Japan's southernmost inhabited island — sugar cane fields, a single ring road, and Nishihama beach where the water shifts through every shade of blue. There's a marker at the end of the country.

Best season

April–October

Crowd level

Hidden gem

Japanese needed

Basic

Opening hours

Outdoor — ferry runs from Ishigaki, weather-dependent

Best paired with

Continue your route

Taketomi Island

Okinawa

Yakushima

Kagoshima