*This article confirmed the information in March 2021.
Hateruma Island is an island with a circumference of about 15 km, and is the southernmost island in Japan where people live. Many people enjoy sightseeing on the island with rental bicycles.
If you are sightseeing by bicycle, it will take a full day.
The means of transportation on Hateruma Island are bicycles, scooters, and cars. These can be rented on the island. There are no route buses or taxis.
Contents
♦ No rental bicycle reservation required
♦ Comparison of rental bicycle shops
♦ Standard cycling plan
♦ Precautions when cycling on Hateruma Island
♦ Hateruma Island Tour with Rental Bicycle
No rental bicycle reservation required
There are two bicycle rental shops, OCEANS and Nishihamaso, within a 1-minute walk from Hateruma Port. You can rent a bicycle at those shops without reservation.
In addition, at the arrival time of the ferry, a lot of accommodation staff and rental shop staff come to pick up the reserved guests at the port. (Photo below)
Some of the shops that come to pick up can rent a bicycle without reservation, and you can apply directly.
However, we recommend booking during the busy summer seasons. Hateruma Island is visited by a large number of tourists during the summer season. The number of rental bicycles on the island is limited. The number of electric bicycles is even smaller.
Comparison of rental bicycle shops
*This information was confirmed in March 2021.
There are several rental bicycle shops on Hateruma Island. However, there are not many shops that have websites. Therefore, it is a comparison between “OCEANS” that author actually rented and the shop where information was obtained from the shop’s website.
We don’t think there is a big difference in price from other shops, but the shop where you can return your bicycle near the port is easy to use.
In addition, some accommodations offer rental bicycle services. If you plan to stay on the island, it is a good idea to ask the accommodation.
・Electric bicycles are the best choice.
We don’t know if there are tandem bicycle or child bicycle rentals at the island rental bicycle shops, so please contact each shop.
OCEANS : 0980-85-8787 (Near Hateruma Port)
Nishihamaso : 0980-85-8290 (Near Hateruma Port)
Kumanomi : 090-8290-2823
We recommend OCEANS.
The shop is located very close to the port and operates motorcycle and car rentals and accommodations in addition to rental bicycles. However, when we rented a bicycle at this shop in November 2020, the shop did not distribute a map of the island, so you will need to prepare the map yourself.
Standard cycling plan
This is a standard cycling plan that goes around the major tourist attractions of Hateruma Island. If you are sightseeing on this standard plan, it will take a full day.
We recommend that you go to the popular Nishihama Beach immediately after arriving at the island and then go sightseeing clockwise from the port to avoid uphill slopes.
The map below also includes information on the slopes. If you go sightseeing from No.1 on the map, you can avoid going uphill and you can comfortably go sightseeing by bicycle.
The road from Pemuchi Beach to Hateruma Island Starlight Tower is a long uphill. In addition, the village is on a hill, so the road from the road along the coastline to the village is uphill.
Precautions when cycling on Hateruma Island
Hateruma Island does not have much shade. Therefore, a hat and sunscreen are essential.
You should buy a drink in the village before you start cycling. There are few vending machines outside the village.
There are few public toilets on Hateruma Island. The location of the toilet is also shown on the map above.
When you go sightseeing on the island, a map is essential because there are no landmark buildings and few guide signs. Some rental bicycle shops do not give you a map, so you will need to bring the map yourself. In addition, You can’t use Google Maps on your smartphone as Wi-Fi isn’t available in most parts of the island.
The photo below is the road leading to Pemuchi Beach. There is no information board at the beach entrance.
Hateruma Island Tour with Rental Bicycle
・A tour is good deal for sightseeing in remote islands.
There are several package tours that includes a round-trip ferry fare between Ishigaki Island and Hateruma Island and a rental bicycle fee on Hateruma Island. You can go cheaper than going by yourself.
These tours give you the freedom to decide what time to take the ferry and where to go on your bike.
These tours are offered by the tour company in Ishigaki Port Ferry Terminal. If you would like to take a tour, you can make a reservation at the website below, by phone, or at the shop counter.
Tour company
Anei Kanko Ferry
Ishigaki Island Travel Center (only in Japanese)
