Halfway between Naha and the north: the Blue Cave, a cliff shaped like an elephant's trunk, and most of Okinawa's resort hotels on one stretch of road.
Onna is the resort coast. Route 58 runs along it for about twenty kilometres, and most of the big hotels on Okinawa's main island sit on that strip: ANA InterContinental, Hyatt, Kariyushi, Hoshino. If you booked a "beach resort in Okinawa" without choosing a town, there is a good chance you are staying here.
It is also where the Blue Cave is, which for English-speaking visitors is the single biggest draw in the village, and the thing most likely to be booked badly. Below is what each of the main sites actually costs, including two prices that are wrong almost everywhere.
A limestone cliff shaped like an elephant's trunk, with a walking path around the headland. Free until 2020. Now ¥100, the same for adults and children.
A sea cave where light reflects off the floor and turns the whole chamber blue. Entered from Cape Maeda by snorkel, dive or boat.
The headland you enter the Blue Cave from. Showers, lockers and 180 parking spaces. The practical base for a morning in the water.
The village's own farm market: ten food stalls and mango in season. Not a michi-no-eki, and it no longer sells discounted aquarium tickets.
It was free for decades, and a great many English pages still say so. A visitor facility opened on 2 October 2020 and entry to the viewing path became ¥100 per person, adults and children the same, under-sixes free. Parking is still free.
It is a small amount, but arriving with no cash at a ¥100 gate is an avoidable annoyance.
The farm market sold discounted Churaumi tickets for years and a lot of guides still list the old price. That ended in July 2025.
If you want a cheaper aquarium ticket, Michi-no-Eki Kyoda further north still sells them: ¥2,000 against ¥2,180 at the gate, cash only.
The Blue Cave is a sea cave near Cape Maeda. Sunlight enters through the water, bounces off the pale sea floor and fills the chamber with blue. You reach it either by swimming from the shore or by boat with an operator.
Take a guided tour unless you are an experienced diver. The shore entry is down rock steps into open water, conditions change quickly, and the cave itself is not a swimming pool. Operators supply gear, watch the sea state and cancel when they should.
Go in the morning if you can. The colour depends on the sun angle, and the water is calmer earlier in the day.
| At Cape Maeda | Cost | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Parking | ¥100 first hour, then ¥100/hr | 180 car spaces, 5 for large vehicles, 4 accessible. Open 7:00–19:00 |
| Shower | ¥200 | Per use |
| Locker | ¥100 | Per use |
| Hairdryer | ¥100 | Per use |
Route 58 north from Naha runs the length of the village, about an hour to the middle of the resort strip. Manzamo is at the northern end, Cape Maeda toward the south.
Parking is free at Manzamo and at Onna-no-Eki; paid at Cape Maeda.
Route 120 runs the coast between Naha and Nago and stops through the village, about 90 minutes from Naha, roughly ¥1,290.
Airport limousine buses also serve the larger resorts directly.
Onna is the midpoint. Chatan is 30 minutes south, Motobu and Churaumi about an hour north. A resort here halves the drive to the aquarium compared with staying in Naha.
Not since October 2020. Entry costs ¥100 per person, adults and children the same, under-sixes free. Parking remains free. A visitor facility opened on 2 October 2020 and the charge came in with it, but a lot of English pages were written before that and still say free. Opening hours are 8:00–20:00, shortening to 19:00 from November to February; the viewpoint itself closes at sunset.
From Cape Maeda, either swimming in from the shore or by boat. Unless you dive regularly, book a guided tour. The shore entry is over rock steps into open water and conditions change quickly. Mornings are better: the blue depends on the sun angle and the sea is usually calmer.
Parking is ¥100 for the first hour and ¥100 per hour after, with 180 car spaces, open 7:00–19:00. A shower is ¥200, a locker ¥100, a hairdryer ¥100. Carry about ¥500 in coins on top of whatever your tour costs.
No. That ended in July 2025, though plenty of guides still list the old price. Michi-no-Eki Kyoda further north still sells them at ¥2,000 against a ¥2,180 gate price, cash only, from 8:30.
If you want a resort with a beach, yes. This is where most of them are. It also sits midway, which halves the drive north to Churaumi compared with Naha. The trade-off is that the hotels are spread along twenty kilometres of road, so you will want a car. If you would rather not drive, Chatan is the walkable alternative.