Almost a kilometer long, Okuma Beach’s smooth white sand, sparkling waters, and colorful beach cottages are picture-perfect.

Popular due to its wide selection of marine sports and leisure activities, Okuma is guaranteed to help kick your vacation into high gear. And surrounded by pristine coral reefs with high visibility, it is also known as one of the world’s best windsurfing spots.

True to its name, Emerald Beach was selected as one of the 55 Best Beaches in Japan by the Environment Agency.

Every summer, it becomes a hot spot for various local festivals, parties, and fireworks. But at any time of year, visitors can enjoy swimming in its calm, pristine waters, relaxing in the shade, and watching the sunset over neighboring Ie Island.

This may be an artificial bay, but you can have some real fun here at the three different beach sections that play host to year-round activities, like beach volleyball and barbeques.

Located inside a large park that houses a baseball stadium, you can catch the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters at their annual baseball spring training camp. Summertime is prime time for swimming in the warm waters.

Busena Cape boasts a luxury resort, a marine park with an underwater observatory, and a beach with a pier offering marine activities, such as glass-bottom boats.

Whether you are staying at the Busena Terrace Hotel as a guest or just a day tripper, everyone will enjoy the resort atmosphere. The cape's Bankoku Shinryokan Hall once hosted the 2000 Kyushu-Okinawa G-8 Summit at its world-class MICE facility.

Named after its perfect semicircular shape, Moon Beach is located in the popular resort area Onna Village, and though attached to a hotel, is open to the public.

Visitors have a choice of marine leisure programs to try, and the truly adventurous can take a picnic cruise on an uninhabited island.

One of the most famous spots on the island, the Blue Cave draws divers, kayakers and snorkellers who all want to see the stunning sapphire colors hidden inside.

Located just off Cape Maeda in Onna Village, you can watch schools of fish pass by, such as Bigscale Soldierfish and local favorite Ryukyu Sweepers.

Just offshore Kume Island, and surrounded by untouched reefs, is one of Japan's biggest shoals – a sandy bank almost seven kilometres from east to west.

The shoal is divided into three sections for tourist access, and visitors can easily enter the water to view lush corals and schools of colorful tropical fish.

Although many sacred places or 'utaki' are found all over Okinawa, Seifa Utaki, tucked away in the rural south-east of the island, is the most revered.

There are no artificial structures here, as wood and bare rock were utilized as natural gifts from God. Men were prohibited from entering, and even the Ryukyu King had to dress as a woman to enter to pray. Today people visit Seifa Utaki to worship and enjoy the quiet peacefulness of the forest.

This fish market in the outskirts of Naha sells the freshest catch from the Okinawa Fishing Cooperative and specializes in local tuna.

There is even a processing plant that visitors can view through the glass window. The daily landing averages 20 tons, and this rises to 50 tons on a good catch, of which about 70% is tuna. Visitors flock here for the freshest tuna sashimi, direct from the source, at amazing prices. Mozoku, the popular Okinawan seaweed, is also on sale here.

Walk with an empty stomach and a big appetite when you head to Itoman's Osakana Center, just south of Naha Airport.

This fish market sells seafood auctioned that morning at the Itoman Fishing Port, as well as dishes for takeaway or eating in. Sushi, sashimi, raw oysters, cod milt, shrimp, and tuna are just some of the items served up to hungry customers, for as little as 100 yen.

With tens of thousands of servings eaten every day, it is no exaggeration to say that Okinawa soba is soul food for the people of Okinawa.

Although these days the name 'soba' usually refers to buckwheat noodles, Okinawa soba uses noodles made with 100% flour, containing no buckwheat. As a result, the color, thickness, and crimp of the noodles vary by region.

The soup is made with a combination of pork bone and bonito stock, seasoned with salt, and toppings include pork ribs, soki (boneless pork ribs), and stir-fried vegetables.

Loved by locals and made only in Okinawa, Awamori is a true flavor of the islands. In the long, hot summers, Okinawans enjoy a cold glass of awamori on ice, and it complements a number of local dishes.

Made by adding water and yeast to rice malt made with kurokoji mold and steamed rice (mostly from Thailand), the mixture is left to ferment and develop its rich flavor. Awamori, more than three years old, is called 'koshu,' and the longer it is stored, the deeper the flavor.

In the Okinawan dialect, 'champuru' means to mix and combine, and the name is aptly applied to these dishes, which mainly consist of stir-fried vegetables but also ingredients such as pork and shima tofu (island tofu).

There are many different kinds of champuru, from the classic Okinawa goya (bitter melon) champuru, to tofu champuru and somen noodle champuru.

It's always crowded, always local, and always fun – Kokusai Dori or International Street is a 1.6km strip in the heart of the city known as the "miracle mile."

Full of souvenir shops selling unique Okinawan goods, izakaya with local food, and places to experience the Ryukyu culture, this street is a great place to stroll around and shop. It becomes a pedestrian zone on Sundays, with street performers, play areas, and traditional Eisa dances.

This beautiful Chinese garden is a green oasis in downtown Naha and a symbol of Okinawa's close ties with China.

A bamboo-lined walking path goes around a large pond with a towering waterfall in the middle (hint: there is a hidden path behind the waterfall!). Classical stone pagodas and pavilions offer great photo opportunities, and kids love to buy tiny boxes of fish food for the hungry koi.

Okinawa pottery or 'yachimun' has a history of more than 400 years and is known for its high quality and distinctive style.

In Naha, tourists flock to Tsuboya, the quaint cobble-stoned street, the birthplace of 'tsuboya-yaki' pottery. Yomitan in the central part of the island is another mecca of yachimun, and the ruins of the oldest kiln on the island are found there.

Annual pottery festivals have become popular, with the Yomitan event held the third weekend of October and the Tsuboya event held in November. Both draw locals and visitors alike, keen to own a beautiful handmade work of art.

Dragon boat racing, or 'Haari,' is a popular annual event held across Okinawa.

But the biggest race is the Naha Haari, which takes place every May and attracts more than 200,000 visitors. Smaller races use boats called 'sabani,' which hold 12 people. But the Naha race uses large, elaborately decorated boats, called 'haryusen,' which can sit up to 42 people, including gong beaters, helmsmen, and flag bearers.

With excitement in the air and the sound of drums, the port transforms into a festival atmosphere, with live performances, food vendors, games, and fireworks in the evening. You can also get the chance to board one of the dragon boats!

On the first Sunday of every August, Kokusai Dori (International Street) transforms into a festival zone with the parade of 10,000 Eisa Dancers.

One of the biggest events in Naha, this spectacle is not to be missed, with the sound of drums filling the streets, beautiful costumes, and traditional dances. Youth groups from all over Okinawa come to show off their skills, keeping this tradition alive.

Tug-of-war events are held all over Okinawa from July to October, and the Naha Great Tug-of-War is one of the biggest.

It started around 1450 and was then reintroduced in 1971 as part of the 50th-anniversary celebration of Naha City; the event is an opportunity to show Okinawan pride and wishes for family harmony, good business, fertility, health, happiness, and peace.

In 1995, the Naha Great Tug-of-War was certified by the Guinness World Records for having 270,000 attendees, 15,000 participants, and the largest rope made of rice straw, 200 meters long and weighing 43 tons.

We've selected five hotels around Naha that are all excellently situated and have great reviews in Booking.com.