Naha's only sandy beach, "Naminoue Beach": Access and Facilities

Okinawa boasts numerous beautiful beaches, but Naha, Okinawa's largest city, only has one beach suitable for swimming due to its airport and port located along the coast.
The name of that beach is "Naminoue Beach".
Although it's an artificial beach, it boasts a wide expanse of fine, powdery sand, making it safe to walk barefoot.

You can easily walk to the beach from the city center, making it a great option for city dwellers without a car.
Furthermore, using the Umisora Tunnel, you can reach Naha Airport in about 10 minutes by car, allowing you to enjoy the ocean at the end of your Okinawa trip.

This time, we'll give you a quick overview of Naminoue Beach.

<Table of Contents>
1. Access and parking at Naminoue Beach
2. What facilities are available, such as lockers and showers?
3. You can also enjoy barbecues, diving, and snorkeling.
4. Surrounding Area Information
5. Conclusion

1. Access and parking at Naminoue Beach

Naminoue Beach is located northeast of Naha Airport. It's about a 10-minute drive from Naha Airport if you use the Umisora Tunnel. Two dragons welcome you upon arrival.
In Okinawa, the dragon god has been revered since ancient times.

If walking, it's about a 15-minute walk from either Asahibashi Station or Kencho-mae Station on the Yui Rail.

If you are coming to Naminoue Beach by car, please use the adjacent "Wakasa Seaside Park Parking Lot".

The first 30 minutes are free, then it costs 200 yen for periods exceeding 30 minutes up to 1 hour, and 100 yen for each additional hour thereafter.

It takes less than a minute to get from the parking lot to the beach. Just follow the nice paved path...

Jean!

You might be thinking, "What?!" But Naminoue Beach offers a bypass view.

In a way, this is also one of the highlights of Naminoue Beach, isn't it?

If your goal is to see the endless ocean or the sunset sinking below the horizon, I think you'd be better off going somewhere other than Naminoue Beach.
Some of you might be feeling a little down, but the ocean water is absolutely beautiful—unmistakably the sea of Okinawa!

Small blue fish are swimming right up to the water's edge.

2. What facilities are available, such as lockers and showers?

The lockers and showers were clean. Showers: 100 yen (3 minutes hot water, 5 minutes room temperature water), coin lockers: 300 yen (large) / 200 yen (small).
It's located just beyond a small breakwater along the sandy beach, across a narrow path.

Toilets are also available.

The sandy side of the breakwater has long wooden benches where some people lie down and enjoy sunbathing.

In a small prefabricated building where cheerful music is playing, you can also rent snorkeling gear and other equipment.

There aren't any beachside restaurants, but there are several eateries within a one or two-minute walk.
Everyone is relaxing and doing their own thing.

3. You can also enjoy barbecues, diving, and snorkeling.

Actually, it refers to a part of Naminoue Beach and Naminoue Umisora Park, which stretches all along the coastline.
It's a very long and narrow park; it takes at least 10 minutes to drive from one end to the other.

Within Naminoue Umisora Park, on the opposite side of Naminoue Beach, you can enjoy introductory diving and snorkeling.
Also, in 2017, a stylish barbecue site opened.

★If you want to have a barbecue
⇒Enjoy a hassle-free BBQ at [RESORT MAGIC]
★If you would like to try diving or snorkeling
⇒For introductory diving and snorkeling experiences in Naha, check out [mmsokinawa]

4. Surrounding Area Information

When talking about Naminoue Beach, you can't ignore Naminoue Shrine.
Naminoue Shrine, a landmark in the area, is a historically significant shrine that holds the highest rank among the eight Ryukyu shrines.

It's also very close to Naminoue Beach. If you take the bypass that obstructs the view, you can take cool photos like this.

This is a bit of a digression, but the goshuin (temple/shrine stamp) at Naminoue Shrine is also really cool.

On the opposite side of Naminoue Beach from Naminoue Shrine is the cruise terminal.
On the day I visited, a large cruise ship from Taiwan was docked there, and Naminoue Shrine was bustling with tourists.

5. Conclusion

Naminoue Beach is a place of relaxation for locals, with people stretching and chatting in the shade. While it lacks a bit of a tropical atmosphere, it's perfect for city dwellers and those without cars to enjoy the ocean.
But if you still prioritize atmosphere, we recommend a beach trip to one of the outlying islands departing from Naha!
Since we're in Okinawa, we definitely want to enjoy the ocean wherever we can.