宮古島

Miyakojima is a flat coral island in Okinawa Prefecture, far south of the Japanese mainland in subtropical seas. It is the island people picture when they imagine Japan's perfect beach, and because no rivers cloud the water, the sea here holds some of the country's clearest blues.

Yonaha Maehama stretches seven kilometers of white sand along the southwest shore, and snorkelers share the eastern lagoons with sea turtles. Drive the long Irabu Bridge, one of Japan's longest toll-free spans, to the neighboring islands for quieter coves and harbor lunches.

Flights arrive from the mainland and Naha, and the absence of big-ship tourism keeps the island calm. Beach season runs long, roughly April into November, and mango shaved ice finishes a hot afternoon properly. Rent a car; the island rewards slow circuits and unplanned beach stops.