Iriomote Island in the Yaeyama archipelago is one of Japan's last great wilderness frontiers, with over 90 percent of its surface covered in subtropical jungle, mangrove forests and coral-fringed coast. Guided kayak tours on the Urauchi River — the longest river in Okinawa — take visitors deep into mangrove tunnels teeming with fiddler crabs, kingfishers and rare Iriomote wildcats. The island is part of Iriomote-Ishigaki National Park and is a snorkelling haven with some of Japan's most vibrant coral reefs. Tours typically combine river kayaking with jungle trekking to Maryudo Falls.
- Type
- Experience
- Category
- Adventure
- Season
- Year-round
- Month
- March to October (optimal)
- Region
- Okinawa
- Prefecture
- Okinawa
- City
- Iriomote Island
Highlights
- ◆Kayaking through dense mangrove corridors on the Urauchi River
- ◆Home to the endangered and rarely sighted Iriomote wildcat
- ◆World-class snorkelling and diving on surrounding coral reefs
- ◆Jungle trekking to Maryudo Falls, among Okinawa's most scenic
- ◆Remote island atmosphere reachable by ferry from Ishigaki