Miyako Island

Miyako is raised coral limestone, almost flat, and it has no rivers - rain sinks straight through the porous rock into an aquifer rather than running off - which means no sediment reaches the sea and the water around the island stays exceptionally clear. Yonaha Maehama on the south-west coast is seven kilometres of white sand shelving very gradually into it, and is regularly named the best beach in Japan in domestic rankings. The Irabu Bridge, opened in 2015 at 3,540 metres, is the longest toll-free bridge in Japan and crosses to Irabu and Shimoji islands, where the Toriike ponds are two collapsed sea caves connected to the open sea underground and dived by experienced divers. Snorkelling and diving are the island's business. There is no rail and buses are minimal; a car is not optional here.

What you actually see

• No rivers - porous coral rock, no runoff, and water that stays clear because of it.
• Yonaha Maehama - seven kilometres of white sand shelving gently into the sea.
• The Irabu Bridge - 3,540 metres, the longest toll-free bridge in Japan.
• Toriike - collapsed sea caves connected underground to the open sea.

When to go

April to October; typhoon risk peaks August to September. Three days.

Honest expectations

A car is essential and rentals sell out in season. Typhoons can cut the island off for days. Toriike diving is for experienced divers only. Development has grown fast and some beaches are busier than the photographs suggest.

Nearby

Irabu and Shimoji are across the bridge; Ishigaki is a short flight south-west.