Best hotels in Kerama & Kume Islands

40 minutes by high-speed boat from Naha, Tokashiki Island barely registers on most Japan itineraries, which is rather the point. Kerama Terrace sits in the fishing hamlet of Aharen, a two-minute stroll from a beach so clear the locals gave the water its own name: Kerama Blue. Behind a Bali-inflected lobby (dark timber, palm shadows, low lighting), just seven adults-only rooms mean you'll recognise every other guest by breakfast. Founded by a former dive instructor, the hotel still arranges its own diving and snorkelling trips, sea turtles a near-certainty and, come winter, a fair shot at humpback whales offshore. This isn't Okinawa's resort strip. It's something smaller, and far better for it.

Kumejima sits a lonely 90 kilometres west of Okinawa's Main Island, reachable by a short hop from Naha or a slower ferry that gives you time to properly check out. Cypress Resort bows in a long curve along Ohara Shinri Beach, so every room, and the infinity pool out front, faces nothing but sea, coral reef and the odd propeller plane taking off from the airstrip next door. Days here revolve around boat trips out to Hatenohama, the seven-kilometre sandbar locals call the most beautiful stretch of water in the East, and evenings on a barbecue terrace with the sunset for company. Kumejima doesn't try hard. It doesn't need to.

Kume Island lies around 100km west of Okinawa's Main Island, reached by a 35-minute flight or a slower, scenic ferry from Naha. Locals call it Kuminoshima, "the most beautiful island in the Ryukyus". It's easy to see why once you're footsteps from Eef Beach, which is exactly where this sprawling, three-building resort sits. Expect a lawn-fringed pool, tennis courts, a games room and the unhurried comings and goings of marathon runners and returning divers rather than any design flourishes. This is a solid, functional base for the island's real draw: boat trips to the seven-kilometre Hatenohama sandbar, hands-on silk-weaving workshops and diving among manta rays.

Tokashiki Marine Village is a resort accommodation boasting one of the finest locations on Tokashiki Island in the Kerama Islands. Snorkeling and scuba diving, which can be enjoyed all year round, will welcome you with coral reefs and colorful fish that stretch as far as the eye can see. It is also a great chance to encounter sea turtles. In winter, whale watching, where you can see humpback whales up close, is popular. This resort hotel allows you to enjoy Okinawa all year round. Come and visit Tokashiki Island, a paradise just a short distance from Okinawa Main Island.

Choose from nine different room types to suit your travel style and group size. From the moment you wake up in the morning until you fall asleep at night, you can relax and watch the changing colors of Eef Beach from your room. At night, gaze at the starry sky from your balcony.

At EN RESORT Kumejima EEF Beach Hotel you can wake up a little earlier than usual and start your day by watching the sunrise. The sun rising over the horizon gradually gives color and brilliance to the sea in front of you, and just watching the changes is soothing. Feel the sun, feel the sea breeze, feel the island breeze, relax, and just zone out.