Okinawa beaches

Okay, I can't believe I haven't written more about the beaches here in Okinawa. We've only been to a few so far (it's been raining a lot lately), but there are definitely some that are better than others. The first beach we went to was on another military base.... not very exotic looking, but a great place to hang out with a lot of other families and it's popular for the kiddos since there is a water slide :)

We've also driven along the coastline and randomly stopped at a few more secluded beaches. Gorgeous scenery, but I would not want to swim in some of them because of all the different sea creatures living there... urchins, sea cucumbers, starfish, crabs, and other possibly poisonous/painful things. But just by walking around near the shore and cliffs, you can take some great photos and just relax and enjoy the view.

Our favorite beach so far has been Ikei Beach. To get there, we had to drive over the sea bridge (Kaichu Doro) from the east side of Okinawa Island. It was only about a 40 minute drive, so not bad at all. This beach is a great place to enjoy swimming without worrying about currents or rough areas in the water. There are also jet skis and rafts to rent and places where you can bbq. Below are a few pictures of Ikei and also a video. It wasn't a very sunny day when we were there, so the video quality does not do this beach justice. The water was sooo blue and clear. Perfect for swimming and lounging on the beach. We'll be there again soon!