The Yanbaru hills and Cape Hedo from Okuma
big dayFit road riders who want the Tour de Okinawa's climbs, the Yanbaru forest and the northern cape in one long day.
This Yanbaru big day rides the 73.6 km hills loop from Michi-no-eki Yuiyui Kunigami over the Prefectural Route 2 climb to the east coast, north on Route 70 to Oku and round Cape Hedo, with 1562 m of climbing by our route data, and ends with a swim at Okuma Beach.
KonbiniWaterTop of chart 400 m
Hour by hour
The day一日
- 07:30rideLeave Michi-no-eki Yuiyui Kunigami north on Route 58The loop is 73.6 km with 1562 m of climbing by our route data.
- 08:00rideClimb Prefectural Route 2 from Yona over the Fungawa dam roadThe race climb; slow down for Yanbaru kuina crossing the road.
- 09:15rideNorth along the east coast on Route 70Route 70 has long gaps between shops, so carry food.
- 10:45coffeeOku village at the top of the islandFill bottles before the run to Cape Hedo.
- 11:30lunchCape Hedo and the café in the tourist information office
- 12:30rideSouth down the west coast with the wind behind you
- 14:30swimOkuma BeachIn front of the resort.
- 19:00dinnerDinner at Okuma Private Beach & Resort
Okuma sits beside Yuiyui Kunigami, where the Tour de Okinawa's 140 km race starts, and this loop rides the opening of that race course: the climb on Route 2 from Yona, the east coast on Route 70 and the run round the top of the island to Cape Hedo. Start early; the east coast has few shops, and you want the climbs done before the heat on a warm day.
After Cape Hedo the north wind is behind you most of the way to Okuma, and the forest roads between Ginama and Uka add one more climb. Ride them at a speed that lets you stop for a kuina, and carry lights for the two Route 58 tunnels on the line, at Shin-Yona and Utenda.
Photo Indiana jo · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 and others, credited in the gallery
Full route guide
