Taketomi by bike before the day boats
e bikeCouples of any fitness on a slow Ishigaki holiday, including riders who'd rather walk the bike through the sand than pedal hard.
The Taketomi morning takes an early boat from Ishigaki and rides the 4.3 km loop through the coral-sand village lanes and out to the west-coast beaches, finishing with soba before the day-trip crowds fill the lanes.
KonbiniWaterTop of chart 50 m
Hour by hour
The day一日
- 08:30ferryEarly boat from Ishigaki to TaketomiThe crossing is short; the rental shops' shuttles meet the boats.
- 09:00ridePick up bikes in the villageChoose wide tyres or an e-bike for the coral sand.
- 09:15rideSouth to Kaiji's star-sand beachLook for the star sand; the current is strong, so don't swim far.
- 10:00swimKondoi BeachShallow water and a sandbar at low tide.
- 11:00sightNishi Pier
- 11:30lunchSoba at TakenokoSeason it with the house kuchu.
- 13:00coffeeShaved ice at Parlor Painushima
- 14:00ferryBack to Ishigaki
Taketomi is flat, with its highest ground at about 33 m, and our loop climbs 16 m. The only effort is the sand, and an e-bike or a wide-tyred city bike handles it. Riding clockwise keeps the February wind behind you up the west coast, by our route data.
The village fills with rental bikes by late morning, so the early boat is the trick. Stay the night on the island instead and you can ride back to Nishi Pier for the sunset over Iriomote.
Full route guide