Let's enjoy kayaking and canoeing in Onna Village where the blue cave is attractive! Introducing the charm of kayaking and canoeing and popular tours!

 

About canoeing and kayaking in Onna Village

Onna Village is one of the most popular tourist destinations on the main island of Okinawa in Okinawa Prefecture.

Onna Village is located in the central part of the main island, stretching 27.4 km from north to south and 4.2 km from east to west over a long and narrow site.

Facing the beautiful blue waters of the west coast, a major characteristic of the area is its numerous resort hotels.

Furthermore, there are many locations with excellent views scattered throughout the village, making Onna Village a spot where visitors can enjoy a rich Okinawan travel experience just by touring around.

Onna Village offers a variety of activities, one of the most popular of which is canoeing and kayaking.

In this issue, I would like to give you an overview of such canoeing and kayaking activities and how to enjoy them in Onna Village.

 

How to enjoy kayaking and canoeing

Kayak and canoe are both terms for small boats for one or two people.

Although there are differences in the structure of the boats and the shape of the paddles used, the basic enjoyment of paddling on the ocean or river to enjoy the scenery and exhilaration is the same for both.

While canoeing and kayaking, as seen in student sports and the Olympics, are athletically strenuous competitions that compete for stamina and muscle strength, the activity is a completely different story.

Both activity kayaks and canoes are designed to be capsize-resistant and can be easily enjoyed by many.

If you cannot swim, you may shy away from activities on the water, but this is nothing to worry about.

This activity is performed with rental life jackets, and even if you should fall into the water, your body will float, so you can enjoy the activity without any unnecessary worries.

 

Various ways to enjoy depending on time and place

Because kayaks and canoes are not large in size, they can be used in any location for activities such as invading the ocean, near the mouth of an estuary, or up a river.

The high stability and the safety provided by the life jackets also make it suitable for various times of the day as well as during the day.

Various tours are offered by land, including sunrise canoeing where you paddle out before sunrise, sunset canoeing where you watch the sunset in the west, and night canoeing where you can look up at the starry sky.

Okinawa, in particular, is known for its mild subtropical climate, and can be enjoyed without feeling cold, even in the morning or at night.

The climate is mild regardless of the season, with average temperatures around 15°C (59°F) and maximum temperatures of 20°C (68°F) on many days, even in winter.

Onna Village is an ideal spot for kayaking and canoeing in that it can be enjoyed in any season.

 

Kayaking and Canoeing in the Sea

The waters of Onna Village, which faces the west coast of the island, are known for being home to more than 200 species of coral reefs.

Corals remove carbon dioxide through photosynthesis in the ocean and exhale oxygen and minerals into the water, which purifies the water quality.

Also, dead or crushed corals leave behind calcareous bones.

White in color, it crumbles and scatters, transforming itself into a fine sand-like substance as it passes through the long years.

The white of the seabed is created by the white of the ocean floor, and the beautiful colors of the ocean are created by the sunlight reflecting off the white of the seabed.

As a result, the sea facing Onna Village is crystal clear and boasts a glowing emerald green color, giving it an Okinawan travel feel.

Onna Village's kayak and canoe experience is a great way to enjoy paddling on one of Okinawa's most beautiful waters.

 

Kayaking and canoeing in the mangroves

As mentioned above, the beauty of kayaking and canoeing is that they can be enjoyed on the river as well as on the ocean.

One of the sights unique to the estuaries of Okinawa is the sight of mangroves with their uniquely shaped roots peeking out of the water.

Mangroves are as well known as banyan trees among the subtropical trees native to Okinawa, and many people have probably seen them on TV.

They have the unusual characteristic of inhabiting estuaries where seawater flows in and out according to the tides, and in what is called brackish water, where fresh water and salt water mix.

The river where you can enjoy kayaking and canoeing in Onna Village is the Bikubu River, which has a basin of approximately 8 km from the west coast of the main island to the central part.

In addition to the widely found mangrove species of Hirugimodoki, which is rarely seen in Okinawa, the river is home to the mangrove species of Mehirugi, Ohirugi, and Yaeyamahirugi.

The trees are diverse in appearance, ranging from those with intricately entangled roots like octopus legs to those that reach nearly 10 meters in height, giving the area the appearance of a mangrove jungle.

In addition, you can see wild birds native to Okinawa that live in the mangrove forests, making this activity a comprehensive experience of Okinawa's climate.

If you rely on a paddle to navigate a river lush with mangrove forests, you will feel like you are in an adventure movie.

Along with kayaking and canoeing in the ocean, this course is also very popular.

 

Kayaking and Canoeing at Sunset

If you are going to enjoy activities in Onna Village, sunset kayaking and canoeing out to sea at dusk is a must-do at least once.

It has become one of the most popular tours among a wide variety of activities.
Onna Village is located on the west coast of the main island of Okinawa.

Because there is no land west of the ocean in Onna Village, the horizon can be worshipped directly with no obstruction.

Dusk is a nostalgic sight to behold on the mainland, but on the main island of Okinawa it is dramatically beautiful.

On a good day, the entire field of view can be a blazing red as the bright tropical sun sets at a low angle in the west.

Okinawa has produced many artists, and it is easy to see why, as you will encounter locations that are rich in emotion.

Viewing it from a kayak or canoe boat will surely leave you with memories that will last a lifetime.

 

Attraction of Kayak and Canoe

So far we have focused on the location of the kayaking and canoeing experience, but now let's look at the attractions of the activity itself.

Because kayaking and canoeing are done in a seated position, the line of sight is closer to the surface of the ocean than in activities such as SUP, where standing is the basic posture.

There are many benefits to having a lower posture, the first of which is that it makes the sensation of bobbing between the incoming waves more dynamic.

The feeling of the ocean as you sway and scramble through the water with your paddle gives your hands a unique pleasure that you cannot experience in everyday life.

Because of the low line of sight, you can feel more strongly the propulsive force your hands are giving to the kayak/canoe.

 

Enjoy the spectacular view

Another benefit of the low posture is the direct, up-close view of the ocean in Onna Village.

The sea of Onna Village is just amazingly clear and beautiful, filled with coral reefs and many tropical fish living underwater.

The experience of looking down on the colorful, painting-like sea is a magical sensation, like looking into another world through a single pane of glass.

The sea is so different from the mainland that you will be deeply moved by the sight of it.

The low viewpoint also has a positive effect not only when looking into the ocean below, but also when looking forward, backward, left, and right.

When photographing a location, a low vantage point is often used.

The view from a low angle greatly enhances the realism of the landscape.

Even in human vision, the world seen from a low vantage point looks a little different from the usual way and gives us new impressions.

The scenery of Onna Village seen from a canoe/kayak is more beautiful than you can imagine and will add a page to your travel memories.

 

Relax and enjoy at your own pace.

Another point is that the low posture is directly related to the low center of gravity, which directly leads to the stability of the kayak/canoe.

There is no need to maintain a rigid posture or to keep rowing without any effort, and you can enjoy the freedom to take a deep breath or just relax and stay in the water.

You can spend your time any way you like, as long as it is not a destination-oriented tour, so you can just keep listening to the Okinawan rustling at sea.

You will enjoy the most supreme relaxation experience.

Kayaks and canoes can also be shared by two people due to the structure of the boat.

It can be enjoyed by friends, couples, parents and children in a variety of situations, and is sure to create memories that are unique to the two of you and strengthen your bond.

In this sense, it is very flexible and continues to be popular as a great classic activity for a long time.

 

Easy for beginners to enjoy

Among the many different types of activities available in Onna Village, kayaking and canoeing are among the most affordable.

In Onna Village, which faces the sea, kayaking and canoeing tours are organized at various spots, and by participating in these tours, visitors can easily learn how to use a paddle from an instructor.

The boat operation itself is very intuitive, so you can enjoy the sea by simply rowing to go forward and not rowing to stop.

The conditions for participation vary from tour to tour, but the hurdles are low enough that even children of tender years can participate if accompanied by a parent, especially if the tours are easy to follow.

 

Four recommended tours

Below is a selection of recommended tours that offer kayaking and canoeing experiences.

Please refer to the following information for your kayaking experience.

 

Sea Kayak Adventure Tour

Kayaking tours vary in aspect depending on the course followed, but this tour offers an adventurous location where you can enjoy the view of the cliffs along the coastline.

The content of the tour changes from time to time based on the guide's assessment of the day's weather and ocean conditions.

During low tide, you may go ashore into the beautiful subtropical wilderness, ensuring a thrilling kayaking experience that is unpredictable.

 

Mangrove kayak tour

This tour, in which you paddle a kayak while viewing the mangroves of the Bikubu River, allows you to experience the slow flow of time in a tropical atmosphere.

The natural river scenery is outstanding, and the current is gentle with little impact from waves and rocking, making it much less physically demanding.

Life jackets are also worn, so there is no need to worry about swimming, and everyone from young children to the elderly can enjoy the experience.

 

Kayaking & Blue Cave Snorkeling

Here is a greedy tour where you can enjoy kayaking in the ocean and snorkeling in the blue cave at the same time in half a day.

This activity can be enjoyed by children as young as 3 years old, as the environment is calm in the sea.

The experience of activities in the sparkling tropical ocean is guaranteed to provide your child with memories that will last a lifetime.

 

Enjoy an elegant walk on the sea by clear kayak!

The compatibility between the clear kayak with its transparent hull and the sea of Onna Village is unimaginable, and you will feel as if you are gliding directly on the sea.

This tour offers such a clear kayaking experience, and since the utmost care is taken to ensure safety, you can participate with peace of mind.

Looking at the crystal clear waters of Onna Village through a transparent boat, you can take a closer look at the underwater world, making this a great activity to enjoy with your children.

 

summary

These are some of the popular kayaking and canoeing activities in Onna Village.

We are confident that this is the best activity for those who want to enjoy the Okinawan sea at their own pace in a relaxed and easygoing manner.

If you visit Onna Village, please try kayaking and canoeing!