沖The most popular spot for snorkeling and diving experience on Okinawa Island!

「The Blue Cave」is located at Cape Maeda in Onna Village of Okinawa Island. It is a semi-submerged cave affected by entering sunlight. Inside the cave, the water and the shimmering surface give off a mysterious blue hue, making it the most popular ocean attraction on Okinawa Island. The Blue Cave refers to one of the caves (sea caves) formed from erosion by the ocean waves. The surface of the water inside the cave shimmers blue because of the sunlight refraction; hence the name “Blue Cave”. This is the perfect place to experience the mysterious atmosphere created by the special natural phenomena. The reason Blue Cave radiates blue light is the sunlight reflecting off the sea bed after entering the cave, which causes the surface to shimmer with a blue light. The sea bed in the Blue Cave consists of calcareous sand (white sandy floor), which is the main reason the sunlight reflects off the sea bed. The Blue Cave is a place where the light plays gracefully in the water; therefore, it is the perfect place to appreciate the shimmering light of startling blue. Because of the terrain, sand, light and other natural conditions, the result is a magical and mysterious scene that is difficult to describe in words.

There are several places with the name “Blue Cave” throughout Japan, from Hokkaido in the north to Miyakojima and Ishigaki in the south, but the one in Okinawa Island (Cape Maeda in Onna Village) is the most well-known and popular. The Blue Cave is highly popular among tourists who wish to enjoy a snorkeling and diving experience. It’s also the number one attraction in Okinawa Island, which should never be missed when visiting Okinawa.

The destination “Blue Cave” is 6 m deep at its deepest point. The distance from the entrance to the area accessible to tourists is approximately 35 m. It is believed that the shape of the cave was formed by years of erosion by ocean waves. Furthermore, the fish living in the cave are friendly towards humans and will approach divers readily. Because there is a wide variety of fish and coral in the cave, the Blue Cave is also referred to as the “holy land of Okinawa ocean activities”. It is very suitable for tourists who are beginners in ocean activities.

Because of changes in the light entering the Blue Cave, a rich, varied blue hue illuminates the cave. From morning to night, the shades of blue are never the same. It’s a graceful and healing space for visitors to hang about. Inside the cave reside creatures of all forms. You may meet blotcheye soldierfish, schools of sweepers, longfin batfish and other rare species in the cave. Many colorful and friendly tropical fish species (e.g. oriental butterflyfish, scissortail sergeant and Japanese parrot fish) live in the waters outside the cave. The fish are so close you can almost touch them. The Blue Cave is a highly recommendable site for water sports on Okinawa Island. The light intensifies during sunrise, making the blue light especially vibrant. To fully enjoy the beauty of the Blue Cave, we recommend you visit between dawn and noon, which is the perfect time to experience the mysterious scene created by the sun and terrain.

There are two ways to enjoy the Blue Cave; snorkeling or scuba diving.
Snorkeling involves wearing a mask, snorkel (breathing apparatus worn on the face) and flippers (swimfins). The visitor can stroll along the sea bed and observe the scene under the water.

While many people might think diving requires a license, our “diving experience” course does not require one for participation.
The “Diving experience” course will be guided by experienced instructors. Furthermore, the course is designed for first-time divers, so beginners can have fun at ease.
Tourists can visit the Blue Cave easily by joining our snorkeling or diving experience courses. Participants for snorkeling must be at least 6 years old and for the diving experience course at least 12 years old.

The basic “beach package” involves entering the water from Cape Maeda. Since NATURAL BLUE maintains courses in small groups, you can enjoy the journey leisurely. The store offering one instructor for groups of 10 or more participants is also available.

In the course introduction on the Blue Cave promotion page, we introduce the location of the cave, ways to get there, a variety of affordable and comfortable “recommendable shops”, package deals and more. We will also honestly compile and show comments of customers who have participated in the courses in order to assist users in making decisions when shopping for package deals.

Being at the center of tourism in Okinawa and ease of access are also reasons for the Blue Cave’s popularity.

The Blue Cave, located in Cape Maeda by Onna Village, is around 1.5 hours from Northern Okinawa where the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium is situated. The cave is also 1.5 hours from Southern Okinawa (Naha City) where the Naha Airport is located. Geographically, the Blue Cave is right at the center of the Island’s tourist route.

In addition, the National Route 58 runs from North to South along the west coast of Okinawa Island, making it easy to travel to the Blue Cave. It’s also very convenient to take the freeways to get there. That’s why the Blue Cave is a highly popular attraction.

How to get to the Blue Cave (travel time)
Address: 469-1 Maeda, Onna Village, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan
①Approximately 1 hour from Naha City
②Approximately 1.5 hours from Naha Airport
③Approximately 15 minutes from Ishikawa IC