Kuroshima

Small round island in the Yaeyama archipelago, about 20 kilometers southwest of Ishigaki, reachable by ferry in roughly 30 minutes. The island is heart-shaped when seen from above, a detail that features prominently in most visitor descriptions. Cattle farming is the main industry here, and the population of cows significantly outnumbers the island's 200 or so human residents. The roads are flat and easily cycled, passing through fields and mangrove channels to beaches on the western and northern shores. An annual cattle festival in spring celebrates the island's agricultural life. The surrounding sea has undisturbed coral, good for snorkeling from the beach without going far offshore.