[Okinawa Kuroshima/Day Trip] Kuroshima, where you can fully enjoy nature by bicycle
I'm thinking about going to Kuroshima again this year (´-`).｡oO
Last year, I won a trip to Ishigaki Island through JAL's 'Somewhere Mile' Southern Island promotion,
and since I was going all that way, I decided to make my debut on Kuroshima, an outlying island I had never visited before.
I liked it so much that it's an island I definitely want to visit again!!!
Who I would recommend Kuroshima to
・Those who want to leisurely explore by bicycle
・Those who love nature
・Those who can cherish nature
・Those who prefer to just gaze at the sea rather than do activities
⛴️Ishigaki Remote Island Terminal▷▷▷Kuroshima Port
Boats to Kuroshima, like those to other remote islands, are operated by:
・Yaeyama Kanko Ferry
・Anei Kanko
Fare: One-way 1,510 yen, Round-trip 2,910 yen *Same for both companies
Travel time: 25-30 minutes
Each company has 3 departures per day.
At Ishigaki Port, you can pay with methods other than cash, such as credit cards, QR codes, and transportation IC cards.
Kuroshima Port is cash only.
I recommend checking the timetable and fares in advance.
▼Yaeyama Kanko Ferry
▼Anei Kanko
The start of a short, short boat trip~
I didn't get seasick on the boat.
*Whether or not you get 'seasick' depends on the person.
Renting a bicycle
I arrived and rented a bicycle.
I rented an electric bicycle from Kuroshima Rent-a-Cycle.
*It is located about a 5-minute walk from Kuroshima Port.
Now, from here, I'm heading to the Kuroshima Observatory🚲
Kuroshima Observatory
It is located right next to the Kuroshima Elementary and Junior High School.
(I wish I could have attended a school on a remote island 🥹)
The observatory is 10 meters high, but
since Kuroshima is flat, you can see far into the distance in all 360 degrees.
I could even see other remote islands.
Cows were grazing in the meadows,
spending their time leisurely.
On Kuroshima, there are more cows than humans,
and they are everywhere🐃
*Population is 220, number of cows is over 3,000
Having had an Ishigaki beef hamburger steak at Steak House 88 in Ishigaki Island the day before,
I felt so guilty I couldn't look them in the eye, sorry 🥲
…No, don't post that!
Kuroshima Post Office
Next, I headed to the Kuroshima Post Office.
〒907-1311
1032-1 Kuroshima, Taketomi-cho, Yaeyama-gun, Okinawa Prefecture
It's located along Prefectural Road 213 from the observation deck mentioned earlier.
It is the only post office on the island,
and it features a red-tiled roof typical of the Yaeyama region.
Like on the mainland, it is open on weekdays and has an ATM.
I heard you can get a postmark unique to Kuroshima.
Iko Pier
*Caution during low tide
The place I headed to after the Kuroshima Post Office was here.
*About a 15-minute walk from the post office
It's a super long pier.
You can see islands like Iriomote and Ishigaki nearby.
The water is highly transparent, and you can see fish and, if you're lucky, sea turtles.
☕️ Break at Heartland
Thinking I'd take a little break, I pedaled my bicycle hard again from Iko Pier toward the port.
The blue prefab building is stylish 💎
It seems they also offer bicycle rentals here.
Nishinohama Beach
After a break, head to Nishinohama Beach.
A beach you can walk to from Kuroshima Port.
The approximately 2km-long white sand beach and emerald green sea are incredibly beautiful.
*Swimming is prohibited at Nishinohama Beach due to rough waves.
Spending time just zoning out while listening to the sound of the waves
cleansed my soul.
You can see Iriomote Island and Kohama Island from here too.
It's a sunset spot, so it would probably be nice at dusk as well.
🔬 Kuroshima Research Institute
136 Kuroshima, Taketomi-cho, Yaeyama-gun, Okinawa 907-1311
136 Kuroshima, Taketomi-cho, Yaeyama-gun, Okinawa
Finally, the Kuroshima Research Institute.
It's on the opposite side of the port from Nishinohama,
but it's not that far if you go by electric bicycle.
but then I got hit on by a goat senior.
Kuroshima Research Institute was established in 1975.
It is the oldest marine biology research institute in Okinawa.
It's fascinating, with exhibition rooms, turtles being raised in large tanks,
and a pond where sharks are swimming!
⛴️ Kuroshima Port ▷▷▷ Ishigaki Remote Island Terminal
It's a day trip, so it went by in a flash, but I have a flight to catch, so I'm heading home ⛴️
I'll come back again, Kuroshima 🥲
Lastly
There was a lot of trash dropped on this road.
It made me sad, so I removed it with AI! 😠
(Actually, I'm full of the desire to do a beach cleanup!)
This isn't limited to Kuroshima,
but I hope that only people who won't leave trash behind and who can cherish nature will visit. 🙏
On the way to this beach, I saw wild peacocks, coconut crabs,
and colorful geckos, etc. 🦎🦚🌈
Kuroshima really feels like an island where nature is the protagonist rather than humans.
At the time I went, there were few people,
and I didn't see any cars.
So you can zoom along the road on a bicycle (← stop that).
There are birds unique to the island wandering around, so don't go at full speed.
When I go to remote islands in Okinawa, I try to enjoy myself while remembering that I am a 'guest,'
but this was an island where I felt that sentiment even more strongly. 🏝️