Travel to Ishigaki: Getting Around, What to Do, and so much more

Ishigaki is the second largest of the Yaeyama Islands, after Iriomote and is easily accessible via flight from Naha, Okinawa. Ishigaki is known for its world-class diving, beautiful beaches, and Ishigaki Beef. Renting a car is the best way to explore the island and view everything at your own pace. If you have plans to travel to Ishigaki, this post covers all the basics of getting to Ishigaki from Naha, places to stay, and must see attractions and sites for your perfect Ishigaki itinerary.

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Flying to Ishigaki Island

The best way to get to Ishigaki is by flying. I don’t even think there are boats or ferries that go to Ishigaki from mainland Okinawa.

In 2013, Ishigaki got a new airport, Painushima Ishigaki Airport and there are multiple flights to Ishigaki from Naha a day.

There are international flights to and from Ishigaki from Hong Kong and Taipei. Most flight are domestic within Japan. Outside of Naha, there are flights to Ishigaki from Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, Fukuoka, Miyakojima, Yonaguni, Hateruma, and Tarama.

Getting Around Ishigaki

If traveling to Ishigaki and you really want to explore around the island, I recommend renting a vehicle and driving at your own pace.

There are many car rental companies just around the airport. We booked our car through Rentalcars.com. The rental car companies will have shuttles between their business and the airport.

There is a bus network on the island but it can be slower and infrequent but it does work. So if you are low on cash, taking the bus might be a good alternative. Our first time visiting Ishigaki Island, we took a bus from the airport to the ferry port.

There are taxi services available on Ishigaki.

Truly the best way to experience Ishigaki is just renting a car. The roads were all well maintained, parking was easy at all attractions I visited, and the rental prices were very affordable.

Where to Stay

There is a wide range of places to stay in Ishigaki from high end resorts to camp sites and they are scattered all over the island.

My travel style is somewhere in the middle, I do like resorts but it really depends on the cost and location. In Bali sure, but a quick getaway in Ishigaki, I just booked a standard room at the Comfort Hotel Ishigaki Island.

The Comfort Hotel Ishigaki Island was under $70 a night, had spacious rooms, a great view, breakfast, and bike rentals. For a three night stay we were completely satisfied. Plus it was a short walk to Maesato Beach.

If you are looking for more of a popular resort hotel, check out the ANA InterContinental Ishigaki Resort. In the off season, this resort runs about $150 a night.

Things to Do and See

Ishigaki being the size that it is offers a lot of activities both on land and in the water. Of course, people from around the world travel to Ishigaki for it’s amazing dive sites and beautiful beaches to snorkel at but there are a lot of activities on land that are worthwhile too. Ishigaki definitely deserves a minimum of two days to explore. Here are some of my recommended things to do while staying in Ishigaki.

Take a Ferry to Taketomi Island

A popular half day or day trip from Ishigaki is Taketomi Island. Hop on a 10-minute ferry ride to Taketomi Island from Ishigaki Port, rent a bike, and explore the traditional Ryukyu Village and its beautiful beaches.

For more information on Taketomi Island, I have a dedicated post on how to get to Taketomi Island and what to do there.

Ishigaki Yaima Village

Visit this open air museum and visit the squirrel monkeys. Ishigaki Yaima Village is a fun attraction in Ishigaki that is well worth at least an hour of your time.

Here you can find a traditional Ryukyu village and even walk inside many of the residences and buildings. During the day there might be shows and other displays.

The highlight for me was definitely the wildlife and especially the Squirrel Monkeys. No, these monkeys are not from here, but they have an enclosure with a ton of these little guys. You can freely walk amongst them.

There is also a chance to see a water buffalo here and a mangrove nature trail to spot other local wildlife.

Ishigaki Stalactite Cave

If you are looking for something to do on a rainy day or a place to go to and escape the brutal summer heat, check out the Ishigaki Stalactite Cave.

As of now, the cave is about 3.2 km long but only 660m is open to the public. Even then, this cave was much larger then I expected.

Check out the many stalactite formations and the illuminations. There is even a decent restaurant on the cave grounds and souvenir shop for after.

Snorkel one of the many beaches

If you have plans to travel to Ishigaki, then snorkeling is a must! There are so many great beaches to snorkel at here but one of our favorites was Yonehara Beach.

There was a paid parking lot here, but the trail lead straight to the beach. The water was beautiful and the surrounding mountains was just epic.

You have to swim out a bit to start seeing beautiful coral, but it is well worth it. I saw a lot of the usual suspects, sea snakes, parrot fish, trigger fish, and lots of smaller tropical fish.

I also saw snorkelers at Hirano Beach way up in northern Ishigaki.

I recommend bringing your snorkel gear to Ishigaki and if any beach looks like a good spot, test it out. You never know what beautiful coral and marine life you will see.

Diving

Many visitors come to Ishigaki for diving. It’s one of the prime diving locations in the world and one of the best places to see Mantas.

From May until about October, especially late September and early October is the time to dive in Ishigaki in hopes to see the Manta rays.

There are several dive sites all around the island and for any difficulty level. I recommend checking with some of the dive shops on the island prior to visiting and book a dive tour.

Yoneko Yaki Kobo Shisa Farm

A unique and fun attraction in Ishigaki was the Yoneko Yaki Shisa Farm.

The Yoneko Yaki Shisa Farm is both a gift shop, tourist attraction, and has a lovely Shisa Garden with a bunch of fun Shisa sculptures.

Curious what a Shisa is? Learn more about the Shisa, here.

Tamatorizaki Observation Platform

For one of the best views on Ishigaki, head to the Tamatorizaki Observation Platform. From the airport it is less then a 20-minute drive.

Look north and you can see beautiful waters surrounding the northern coast of Ishigaki and some of the hills on the northern part of the island. It really is a breathtaking view.

Walk Around Ishigaki City

Ishigaki does have a decent sized downtown area with a lot of great places to shop, dining experience, and bars. There are even a few covered pedestrian roads here and a fresh market.

You can find great souvenir shops here and stores selling local quality goods.

Restaurant wise, you can find everything from high end steak restaurants to local Shokudo restaurants.

Ishigaki does have a decent night life with a lot of bars and even a nice brewery, Against the Grain.

Recommended Places to Eat on Ishigaki

Ishigaki has a lot of great restaurants, bars, and dining experiences. You can find fine dining restaurants, sushi go-rounds, izakaya’s, hamburger restaurants, steak houses, and so much more here. Most people that travel to Ishigaki come to try Ishigaki Beef. Ishigaki Beef is wagyu and is of high class that just melts in your mouth. We tried Ishigaki Beef but also went to other places around the island, for a nice variety of restaurants, here are some of our favorites.

Native Deli

If you are looking to try authentic Ishigaki Beef, I recommend going to Native Deli. This restaurant is located downtown Ishigaki and the owner is a German gentleman that has been here for decades. He’s interesting but is great to talk to and of course a great cook.

We ordered the Rump Steak and Chuck Steak and they were cooked to perfection. The flavor was on point and the texture was melt in your mouth.

I recommend coming here for lunch, he had a great lunch special going where the steaks were discounted.

居酒屋かぁらや - Izakaya

Izakaya’s are one of the best places to go to and try local food. I came to this Izakaya because it was within walking distance from my hotel and it was fantastic!

I didn’t make reservations and was quickly seated, right away I ordered a refreshing Orion Beer and a few dishes to try.

Their menu is all Japanese, Google Translate will be your best friend here, or have fun with it and randomly point at stuff! Of the 6 or so dishes I tried, all were great!

鮨人（すしんちゅ）Conveyer Belt Sushi

Seriously, one of the best conveyer belt sushi restaurants I’ve eaten at in Japan is this one in Ishigaki.

It is a bit more expensive then sushi go-rounds like Kura Sushi or Sushiro. But the quality of the fish was evident. Everything we had here was delicious!

Transit Ishigaki Base

Another great restaurant to check out is Transit Ishigaki Base. This is a mom and pop shop with a local feel and friendly people.

I had a garlic beef dish here that was amazing. It came as a set meal and every dish was enjoyable.

茶房うふた - Soba

If driving around Ishigaki, stop at this soba restaurant for lunch. It’s popular, especially with tourists so you might have to wait a bit for a table. It’s worth it.

The soba was full of meat, the noodles complimented the broth well, and the flavors were what you would expect with a good bowl of soba. The staff was great as well!

Ice Cream at Cacao Market

For dessert, stop by Cacao Market in downtown Ishigaki. This chocolate shop has great sweet treats including ice cream and ice coffee drinks.

Cacao Market does take out but they also have a relaxing upstairs area.

Conclusion

If you have plans to travel to Ishigaki, I recommend spending a minimum of two days if not three days, especially if you plan on diving. Ishigaki is not a small island and has a lot of great attractions, water activities, and delicious restaurants. If visiting Ishigaki, do yourself a favor and rent a car and slowly explore the island.

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Plan Your Trip: 🗺️✈️🇯🇵

Booking Accommodations ⛺️🛖

For booking recommendations on the best deals and locations, check out Agoda or Booking.com

Activities and Tours 🏖️🚁

Find fun activities and things to do through Tripadvisor. If you are looking for tours and day trips, Viator and Get Your Guide have a lot of great options.

In need of a car rental? 🚗🚘

I recommend checking with Rental Cars.

Train Travel 🚂🚊

For the JR Pass, tickets can be purchased on the JR Pass site.