For couples · Okinawa · Japan
Romantic things to do in Okinawa
Ideas for a couples' trip, from small moments to a special day out.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: 663highland, CC BY 2.5
Quick answer
Okinawa suits couples looking for sunsets, clear water and quiet islands, with plenty of beachfront resorts and cliff-top cafés. Couples tend to stay in Chatan.
Key facts
- Romantic ideas
- 5
- Couple-friendly sights
- 4
- Area for couples
- Chatan
- Best months
- April, June and October
Romantic ideas
1.Sunset at Cape Zanpa or Sunset Beach
Watch the sun go down over the East China Sea from the cliffs of Yomitan or the Chatan seawall.
2.Overnight on Zamami
Stay in a small island guesthouse and have the beaches and the starry sky to yourselves after the last ferry leaves.
3.Kouri Island and Heart Rock
Drive across the Kouri bridge and walk to Tinu Beach's heart-shaped rocks at low tide.
4.Cliff-top café in Nanjo
Spend a slow afternoon at a café overlooking the Pacific near Sefa-utaki.
5.Folk-music evening in Naha
Share Okinawan dishes and awamori to the sound of the sanshin in a min'yō izakaya.
Sights couples love
Viewpoint · Onna
Cape Manzamo
Come in the late afternoon, when the light is behind you for photos of the rock arch.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- Views
- Photo spot
- Couples
Neighbourhood · Chatan
Mihama American Village
Arrive before sunset, walk the seawall to Sunset Beach and stay for dinner and drinks.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Shopping
- After dark
- Couples
- Free
- Food
Island · Motobu Peninsula
Kouri Island
Stop at the beach at the island end of the bridge for the classic photo looking back over the water.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Views
- Couples
- Photo spot
- Free
- Kids
Nature · Motobu Peninsula
Bise Fukugi Tree Road
Rent bikes at the village entrance and ride to the small beach at the far end of the lanes.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Couples
- Outdoors
- Photo spot
- Kids
Where couples should stay
$$$ · Best for families, shopping, nightlife and couples
Chatan
Chatan, about 40 minutes north of Naha, grew up next to US military bases and has an American-influenced mix of diners, burger bars and the Mihama American Village shopping and dining complex. Araha and Sunset beaches face west, the seawall walk fills at sunset, and hotels here suit families who want shopping and restaurants within walking distance.
- Good
- Restaurants and shops on foot; West-facing sunset beaches; Halfway between Naha and the north
- Watch out
- Heavy traffic on Route 58; Not as scenic as the resort coast
- Nearby
- Mihama American Village, Sunset Beach, Araha Beach
Romantic day trips
- Kerama Islands (About 35–50 minutes by high-speed ferry) — Tokashiki and Zamami have white-sand beaches such as Aharen and Furuzamami, with coral and sea turtles close to shore.
- Iejima (About 2.5 hours by car and ferry) — An island off the Motobu Peninsula dominated by the steep peak of Gusukuyama, with lily fields in spring and quiet beaches.
- Kaichu Doro and the Yokatsu islands (About 1 hour by car) — A road of about 5 km runs across shallow sea to Henza, Miyagi, Ikei and Hamahiga islands, with fishing villages, small beaches and the sacred sites of Hamahiga.
For dinner
Share local specialities such as Goya champuru, Okinawa soba and Rafute. Outside Naha and Chatan, many restaurants close by about 9pm.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Okinawa romantic?
Okinawa suits couples looking for sunsets, clear water and quiet islands, with plenty of beachfront resorts and cliff-top cafés.
+What is the most romantic thing to do in Okinawa?
Sunset at Cape Zanpa or Sunset Beach: Watch the sun go down over the East China Sea from the cliffs of Yomitan or the Chatan seawall.
+Where should couples stay in Okinawa?
Chatan: Seafront mall district with American Village, sunset beaches and a seawall promenade.