Today I am writing from Portugal, a few postings and a whole lot of moving boxes later. But every so often a photo pops up and drops me right back into another life. This week it was May 2019, when we were living in Okinawa, Japan, and Ishigaki became our favorite weekend escape.
Back then, we needed a real R&R weekend, the kind where nobody checks a calendar and the biggest decision is which beach comes next. Ishigaki gave us exactly that.
We dove with a sea turtle, chased mantas, pedaled around a tiny island at our own pace, and hunted for star sand. By the end of that weekend I had decided: Ishigaki was my new weekend getaway. Looking back now, I still love that place.
Getting There Is Half the Fun (and Barely Any Time)
Ishigaki sits way out in the Yaeyama Islands, but when you live on Okinawa it is a quick hop. We caught a short flight out of Naha and were on the beach before the kids could get bored. That was one of the best perks of living there: a tropical island weekend was just a short flight away.
Kabira Beach and Diving for Manta
Kabira Beach is the postcard shot of Ishigaki. Turquoise water, white sand, green hills rolling down to the shore. I can still picture the boys in their rash guards, standing on the rocks next to their dad, everyone grinning.
The real draw for us was underwater. The waters around Ishigaki are famous for manta rays, and diving for manta was at the top of our list. Watching those giant wings glide past is something you do not forget. And as a bonus, a sea turtle parked itself on the reef right below us and posed for photos like it had done this a thousand times. Peace signs all around. That photo still makes me smile.
We stayed at Club Med Kabira, and I would recommend it to any family. The big win for divers was that we could catch the dive boat right from the beach. No early morning drive to a harbor, no hauling gear across town. Just walk down to the water and go. The resort also had a flying trapeze school, which was a total surprise and a huge hit. Club Med still lists the trapeze as a seasonal activity (it does not run in winter), so check before you book if your kids have their hearts set on it.
If your family dives, this is the trip. If they snorkel, there is plenty to see from the surface too.
Taketomi Island: The Easiest, Happiest Bike Ride
Taketomi sits about seven kilometers west of Ishigaki, a 10 minute high speed ferry ride from Ishigaki Port. It is part of Iriomote Ishigaki National Park and ringed by the Sekisei Lagoon, a protected coral reef. Stepping off that boat in 2019 felt like stepping back in time. The island holds one of the best preserved traditional Ryukyu villages anywhere: white coral sand lanes, walls built from old coral and limestone, wooden houses with red tile roofs watched over by shisa lions, and hedges bursting with hibiscus and bougainvillea.
We saw it all by bike. The island is small and flat, with almost no traffic. Our crew split up on a mix of single bikes and a tandem, and nobody complained once. That alone tells you how easy the ride is. It is a fun, easy biking island, perfect for kids of any age.
What I remember most from that ride:
Water buffalo carts. These gentle giants pulled carts of visitors through the village while the drivers sang and played the sanshin. We stopped just to watch them go by.
Little cafes and shops. We loved the wooden storefronts with flowered curtains in the doorways and the shisa standing guard out front.
Hunting for star sand. This was the kids' favorite. Kaiji Beach, also called Star Sand Beach, is known for tiny star shaped grains that are really the shells of microscopic sea creatures called foraminifera. The kids crouched down, pressed their palms into the sand, and searched for the perfect stars. If you go today, know that taking star sand from the beach is now prohibited, so look, photograph, and leave it. A few beach stalls have magnifying glasses for a closer look. Swimming is off limits at Kaiji because of strong currents.
Kondoi Beach for a swim. On the west side of the island, Kondoi has soft white sand and a shallow sandbar that runs way out into the water, great for kids.
Sunset at Nishi Pier. About a 10 minute walk from Kondoi, the West Pier is the spot to end the day.
If you have extra time, the Taketomi Folk Craft Museum shows off minsah, the island's traditional striped and checked woven cloth, with weaving demonstrations.
The Next Trip We Promised Ourselves
On the ferry back to Ishigaki, we were already planning the sequel. Next time, we said, we would take the ferry to the bigger island, Iriomote, and hike to the waterfalls. It is wilder and greener than Taketomi, almost all jungle, and the perfect next chapter for a family that wants a little more adventure. Those waterfalls are still on my list.
If You Go Today: Tips for Families
Check flights from Naha. Peach no longer flies Naha to Ishigaki, so compare the other carriers on that route. If you are coming from mainland Japan, Peach does fly direct to Ishigaki from Osaka (Kansai), Tokyo (Narita), and Fukuoka.
Stay at Club Med Kabira if you dive. The dive boat leaves right from the beach. Ask about the flying trapeze, which is seasonal.
Book your manta dive ahead. Dive boats fill up, especially on weekends.
Catch the hourly ferry to Taketomi. It is only 10 minutes, so it works as an easy day trip.
Rent bikes on Taketomi. Shops are at the port and in the village, and a tandem is a great option for younger kids.
Swim at Kondoi, not Kaiji. Kaiji has strong currents. Kondoi's shallow sandbar is the family pick.
Look, do not take, the star sand. Bring patience and use the magnifiers at the beach stalls.
Bring sunscreen and water. The coral sand lanes reflect a lot of sun.
Want to stay over on Taketomi? It has cozy family run guesthouses (minshuku) if you want the village after the day trippers leave.
Looking Back from Portugal
Ishigaki checked every box. Easy to reach, wildly beautiful, and relaxed enough that we came home actually rested. For a military family that moves often and rarely gets a true pause, that mattered more than I realized at the time.
These days our weekends look different. New country, new coastline, kids who have grown a lot since those photos. But that May 2019 weekend is still one of my favorite family memories, and Ishigaki is still the place I picture when someone says getaway. If you are lucky enough to be stationed on Okinawa right now, go. You will not regret it.