of the sea from two sides, which can still be enjoyed today.

Another popular beach in Okinawa. It's located right after the bridge from Yagaji Island, which offers tremendous views over both islands (and Kouri Beach). The beach has the usual setup with an enclosed supervised swimming area, but for the bad asses, you can cross the road and swim unguarded at a smaller beach. No matter which side you choose, the water is same tempting shades of turquoise. There are parking, icecream shops and cafees on the opposite side of the road.

A lot of things are going at Mibaru Beach. Small fishing boats are pulled onto land, glass bottom boat tours are taking off, and kite surfers are gliding over the calm water within the outer reef. The beach is a bit rough with lots of broken corals, and there are no lifeguards to tell you where to swim (some will appreciate this freedom). Out in the water at the far right end stand some photogenic outcrops of limestone, which also can provide some shade (much needed during summer).

The ruins of Nakagusuku Castle (built in the early 15th century) are another of Okinawa's UNESCO enlisted Ryukyu sites. It's perched on a hilltop and the curved lines of the stonewalls follows the natural rocks neatly. But the biggest attraction isn't the location, it's the overgrown state. Like many of the other castle ruins on Okinawa, only the stonewalls stand, but here plants and palm trees have had a chance to grow to give the ruins a wild feel. Cobbled pathways lead to new corners and a walk up on the walls will constantly offer new vantage points of the castle ruins. Nakagusuku certainly has a feel of lost world, which the other more manicured Ryukyu castle sites lack.

Okinawa has several castle ruins, which are united as one UNESCO World Heritage Site. They date back to the Gusuku period (12th-15th century), when Okinawa was ruled by three kingdoms. Nakijin Castle was built in the late 1200s and were the castle for the northern kingdom, Hokuzan. In 1416 the Hokuzan Kingdom was invaded by the middle kingdom, Chuzan, which then went on to unify Okinawa in 1429, as part of the newly established Ryukyu Kingdom.
Today the castle ruin is known for its rebuilt outer stonewalls, which gives a good picture of how big the castle actually has been, but the rest is left to the imagination. It's surrounded by lush forest and with splendid views the northern part of Okinawa and the East China Sea.

This outdoor ancient religious site is a part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, which also includes other historical sites on Okinawa from the Gusuku period (12th-15th century). It served as a place of worship, religious ceremonies and rituals for the Ryukyuan people (also way after the 15th century), but was later used as a Shinto shrine. The area is a densely forested hillside with an ancient stone path leading to a couple of simple platforms under some cliff overhangs. It's a very tranquil site with plenty of shade.

When you approach popular Sesoko Beach from the paid parking lot, you will pass the usual Japanese setup with lockers and venders of floating toys before standing on a beautiful white beach with views over the aquamarine waters. To the left people crowd with parasols and beach tents in front of the enclosed swimming area with lifeguards informing over the loudspeakers to stay within the designated area. However, to the right the beach is almost empty. A few people have taken cover in the shade of some limestones. Further to the right the limestone boulders get bigger. Here some overhangs the beach providing paradiselike pockets of shaded privacy with views of only the blue sea.

When the kings of the Ryukyu Kingdom weren't at Shurijo Castle, they spent time here in the royal garden. It was constructed in the 18th century in a blend of Chinese and Japanese landscape styles with ponds and bridges (since Okinawa was trading with both Japan and China at the time). The garden was completely destroyed during WWII, but has since been neatly rebuilt, and is today a part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, which also includes the Gusuku castles and ruins around Okinawa.
The shady royal garden will come as a much needed break from the fierce sun, if you come during the hot summer months.