Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Ueno German Culture Village, Miyako's most famous international attraction.
After leaving the Hisamatsu Memorial, follow south along the coast road that parallels
Yonaha Bay (
与那覇湾
; Yonaha-wan) for approximately 5 miles (8 kilometers) until you reach
the Miyakojima Tokyu Resort Hotel (
宮古島東急 リゾート
; Miyakojima Tōkyū rizōto), the
best hotel close to Hirara. You'll pass the southern end of the airport; the Upukaa Mangroves
Promenade-Boardwalk (
マングローブの遊歩道
; Mangurōbu no puromunādo) at Kawamitsu
Village (
川満
; Kawamitsu); the massive Okinawa Sugar Refining Plant; and the village of
Shimoji (
下地
) along the way.
The Tokyu Resort Hotel is deluxe in all respects and sited directly in the middle of one
of the most beautiful beaches of Miyako, the Yonaha-Maehama Beach (
与那 覇前浜ビーチ
;
Yonaha-Maehama bīchi), located on the island's southwest corner. It is several kilometers of
soft white sand. Public access, apart from the hotel, is available in either direction, less than
three-quarters of a mile (1 kilometer) north or south. At the southern access, next to Mae-
hama Port (
前浜 港
; Maehama kō), there are public showers. The beach has great views of
across the water to Kurima Island (
来間島
; Kurimajima) and the nearby “Great Bridge” that
connects to it.
From the hotel to the Kurima bridge (
来間 大橋
; Kurima-Ōhashi), it's about 1 mile (2
kilometers) southeast. We'll discuss Kurimajima a little further below after we've rounded
Miyako, but you could cross over the bridge and visit the island in less than half an hour.
From the bridge, if we track east along the southern coast road, past the Emerald Coast Golf
Club, in about another 4 miles (6 kilometers), we'll come to Ueno village (
上野村
; Ueno-son)
