Uganzaki North Beach

Having covered most of the standard beach haunts on Ishigaki island I've decided to move on to some of the lesser-known spots which rarely / never appear in guide books. A beach positioned on the north coast of the Uganzaki peninsula, not far from the lighthouse, is one such spot which has failed to be picked up by the Japanese tourist radar (and in order to avoid swarms of people visiting it I may choose to omit it from the Japanese-language section of the website).

 

 

One reason why it may not have been spotted by many is the fact that it is relatively inaccessible. In fact, if nobody else is at the beach you may not be able to find it at all. The giveaway is usually one or two randomly parked cars on an area of dirt as you drive along the north of the peninsula, just a kilometer or so from the lighthouse. From here you should be able to find a vague trail which leads you down the hill and through a narrow path surrounded by foilage before you finally reach the beach.

 

Your first impression will not be a good one. As you exit the path you'll no doubt be greeted by a huge mound of rubbish (trash) which has been carried in by the tide and deposited at the back of the beach during high winds and typhoons. As is the case with many of the seldom-visited beaches on the island nobody makes much of an effort to remove these piles of plastic bottles etc and as such they represent an unwelcome stain on what would otherwise be a perfect scene.

 

 

Still, you'll soon forget the bottles when you step out onto the sand and take in what is one of the best views to be had from a beach on Ishigaki island. To the east you'll be able to see the Sukuji beach in the distance on a clear day and the ocean which lies in front of you is quite simply stunning. The quality of sand is pretty good on the whole and the large rocks which jut out from the beach make for a very interesting scene which you're unlikely to forget in a hurry.

 

 

We visited this spot on a Sunday afternoon during the height of the summer season, and even then we only saw a handful of individuals over a 2 hour period. Assuming that thousands of people don't swarm to this spot after having read this feature you can be pretty confident of enjoying plenty of peace and tranquility and this idyllic location.

 

 

 

It's true that the beaches around Uganzaki are very popular among locals who enjoy snorkeling, however, it should be noted that the council has erected a 'No Swimming' sign on the path which leads to the beach. Whether this is due to specific dangers or simply due to the fact that they'd rather that people didn't swim in such a secluded area remains to be seen, but either way, I thought it wise to state the official line. Plus, if you do get into trouble here don't rely on anybody being on the beach to shout to for help as you may be alone.

 

 

Positives

 

Please use my interactive Ishigaki island map