Family-Friendly Hotels in Okinawa: A Paradise Stretching from the Main Island to the Remote Islands

When choosing a family stay in Okinawa, the first thing most households puzzle over is whether to book a resort on the main island or travel out to the remote islands. Which areas have how much in the way of child-friendly facilities is genuinely hard to judge from a map alone.

Okinawa Prefecture has 230 properties listed, spread across areas including Naha, Miyakojima, Iriomote Island, Ishigaki Island, Yonaguni Island, Taketomi Island and the outer Yaeyama islands, so you can pick to match the purpose of your trip. Naha, Chatan and Ginowan are a short trip from the airport, which suits a first visit to Okinawa or a family with only a few days, while the resort areas from the center and north of the main island down to the south (Onna Village, Yomitan Village, Nago and Nanjo) have many large beachfront hotels and suit a slower-paced trip.

The first thing to weigh when choosing a hotel is the room type. Japanese-style and Japanese-Western rooms are available at 89 properties, and detached units, cottages and whole-building rentals at 114, which is an important comparison point for families looking for a room where a small child can safely spend time on the floor, or a private building where nobody else is around. On the food side, 51 properties serve meals in the room and 47 offer a toddler meal menu, while 42 have guest rooms with their own bath or open-air bath.

If you are traveling with an infant, 97 properties offer crib rentals and 64 offer bed guard rentals; 58 have a shallow kids' pool, 56 run kids' programs and activities, and 69 accommodate allergies. There are 117 properties within walking distance of the sea or a beach and 102 with a kitchenette where you can cook, so being able to prepare your own food is another option for families who want to stay on top of baby food and drinks.

Getting to the Okinawa main island is normally done by air, and from Naha Airport as your starting point, travel to areas such as Onna Village, Nago and Nanjo is mainly by car. Reaching remote islands such as Miyakojima, Ishigaki Island, Iriomote Island, Yonaguni Island and Taketomi Island requires a connecting flight or a ferry from Naha, so it is important to choose your area with your length of stay and how much travel your children can handle in mind.