Best things to do in Iriomote-jima

Visit Iriomote Island, a jungle-covered island popular with nature lovers. The population of Okinawa's second-largest island remains relatively small, with just 2,000 permanent inhabitants and nearly 90 percent of the landmass covered in thick, lush jungle and mangrove forests. Attracting outdoor adventurers and nature enthusiasts, the habitats onshore and off support a varied population of animals, including the Iriomote Yamaneko (a wildcat only found on the island), and manta rays swimming around the coral reef. Take a diving trip with one of the many established tour operators, or kayak down the rivers of the island's interior.

Looking like a long white beard hanging down towards a foaming pond, the 55 m (180 ft) drop of Pinaisara Falls makes is the city's highest falls. Accessible both by foot and by canoe, the location provides plenty of trekking, kayaking, and swimming opportunities capped by a view from the top of the falls. Some say the falls resemble a long white beard hanging down, which is how the site got its name. Experience the sights and sounds of rare birds and watch subtropical trees while sitting in the pool beneath the falls. The site begs for photos but the climate is tropical, so bring cases for cameras to protect them from the humidity here.

Famous for its sands made of billions of tiny dead starfish, Hoshisuna Beach features a number of reefs and curious offshore rock formations covered with greener. Forming a half-closed bay with a micro climate, the beach offers good swimming and snorkeling opportunities. You can walk in the shallows and puddles during low tide, or rent snorkeling equipment at a facility right across the beach and wait for high tide. Huge differences in tide leave large pools filled with vivid marine life. You can dine in a nice restaurant nearby and the beach, some 10-15 minutes by car from Uehara, has toilet facilities.

One of the three ports from which you can start exploring Iriomote island, Uehara is a small-town ferry terminal with a small supermarket, a few restaurants, and a petrol station renting scooters and cars. On windy days, the port may be closed, you can still take buses to other nearby ferry ports. You can snorkel and explore the beach north of the port, Hoshizuma no Hama, known for its coral and star-shaped sand. You can also find waterfalls just north of the port. Keep an eye out for information tables about the Iriomote cat, a subspecies of the leopard that lives only on this island.

A thick natural growth of some 40,000 coconut and other subtropical trees, as well as 30 varieties of hibiscus, make Subtropical Plant Paradise Yubujima Island a true island garden. With a circumference of only 2.15 km (1.3 mi) and an elevation 1.5 m (4 ft) above the sea, the island features guava, papaya, and mangrove trees that attract tourists from across the world. For the best way to get around the island, take the water buffalo taxi, a memorable ride on a buffalo cart. Besides the flower gardens, highlights include a butterfly garden, a collection of shells on display, and a restaurant offering noodle soups and curry dishes. Yubu Island lies some 400 m (1,350 ft) from Oriomote Island.