Iriomote Island
Iriomote (西表島 Iriomote-jima) is the largest of the Yaeyama Islands and the second largest in Okinawa Prefecture after Okinawa Island itself. It is covered by lush forest with mangroves. This is definitely a heaven for nature seekers. Iriomote is part of the Iriomote National Park and rightfully so too. The flora and fauna found in this place is incredible. This untouched island is like a paradise for animals and nature.
A trip to Iriomote is a must when you stop by Ishigaki. Jungle boat tours are available for you to travel long the two long rivers, Urauchigawa and Nakamagawa. These cruise can be combined with a 2 hour walk through the jungle to view a beautiful waterfall within the vicinity. Iriomote offers some pretty challenging jungle trekking trails. The hardest is the 20km walk through the island and should only be tackled by experienced hikers only. Oh and you might be lucky to catch a glimpse of Iriomote Yamaneko, a wild cat, which only lives on Iriomote Island. This wildcat species is on the endangered animal list, unfortunately.
How to get there?
As Iriomote is part of the Yaeyama islands you will need to check out the Yaeyama island orientation guide.
- 
