Kondoi Beach
Best for. Slow travellers and naturalists who want a calm turquoise lagoon to wade in, star sand to look for and a car free island to cycle, not a serviced swim with rows of loungers.
Best spot. The southern stretch of sand on a rising tide in the morning, before the day trip ferries land, when the lagoon is full enough to paddle and the cats have the shade to themselves.
Know this. The lagoon is very shallow and the tide pulls far out, so this is a wading beach more than a swim. For a real reef snorkel head to Hateruma or take a boat from Ishigaki.
Kondoi is the one swimming beach on Taketomi, and it is honest to love it for what it is, a wide shallow lagoon of pale coral sand and water the colour of sea glass, rather than the deep clear swim some arrive expecting. Taketomi is a tiny coral island in the Yaeyama group, a short ferry from Ishigaki, and it has held onto its old Ryukyu shape, low houses with red tiled roofs behind walls of stacked coral, lanes of white sand, water buffalo carts creaking through the village and cats stretched in every patch of shade. The beach carries that same slow mood, so most people come to wade, to lie in the warm shallows and to look for the famous star sand more than to put their face in the water.
The honest catch is the tide, and it matters here more than at almost any beach in Okinawa. The lagoon is so shallow and so gently graded that when the sea drops it pulls out a very long way, leaving a wide flat of ankle deep water and rippled sandbar where an hour earlier you were floating. That is not a fault, it is the nature of a reef lagoon, but it means Kondoi rewards a little planning. Come on a rising or high tide and you get a soft turquoise paddling pool, calm enough for small children and quiet swimmers. Arrive at the bottom of the tide and you get a beautiful shimmering flat to walk across, but not much to swim in.
For a naturalist this is the appeal rather than the disappointment. The shallow flat is alive at low water with hermit crabs hauling their shells about, small fish stranded in warm pools, and birds picking along the tide line, while the star sand itself is a quiet wonder, the cast off shells of foraminifera, single celled creatures that build tiny five and six pointed homes. Press a damp palm to the sand and the little stars stick to it. Look, photograph, and leave them be, taking only a grain or two if any, because the island asks visitors not to carry its sand away by the bottleful. When you want a true reef to snorkel, take a boat from Ishigaki to the outer reefs or ride the ferry on to Hateruma, where Nishihama drops into deeper, clearer water. Kondoi is for the slow day, the bicycle, the buffalo cart and the long warm wade.
A wild island beach, not a club
Kondoi is a quiet public lagoon on a protected island, not a daybed club, with only basic toilets, showers and a seasonal kiosk. The serviced resort beaches of Okinawa sit far to the north on the main island. We describe what is here honestly and mark anything we cannot verify as to be confirmed. To plan a resort style day, start with the Okinawa clubs guide.
Photo: kenichiro akamine via GoogleKondoi beach facilities and kiosk
The only service here is the simple island kind, toilets, cold showers and a small seasonal kiosk near the sand for water and a few snacks, with bicycle rental arranged back in the village. There are no loungers to hire and no club, which is exactly why the lagoon stays calm and uncrowded outside the midday ferries. Hours and any rental detail are set by local operators and are to be confirmed.
Kaiji Beach, the star sand shore
A short ride around the island, Kaiji is the beach the star sand made famous, a small bay where the tiny grains gather most thickly along the tide line. Its water can run a little stronger than Kondoi, so it suits beachcombing and a paddle more than a long swim. It is a wild public beach with no facilities to speak of, so bring what you need and tread gently.
Onna coast resort beaches
For a serviced day with daybeds and a marine menu you need the main island, where the Onna coast runs resort beaches such as Manza with loungers, activities and seasonal day passes. It is a flight and a drive from Taketomi, a different kind of trip altogether, but the place to look for a polished club style day. Operators, seasons and prices are set by the venues and are to be confirmed.
Taketomi, by ferry from Ishigaki
Kondoi Beach sits on the west coast of Taketomi, a small coral island in the Yaeyama group reached by ferry from Ishigaki in about ten to fifteen minutes. From the port a rental bicycle is the easy way across, with the village shuttle and water buffalo cart tours as gentler options. Bring water, sun cover and a little shade, as the beach itself is simply equipped.
Come on a rising or high tide for the best paddle, give yourself time to wander the sand lanes and coral walls of the village, and take the slow loop past Kaiji Beach for the star sand. Carry out what you carry in and tread lightly on the dune plants. Conditions are typical and never guaranteed.
Photo: Huang Li via GoogleBook a beach club
Tell us your dates and party size and we will help arrange a daybed or resort day at a serviced beach on the main island of Okinawa. Taketomi itself stays wild and simple. We reply by email.
We are an independent editorial resource. Booking requests are passed to clubs and operators, and some may earn us a commission at no cost to you. Prices, availability and opening status are set by the venue and are to be confirmed at the time of booking.
Common questions about Kondoi Beach
Is Kondoi Beach on Taketomi worth visiting?
Yes, for slow island nature. Kondoi is the only real swimming beach on Taketomi, a wide shallow lagoon of pale coral sand and clear turquoise water, free to enter and ringed by low scrub and roaming island cats. It is a wading and paddling beach rather than a deep swim, so for a proper snorkel head for the wilder reef on Hateruma or take a boat from Ishigaki.
Can you swim at Kondoi Beach?
You can wade and paddle, but not always swim. The lagoon is extremely shallow and the tide pulls a long way out, so at low tide it becomes ankle deep sandbar rather than open water. Come on a rising or high tide for the best paddle, keep an eye on the time, and remember conditions are typical and never guaranteed.
What is the star sand at Kondoi Beach?
The star sand is hoshizuna, the tiny star shaped shells of single celled foraminifera that wash up around Taketomi, most famously at neighbouring Kaiji Beach. Press a damp palm to the sand and the little stars stick to it. Look and enjoy them, but take only a few grains if any, as the island asks visitors to leave the sand where it belongs.
How do you get to Kondoi Beach?
Take the ferry from Ishigaki to Taketomi, a crossing of about ten to fifteen minutes, then reach the beach by rental bicycle, the village shuttle, or a water buffalo cart tour. Taketomi is small and car free in feel, so a bike is the easy way around. Bring water and shade, as facilities at the beach are limited.
Does Kondoi Beach have facilities?
Only basic ones. There are toilets and showers and a small seasonal kiosk near the sand, but no resort, no rows of loungers and limited shade, which is part of its quiet charm. There is no confirmed lifeguard, so swim within your depth, watch the tide, and treat any opening or rental detail as to be confirmed.
Is Kondoi or Kaiji Beach better on Taketomi?
They do different jobs. Kondoi is the swimming and paddling beach, a wide calm lagoon for wading and lazing. Kaiji, a short ride away, is the star sand beach, better for beachcombing than swimming as its water can run stronger. Most visitors see both on one slow loop of the island.
