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Introducing popular beaches on Irabu Island with many Instagram-worthy spots.
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What is Irabu Island like?
Irabu Island is located northwest of Miyako Island and is connected to Miyako Island by the Irabu Bridge.
Although the island is often talked about as an add-on to Miyako Island sightseeing, did you know that Irabu Island actually holds many attractions as well?
Irabu Island is located right next to Shimoji Island, where the airport is located, almost as if it were one island, and together with Shimoji Island, the distance around the island is approximately 30 km.
Since Miyako Island is about 100 km around, you can see that it is smaller in size than that.
The population of the island is approximately 5,000, and skipjack fishing and sugarcane cultivation are thriving.
Like Miyako Island, this island was formed by the uplift of coral reefs on the ocean floor, and visitors can enjoy pure white sand beaches created by the accumulation of fine coral fragments.
How to get to Irabu Island, which is booming in popularity.
In the past, there was no way to get to Irabu Island except by ferry.
However, since the Irabu Bridge passed between Miyako and Miyako Island in 2015, it has become possible to make a casual round trip by car.
This was a revolutionary event for the two islands, not only dramatically increasing convenience for residents, but also making Irabu Island very accessible to tourists.
Although it has remained under the radar due to its inaccessibility, Irabu Island's popularity has skyrocketed in recent years, as the land has been blessed with beautiful spots to visit.
Crossing the Irabu Bridge from Miyako Island
At approximately 3.5 km long, the Irabu Bridge is the longest bridge in Japan that is open to free passage.
The sight of the bridge over the tropical blue sea is so beautiful that the Irabu Bridge is loved by many people not only as a mere road, but also as one of the landmark tourist spots.
The bridge has a structure that rises in a gentle curve across the center of the bridge to allow boats to pass under it, and the gentle ups and downs along the bridge will give you a unique driving experience.
Popular Beaches on Irabu Island
The highlight of Irabu Island is its beautiful tropical beaches.
There are several famous beaches scattered throughout the Miyako Islands, but there are also several excellent beaches on Irabu Island that are worth visiting for their own sake.
Let's take a look at the popular beaches on the island in turn.
Contrast of white and blue! Watakuchi Beach
One of the most popular spots on Irabu Island is Wataguchi Beach in the southwestern part of the island.
This place was well known even before the opening of the Irabu Bridge, and is characterized by a combination of natural beauty and the convenience of a well-developed tourist destination.
The 800-m-long, pure white beach stretches out in a gentle crescent shape, offering a panoramic view of the Irabu blue sea glistening in the sunlight.
There are entrances from the road down to the beach at both the east and west ends, and depending on which way you enter, the view will give you a different impression, which is another attractive point.
On the west side of the beach, there are facilities that rent out parasols, floats, and other marine leisure and activity equipment, so even if you come empty-handed, you can still have fun in a variety of ways.
On the east side of the beach, there is a café where you can enter in your swimsuit, and here you can rent various equipment as well as BBQ sets.
With parking lots at both the east and west entrances, it is easy to visit and offers a variety of ways to enjoy the park, making it an ideal spot for children.
However, Watakuchi Beach is not an artificial beach, so there are no lifeguards.
Because the tides are swift, avoid swimming too far from the land and be careful not to let your children out of your sight.
Nakanoshima Beach, a spectacular view of the precipitous cliffs
Nakanoshima Beach is also famous as one of the most popular spots.
Technically, the beach is located not on Irabu Island but on the adjacent Shimoji Island, but Shimoji Island and Irabu Island are separated by a narrow channel only 50 meters long.
Since there is also a bridge between the two islands and they are connected by land, they are effectively treated as one island.
As soon as you enter Shimojishima Island, you will see the Shimojishima Airport site, and if you go around the runway, you will reach Nakanoshima Beach.
The difference between Nakanoshima Beach and Watakuchi Beach is that the topography is an intricate bay.
The topography of the area cancels out the waves from the open sea, and the waves reaching the beach are very gentle, allowing visitors to enjoy ocean fun in peace.
The calmness of the waves also affects the fish as well as the people, and any time you visit, you will find many fish swimming in the bay.
Be sure to bring flip-flops when you visit here.
The beach is not maintained because it is a natural beach with no human intervention, and there are many places where the sand is exposed with rough rocks, making it unsuitable for barefoot walking.
Although there are no nearby facilities or equipment rentals, this is a highly recommended spot to immerse yourself in the unique blue ocean scenery of the Miyako Islands to your heart's content.
17END that appears only under certain conditions.
One very unusual and famous spot unique to Shimoji Island is a beach called 17END (One Seventh End).
There are two airports in the Miyako Islands, one of which, Shimojijima Airport, is located on Shimojijima Island, as the name suggests.
Although now used for civilian purposes, the original purpose for which Shimojishima Airport was built was as a training airfield for the development of pilots.
The runway at Shimojishima Airport is assigned the runway identification number RWY17, derived from the fact that it extends to a bearing of 170° pointing south-southeast.
The name 17END was given to the area where runway 17 dead-ends.
At the end of the runway of Shimojishima Airport, there is a pure white beach that appears only at low tide, and this beach is also called by the name of 17END, which refers to the entire area.
The condition of not always being able to see it, combined with its maniacal location at the end of a narrow road on the side of the airport, made 17END in the past a hidden gem known only to those in the know.
However, with the opening of the Irabu Bridge, which made it easier to visit Irabu Island and then Shimoji Island, and as it became fashionable to post photos that look good on SNS, 17END skyrocketed in popularity.
Today, it has become a famous photo spot that attracts many visitors, making it a famous tourist attraction on Shimojishima.
However, the influx of so many people caused many traffic accidents and other problems on the narrow roads around 17 END.
Therefore, it is now necessary to park your car in front of the vehicular road closure point and walk from there.
It is a good idea to check the map information well in advance before visiting.
The beach of Sawada, a scene created by countless rocks
Different from the beaches introduced above is Sawada no Hama, which boasts a unique landscape of shallow water dotted with rocks and rugged terrain.
It is said that this large quantity of rocks was carried here by the great tsunami caused by the Yaeyama earthquake in 1771, and it is a place where the wild power of nature can be felt.
Because of the uniqueness of its scenery, it has been selected as one of the 100 best beaches in Japan. Perhaps another reason for its popularity is that it is easy to use, with facilities such as showers and toilets available for easy access.
The shallow water makes it a safe place for children to enjoy themselves without worrying about water hazards.
The scenic "triangular point" of Irabu Island is also very popular!
Finally, I would like to change things up a bit and introduce you to a very thrilling spot.
Turn right immediately after crossing the Irabu Bridge from Miyako Island.
Pass by a port called Sarahama Port and look for the "BIKE" marker marked on the road.
A little before that, wading through the bushes toward the sea, you will reach the "Triangle Point," a scenic spot where you can look out over the sea of the Miyako Islands from the top of a precipitous cliff.
It is popular as a place where one can look down on the sea from a high point, which is rare in the Miyako Islands, where there is little difference in elevation, and the spectacular view while being blown by the sea breeze will surely captivate your heart.
It should be noted, however, that it is not a tourist destination and is a true precipice.
Be aware of the risks, but be sure to enjoy the experience in moderation.
summary
We have picked up Irabu Island, which tends to be put away under the impression that it is next to Miyako Island.
The island used to have a modest impression, but since the opening of the Irabu Bridge, it has been attracting increasing attention and has now grown to become one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Miyako Islands.
If you are planning to visit the Miyako Islands, you may want to build your plans around Irabu Island.
This article was written by.
