Onna
Onna (恩納) is a rural Village in central Okinawa Island, Japan. Many of Okinawa's largest beach resorts can be found in the area, especially on the northern coast near Manza Beach (万座ビーチ).
Understand edit
Onna is in the narrow central belt of Okinawa Island, north of Kadena and south of Nago.
Tourist information site edit
The local tourist association has a Japanese-only guide site. with integrated Google Translate.
Get in edit
Onna is about 1 hour north of Naha via the Okinawa Expressway, exiting at Yaka IC. The Okinawa Airport Shuttle runs from Naha airport and the Bus Terminal, running across the length of Onna along Route 58 and further on to Motobu. One-way fares run ¥1400-1600, but some hotels offer free rides if you book in advance.
Get around edit
Okinawa Bus Line 20/120 runs through the length of Onna on its way from Naha to Nago and back, with services every 30-45 minutes between 06:00 and 19:00 or so.
Beyond that, you're at the mercy of taxis. For anything longer than a weekend trip to a resort, most visitors opt to rent a car instead.
See and do edit
Onna's main draw is the beaches; however, quite a few of them are reserved for hotel guests only.
- 1 Diamond Beach (ダイヤモンドビーチ) (Behind Okashi Goten). The beach itself is nothing special, but the snorkeling here is some of the best on the island, with plenty of fish and vibrant coral. There's a staircase down through the Okashi Goten shop, but it closes at 18:00 sharp. Free parking.
- 2 Nabee Beach (ナビービーチ). Public beach nestled between the private hotel beaches. Kayaks, banana boats, snorkeling gear etc for rent. Free parking, showers ¥100.
Buy edit
- 1 Okashi Goten (御菓子御殿). Daily 09:00-18:00. The local franchise of the "Snack Palace" is hard to miss, since there are lurid purple billboards for miles around and it's housed in an extravagant ersatz Okinawan palace. Drop in for purple sweet potato tarts, pastries, cakes, ice cream and more. There's also a restaurant on the second floor with nice views of the bay.
Eat edit
- 1 Big Blue Dining, Serakaki. Fri-Wed 12:00-22:30. Bar with Okinawan food in the evenings, but the real standout here is the lunchtime taco menu that wouldn't be out of place in LA, serving up 5 types daily on proper handmade tortillas. The fish tacos are particularly tasty, and there's a good selection of hot sauces as well. 3 taco meal ¥1600.
- 2 Hanamura Soba (花村そば), 1063 Serakaki. Thu-Mon 11:00-16:00. Don't be put off by the daggy exterior, this little noodle shop is lovely on the inside, with some fine specimens of local ceramics, and has great Okinawan noodles to boot. Their special, Hanamura soba, has both melt-in-your-mouth pork belly and ribs (sōki). ¥800.
- 3 Paanilani (パニラニ), 698 Serakaki. Daily 07:00-17:00. A reasonable facsimile of an Hawaiian diner, serving up both sweet and savory pancakes: whipped cream and pineapple jam, bacon and Spam, even fried chicken. If you're really hungry, try the 16-pancake "Diamond Head" stack. Pancakes from ¥1000.
- 4 Yambaru (やんばる), 1288 Serakaki (opp Hyatt Regency Seragaki). M, W-Sa 17:00-22:00. Perennially packed Okinawan eatery specializing in local pork (あぐー agū) dishes, popular with tourists and locals alike. Try their speciality "lard rice" (ラード飯), where you mix a spoonful of pure homemade pig fat into a bowl of piping hot rice with a half-cooked egg, garlic and sauce: sinful but oh so good. ¥2000.
- 5 Taco Rice Cafe Kijimuna (きじむなぁ), 6092-1 Onna. Daily 11:30-20:00. Fast food eatery specializing in taco rice and their own spin on it, "omu taco", which plops a fluffy omelette on top. 5 basic toppings including a vegetarian bean option, then add on extras like avocado or jalapenos. ¥800.
Drink edit
Sleep edit
Accommodation in Onna is very much geared towards large beach resorts with large pricetags.
- 1 ANA Intercontinental Manza Beach, 2260 Serakaki. The white cruise ship bulk of this Bubble-era hotel from the 1980s dominates Manza Bay, but it's kept in the tiptop shape and has dibs on one of the best beaches in Okinawa. ¥30,000+.
- 2 BEB5 Seragaki, 1860-4 Serakaki. Mid-range apartment hotel by the swanky Hoshino Resorts chain. Large pool, all rooms have kitchens. No direct beach access, but Manza Beach is a short walk away. ¥19,000+.
- 3 Hyatt Regency Seragaki Island, 1108 Serakaki. 343-room resort hotel on its own little private island, connected to the mainland with a causeway. Indoor and outdoor pools with hot tubs, saltwater "lagoon" and two private beaches. Unfortunately the construction of the resort killed off the island's coral, not that you're even allowed to go snorkel since you'll get run over by a boat if you try. ¥33,000+.