Japan
Kerama Islands
Water so clear the reef casts shadows on white sand far below the boat.
The water is the point. The Kerama Islands lie some thirty kilometres west of Okinawa in a sea so transparent it has its own name — Kerama Blue — and the reefs beneath it begin close enough to the beach to snorkel from the sand and run deep enough to dive for a lifetime.
The Keramas were made a national park in 2014, protecting the islands and the coral-filled waters around them. Four islands are inhabited — Tokashiki, Zamami, Aka and Geruma — and ferries from Naha reach the three largest in under an hour, close enough for a day trip and far enough to feel like another country. Humpback whales come to these channels to breed each winter, and green turtles graze the seagrass off the beaches. The islands have kept resort development at arm's length: accommodation is small guesthouses and minshuku, and the loudest sound at night is the surf.
Couple
Snorkelling over the reef in the morning, a whale-watching boat in the winter afternoon, and a quiet guesthouse dinner — the Keramas offer intimacy on a reef.
Friends
Diving the outer walls, kayaking between islands, and the ferry-hopping logistics give groups a shared adventure with a framework.
Family
Shallow reef flats off the main beaches and islands small enough to feel contained make the Keramas a gentle introduction to reef snorkelling.
- The water is so transparent it has its own name, Kerama Blue, and the reef begins within swimming distance of the sand.
- Humpback whales come to the channels among the islands to breed every winter.
- Green turtles graze the seagrass off beaches within sight of the ferry port.
- No high-rise hotels — just low guesthouses on islands where the loudest sound is the surf.
Mozuku seaweed in vinegar — slippery, briny, oddly addictive — from the beds around the islands.
The day's reef fish, grilled or raw, at a minshuku table — the guesthouses' staple dinner.
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