Yamashiro Coast is a beautiful strip of beach and coral coastline, when the tide is out, in Itoman which is almost near the most southern tip of Okinawa.
It has lots to offer everyone: It's a great place to relax in the sun, build sandcastles with the kids, take the dogs for a walk, go tide-pooling, snorkeling when the tide is in, and I also hear it's a great spot to hit the waves and surf.
It's hard to see in these images the creatures that you can find in the tidepools, so I guess you'll just have to trust me that there's plenty in there—they're just too quick to capture.
One thing I found that was odd, as I'm not a marine biologist, are these spider looking octopus. I honestly have no clue what their species is, but I felt it best not to disturb them at the time.
Having gone to Toguchi Beach many times, I've witnessed some pretty big sea cucumbers. However, nothing matched the length and girth of this one. Though unlike Toguchi, you're not going to find many of these sitting around, you're more likely to find various tropical fish while the tide is out.
But as you can see, the place is riddled with tidepools to explore: From far left of the entrance to far right!
Finding the entrance to access Yamashiro Coast is a bit difficult, so be on the lookout for this "road" (loosely used, and you'll see why) to walk down to the coastline. The safer bet is to just park across the street and walk in as there are plenty of spaces there as roadside parking is prohibited from 0700 to 2100.
On your walk down, you'll notice that it's very uneven and quite narrow for many vehicles.
Somehow, though, this kei truck decided to park at the end. I suppose there's enough turning radius to get back out, that is, if the second "parking spot"—which also leads to the coast, but on a coral side—isn't taken.
I would prefer to take the left side down to the coast as it's much easier to access with rock cutouts and neatly placed sandbags for the extra steps down.
Otherwise, you might find yourself backing all the way out. But by all means, if you're up to driving it, go for it!
Have fun and be safe!
It has lots to offer everyone: It's a great place to relax in the sun, build sandcastles with the kids, take the dogs for a walk, go tide-pooling, snorkeling when the tide is in, and I also hear it's a great spot to hit the waves and surf.
It's hard to see in these images the creatures that you can find in the tidepools, so I guess you'll just have to trust me that there's plenty in there—they're just too quick to capture.
One thing I found that was odd, as I'm not a marine biologist, are these spider looking octopus. I honestly have no clue what their species is, but I felt it best not to disturb them at the time.
Having gone to Toguchi Beach many times, I've witnessed some pretty big sea cucumbers. However, nothing matched the length and girth of this one. Though unlike Toguchi, you're not going to find many of these sitting around, you're more likely to find various tropical fish while the tide is out.
But as you can see, the place is riddled with tidepools to explore: From far left of the entrance to far right!
Finding the entrance to access Yamashiro Coast is a bit difficult, so be on the lookout for this "road" (loosely used, and you'll see why) to walk down to the coastline. The safer bet is to just park across the street and walk in as there are plenty of spaces there as roadside parking is prohibited from 0700 to 2100.
On your walk down, you'll notice that it's very uneven and quite narrow for many vehicles.
Somehow, though, this kei truck decided to park at the end. I suppose there's enough turning radius to get back out, that is, if the second "parking spot"—which also leads to the coast, but on a coral side—isn't taken.
I would prefer to take the left side down to the coast as it's much easier to access with rock cutouts and neatly placed sandbags for the extra steps down.
Otherwise, you might find yourself backing all the way out. But by all means, if you're up to driving it, go for it!
Have fun and be safe!
The views expressed on this page by users and staff are their own, not those of Okinawa.Org.
