Henza Island

Henza Island sits off the Okinawa mainland connected by a short bridge from Uruma. The island is small, about 7 kilometers around, and its seawalls are painted with large murals by local and visiting artists, giving the shoreline path a gallery-like quality as you walk. Cafes and small restaurants are dotted around the perimeter, many serving fresh fish from the nearby waters. The beaches are modest but the water is clean. It's a low-key place popular with Okinawan cyclists and day visitors looking to slow down. Walking or cycling the full loop takes about two hours and passes through small fishing settlements that retain an everyday, working character.