Zamami
Discover Zamami
Zamami (座間味) is an island in Zamami Village. Zamami is about an hour's high-speed ferry ride from Okinawa's capital, Naha, but worlds apart with turquoise waters, white sand beaches, abundant coral, and untouched old-growth forests. Although it's a sub-tropical island destination, Zamami offers a rare corner of quiet, undeveloped, untouched, pristine nature. Zamami's not a resort, which is exactly what makes it great. Zamami Village is a part of the larger island group, the Kerama Islands (Keramashoto, 慶良間諸島), in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. Zamami Village is a part of the Keramashoto National Park. It is also designated as a Wetland of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention. Known as a top diving locale since as early as the 1960s, Zamami offers ideal conditions for snorkeling, sea kayaking, standup paddleboarding, fishing, Nordic walking, enjoying the beach, and more.
What to Experience in Zamami
Famous Beaches
Taste of Zamami...
There are many restaurants and "izakaya" (Japanese-style pubs) in the main Zamami Area. Grab a map in the information center and be sure to stop by the restaurant during the day to make a reservation for dinner if you are visiting during peak-season months. There are two small parlors in the facilities at Furuzamami Beach that offer light food items such as Okinawa Soba, shaved ice, and taco rice. There are 1-2 small parlors located near Ama Beach during the summer that feature similar offerings. There is a boxed lunch shop near the 105 store in the center of the Zamami Area. The grocery stores also sell premade boxed lunches, some made by the restaurants in Zamami, others sent from Okinawa Island. You can find a cafe at 3 min walk from the main port. "CHA-VILLA" serves coffee, tea and some cakes. You can enjoy them in or out, but getting out to the beautiful garden is highly recommended. Most of the restaurants and all of the Izakaya in town sell ice-cold glasses of Orion beer. Awamori (Okinawan distilled rice wine) is a standard at all of the establishments as well. Many places offer an assortment of awamori-based cocktails. Zamami Village had a distillery on Okinawa Island produce an infused awamori with bayberries that are naturally grow on and are locally harvested in Zamami Village. You can buy this "yama-momo shu" at the grocery store. There are over 30 small-scale pensions and inns on Zamami Island that accept customers who can only speak English.
Essential Information
Getting There
Multiple OptionsZamami is primarily reachable via the village-run ferries that depart from Tomari Port in Naha. All ferries stop at both 26.2265127.3021 Zamami Port (Zamami Island) and Aka Port (Aka Island). There are two ferries: the new "Queen Zamami" (introduced in 2021) and the larger "Ferry Zamami 3". The Queen takes 50–70 minutes to reach Zamami depending on which port it goes to first. The Queen costs ¥3140 one-way and ¥5970 round-trip. The Ferry Zamami takes approximately 2 hours to reach Zamami Island and costs ¥2120 one-way (¥4030 round trip). You can book ferry tickets online via the Web Reservation System. (Click the "Log In" button to proceed.) Booking online requires a credit card. You can also book by phone by calling Zamami Village's ticket office in Tomari Port at Tel. 098-868-4567. You could always reserve tickets in person at Tomari Port....
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
You can walk to the two nearest beaches in about 20 minutes (1.5 km). There are also bicycle, electric bicycle, scooter, and car rentals available in the area near the port. Stop by the tourist information center in the port to grab a map. Zamami's quite hilly, and it's quite the workout to try to go around the island without a motor. Oki Rental at Ama Beach rents bikes and scooters. A bike hired there will cost ¥1,500 per day or ¥1,000 if you take the bike for three days or more. This is significantly cheaper than renting in Zamami Town. There is a village run bus with two routes that go to the two nearest beaches. The bus costs ¥300 per person one-way. Stop by the tourist information center to check the schedule. It primarily runs in unison with the arrivals and departures of the ferries. There was one taxi on the island (there only can be one due to stringent Japanese laws on transportation), but it is out of service.
Where to Stay
There are over 30 small-scale pensions and inns on Zamami Island that accept customers who can only speak English. Many of Zamami's accommodations are "minshuku" (民宿). Minshuku are small, family-operated bed & breakfast establishments. Breakfast is not a requirement, and you can even include dinner with you accommodations depending on the minshuku. Many minshuku feature Japanese-style futon-on-tatami sleeping arrangements and shared bathrooms. However, there are minshuku with western-style bed rooms that include private bathrooms. These are also called "pension," but the distinction is a blurry one. Zamami Tourist Information has a comprehensive list of accommodations with descriptions and contact information. There is a campground about a 15-minute walk from the ferry port on the beach with toilet, shower and BBQ facilities. They also have some camping equipment to rent. The campground is in a grove of shady pine trees right on the Ama Beach in the Ama Hamlet.
Money & Budget
The Zamami-Mun Market in the Zamami Port Terminal building exclusively sells Zamami-made souvenirs from the locally grown mozuku seaweed and related products to t-shirts and cellphone cases. There are three small grocery stores on the island, all located in the main Zamami Area next to the port. There are many restaurants and "izakaya" (Japanese-style pubs) in the main Zamami Area. Grab a map in the information center and be sure to stop by the restaurant during the day to make a reservation for dinner if you are visiting during peak-season months. There are two small parlors in the facilities at Furuzamami Beach that offer light food items such as Okinawa Soba, shaved ice, and taco rice. There are 1-2 small parlors located near Ama Beach during the summer that feature similar offerings.