Kohama Island (Yaeyama Islands)

Kohama Island is in the Yaeyama archipelago, reachable by ferry from Ishigaki in about 25 minutes. The island is flat and largely given over to cattle ranching, with a quiet interior road network that cyclists can cover in a few hours. Its main draw for visitors is the sea: the waters around Kohama have some of the clearest visibility in the Yaeyama Islands, and diving and snorkeling tours based here access sites that see less boat traffic than those closer to Ishigaki. Kondoi Beach on the western shore has a shallow sandspit that extends into the turquoise water at low tide and is popular for wading. The island has a few guesthouses and restaurants, enough for an overnight stay.