While Okinawa's beautiful ocean is lovely, its limestone caves, made of coral, are another example of Okinawa's unique natural beauty. If the weather is bad and you have nowhere else to go, or if you're looking for a cool place to visit, a limestone cave is highly recommended. "CAVE OKINAWA" is a new kind of limestone cave that boasts a rare formation and a mood-filled space illuminated by lights. Locally known as "Nuchishinuji Gama" (the cave where lives were saved), this place is considered auspicious because not a single person was killed in the fighting during the Battle of Okinawa, and a baby was born there while people were taking refuge.

1. First, go to the reception desk.

CAVE OKINAWA is located in Ishikawa, Uruma City, in the central part of Okinawa. It is about a 5-minute drive from the Ishikawa Interchange and has a spacious parking lot, making it easily accessible by car.

Purchase your ticket from the vending machine and take it to the reception desk across the street, where they will guide you to the cave. The entrance is a few hundred meters from the reception desk, and you might feel a little unsure if you're going the right way along the way, but there are signs so you shouldn't get lost.

The cave is approximately 200 meters long, and it takes about 30 minutes to explore, but since there is generally no guide and you can explore on your own, there is no need to worry about the time.

The cave is easy to walk through thanks to well-maintained walkways and lighting, and there are also thoughtful touches such as explanatory signs and markers for photo spots. However, water often drips inside the cave, so sneakers or sports sandals are recommended.

2. Highlights of CAVE OKINAWA

Finally, we enter the cave! We go inside through the entrance that opens up at the top of the slope.
Now, let's introduce some must-see points of CAVE OKINAWA.

2-1. Kohakuiwa

As you enter through the entrance that sparks your sense of adventure, you'll come to an open area called the "Central Plaza." There you'll find the symbol of CAVE OKINAWA and the first highlight: the "Red and White Rock," a stalactite formation where red and white stalactites face each other. As its name suggests, it is considered auspicious. Stalactites are formed when rainwater dissolves and erodes the crevices of limestone, so they are basically colorless, but it is thought that the rainwater contained red clay, which gave these rocks their color. You're sure to be captivated by the Red and White Rock, which stands out so much in the open space.

2-2. Golden Rock

Walking a short distance from the open central area, you'll come across a stalactite named "Golden Rock." When you hear the word "stalactite," you might imagine icicle-shaped formations hanging from above, but Golden Rock is a type called rimstone, which forms below the surface. It is said that stalactites take about 10 years to grow 1 mm, so when you consider how many years it must have taken to reach this size, you can truly appreciate the greatness of nature. Of course, it is a beautiful and mystical sight even just to look at, but you can enjoy it even more by reading the explanatory text inside the cave.

2-3. Rainbow-colored light

The lighting that illuminates the otherwise pitch-black cave is not limited to warm, orange-tinted incandescent bulbs or bluish-white daylight. CAVE OKINAWA incorporates not only the colors of electricity we see every day, but also rainbow-colored lighting that changes through the rainbow, including red, blue, and green. The rainbow-colored lighting area near the exit is colorful and beautiful, giving you the feeling of having entered another world. The already extraordinary atmosphere of the limestone cave is made even more fantastical when illuminated by rainbow-colored lights.

2-4. A must-see point just before the exit: "The heart-shaped skylight"

As you ascend the stairs bathed in rainbow-colored light, you'll reach the final highlight: the "Heart-Shaped Skylight." Looking back, you'll be greeted by a fantastical world illuminated by lights, but don't just look behind you. Relying on the light streaming in from near the exit, look up, and you'll find the heart-shaped rock, "Heart Rock"!

It's a popular spot at CAVE OKINAWA because it's said that making a wish here will make your romantic wishes come true. Think of the person you have a crush on and look up at the heart shape created by nature.

3. Conclusion

The cave maintains a comfortable temperature of 20-23 degrees Celsius year-round, and thanks to the enchanting lighting, it's not so dark that you can't see your feet, making it enjoyable for people of all ages, from children to the elderly. If you want to experience a different side of Okinawa than the ocean, or if you want to be enveloped in a magical atmosphere, why not pay a visit?

Shirokuma Tours offers affordable Okinawa package tours. A wide variety of options are available, including tours to Ishigaki and Miyako Islands.

For local experiences and optional tours such as snorkeling and sightseeing bus tours, choose Tabi Plus One.

For diving in Okinawa, from license acquisition and fun dives to introductory experiences, choose Oceans Dive Tour.