Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The Kaichu-doro causeway, the Road through the Sea,” connects Okinawa-honto's Katsuren Peninsula to
Henzajima, shown on the left. The long bridge at the rear connects Henza to Hamahigajima on the right.
By road, it's 7.5 miles (12 kilometers) from the northern tip of Ikei to Yonashirohenza.
From there, there's a choice of two bridges, both long. The longest, Kaichu-doro, is 2.75
miles (4.6 kilometers) and links Henza-Miyagi-Ikei Islands to the Katsuren Peninsula on
Okinawa-hontō. This magnificent causeway, a minor tourist attraction in its own right, has
a sightseeing area, a maritime cultural museum, restaurant and gift shops, plus a large safe
parking area, all in the middle of its span. On its northern Kinbu Bay side, there are vast
shallow areas of sea. A quirk of topography keeps this area forever wind-blown, and for this
reason you'll always find windsurfers and para-kitegliders here. It's fun to watch. The other
bridge from Henza Town is a 1.75-mile (3-kilometer)-long span to Hamahigashima. We'll go
there before returning to the Okinawan mainland.
8 HAMAHIGASHIMA 浜比嘉島
This small islet, roughly triangular in shape, is about 1 mile (1.5 kilometers) across at its
widest and 1.25 miles (2 kilometers) long from north to south. That gives it an area of slightly
more than 1 square mile (2.5 square kilometers) and a circumference of 4.5 miles (7 kilo-
meters). Hamahigashima ( 浜比嘉島 ; Hamahiga-shima) has a population of about 450, who
reside in three small villages, each with its own port. Just as you come over the bridge from
Henza, three-quarters of a mile (1 kilometer) to your right (west) is Hama ( ; lit. “beach”). It
has the longest beach on the island. It's almost three-quarters of a mile (1 kilometer) of clean
white sand and it has free showers and parking. As you can imagine, it's popular, but it's nev-
er overcrowded because most people don't know about it.
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