Sunayama Beach
Best for. Photographers, couples and slow wanderers who want the island's prettiest small cove and its natural arch at sunset, not a long swimming day with full facilities.
Best spot. Down on the sand to the side of the arch, late in the afternoon, with the light coming through the stone and the dune at your back. Arrive before the sunset crowd for room to frame it.
Know this. It is small, with little shade and basic facilities, reached over a sand dune. The arch is fragile natural rock, so admire it from a distance and tread lightly.
Sunayama is the postcard of Miyako, and it is honest to say you come for the picture as much as the swim. Its name means sand mountain, and you earn the beach by climbing a steep soft dune from the car park, cresting it to find a small white cove below, framed by a natural rock arch of weathered Ryukyu limestone standing out of the sand. That arch, with the clear sea behind it and the light pouring through at the end of the day, is the single most photographed sight on the island, and for once the reputation is deserved. It is a genuinely beautiful little place.
The honest catch is scale and crowd. This is a compact cove, not a long beach, with limited shade, basic toilets and showers and a seasonal kiosk rather than full facilities, so it does not suit a whole lazy day in the way the great sand bars of Miyako do. And because everyone wants the same photograph, the sunset hour can fill with tripods and selfie sticks, the very crowd that breaks the spell. The water is clear and the shallow swim by the sand is lovely, but there is rock and reef around the arch, so it asks a little care, and there is no confirmed lifeguard.
For a naturalist the appeal is the rock and the dune as much as the water. The arch is a living piece of erosion, soft sea carved limestone that wind and waves keep shaping, and like all natural arches it sheds rock over time, so the kind thing and the safe thing are the same, admire it from a sensible distance, do not climb on it or linger directly beneath, and keep off the dune grasses that hold the sand mountain together. Come a little before sunset for room to stand, take the photograph, have your quiet paddle, then leave nothing behind. For a long swim go to Yonaha Maehama down the coast, and for reef seek the island's quieter coves. Sunayama is small, fragile and lovely, and it rewards a light touch.
A wild cove, not a club
Sunayama is a small public cove with a natural arch, not a daybed club, with only basic toilets, showers and a seasonal kiosk. The serviced resort beaches of Okinawa sit far north on the Onna coast of 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: moo via GoogleSunayama beach facilities and kiosk
The service here is simple and seasonal, toilets and showers by the car park and a small kiosk for water and a few snacks at busy times, with limited shade and no loungers to hire. It is a wild cove rather than a club, which is why it stays quieter than the roadside beaches outside the sunset hour. Hours and any rental detail are set by local operators and are to be confirmed.
Yonaha Maehama nearby
A short drive down the coast, Yonaha Maehama is the long white sand bar of Miyako, seven kilometres of soft sand and shallow gentle water with watersports near the resort end. It is the better choice for a long swim, a family day and a sunset walk, and it pairs naturally with a sunset photo at Sunayama. It is a public beach rather than a club.
Onna coast resort beaches
For a serviced resort day with daybeds and a marine menu on the main island, the Onna coast to the north is the place to look, with resort beaches such as Manza running loungers, activities and seasonal day passes. It is a flight and a drive from Miyako, but the spot for a polished club style day. Operators, seasons and prices are set by the venues and are to be confirmed.
Miyako, over the dune
Sunayama Beach lies a few kilometres north of Hirara on the west coast of Miyako Island, about ten to fifteen minutes by car. There is no train on Miyako, so most visitors drive, with a car park by the entrance, then walk up and over the steep sand dune to the cove below. Bring water and sun cover, as the beach has limited shade.
Come a little before sunset for the best light and room to frame the arch, or in the morning for a calm, quiet paddle. Admire the rock from a distance, keep off the dune grasses, and carry out what you bring. Conditions are typical and never guaranteed.
Photo: moo 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 Onna coast of the main island of Okinawa. 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 Sunayama Beach
Is Sunayama Beach on Miyako worth visiting?
Yes, for the view more than the swim. Sunayama is a small white sand cove reached over a sand dune, framed by a natural rock arch that is the most photographed sight on Miyako. The water is clear and the sunset glorious, but it is a compact beach with little shade and basic facilities, so it suits a photo, a paddle and a sundowner rather than a long beach day.
Why is it called Sunayama Beach?
Sunayama means sand mountain in Japanese, and the name comes from the steep sand dune you climb over to reach the beach from the car park. You walk up the soft slope and the cove with its rock arch opens below you. The short climb keeps the beach quieter than the roadside beaches and is part of its charm.
Can you swim at Sunayama Beach?
Yes, in the calm shallows near the sand, where the water is clear and gentle. It is a small cove rather than a long swimming beach, with little shade and no confirmed lifeguard, so keep within your depth, mind the rocks around the arch, and treat conditions as typical and never guaranteed. For a long easy swim, Yonaha Maehama is the better choice.
Is the rock arch at Sunayama safe to stand under?
The arch is a natural sea sculpture of soft Ryukyu limestone, and natural arches erode and can shed rock over time. Admire and photograph it from a sensible distance rather than climbing on it or lingering directly beneath, and follow any local signs. Its exact condition can change, so treat its structure as to be confirmed and tread lightly.
How do you get to Sunayama Beach?
Sunayama Beach is a few kilometres north of Hirara on the west coast of Miyako Island, about ten to fifteen minutes by car. There is no train on Miyako, so most visitors drive, with a car park by the entrance, then walk over the sand dune to the cove. Bring water and sun cover, as the beach has limited shade.
When is the best time to visit Sunayama Beach?
Late afternoon into sunset is the prize, when the light falls through the arch and the cove glows, though it draws photographers then, so come a little before for space. The warm swimming season runs about April to October. Mornings are quietest and calmest for a paddle before the day warms and the sunset crowd arrives.
