Kohama Island is a small island with a circumference of about 17km. The center of the island is about a 15-minute walk from Kohama Port. However, if you want to visit the tourist attractions scattered around the island, you need to think about transportation.
Transportation on Kohama Island
・Rental bicycle
・Electric scooter
・Rental motorcycle
・Rental car
・Sightseeing bus
However, there are no taxis or route buses.
Kohama Island has undulations, so a motorcycle that does not have to worry the slope is the best means of transportation. However, you need a valid driver’s license in Japan. Therefore, we recommend renting an electric bicycle. When visiting tourist attractions by bicycle, it is important to take a route that avoids uphill slopes. Please refer to the cycling route that avoids the uphill below.
Of course, you can also rent a car for sightseeing. However, there are places where there is no parking space or where the road is narrow. Therefore, two-wheeled vehicles are more convenient.
If you visit a tourist attraction by motorcycle or rental car, it will take 2 to 3 hours. On the other hand, in the case of a bicycle, it takes 4 to 5 hours. You can do a day trip from Ishigaki Island.
Contents
♦ No rental bicycle reservation required
♦ Comparison of rental shops
♦ Standard cycling plan
♦ Tour with Rental Bicycle
♦ How to rent an electric scooter
♦ Take a sightseeing bus
No rental bicycle reservation required
When you arrive at Kohama Port by ferry, there are 3 rental shops in front of the port. Bicycles, motorcycles and cars are available for rent at all of these shops. You don’t need to make these reservations at any of the shops, and you can rent them right away if there is a vacancy.
However, if you have a plan, we recommend you to make a reservation online. A shop have web discounts. A comparison of rental shop prices and services is given below.
If you are staying at Kohama Island, you may be able to rent a bicycle at your accommodation.
How to rent a bicycle
1. Walk to the shop where you want to rent a bicycle. All the shops are right in front of the port.
2. You do a simple lending procedure at the shop. At that time, the staff will explain the precautions for using the rental bicycle.
3. You will pay the fee in advance.
4. You will get a map of the island from the staff and start cycling.
You can leave your large baggage in the shop for free.
5. When you return a rental bicycle, you leave it in front of the shop you rented. We think you should tell the staff to return it, but there are times when the shop staff is away.
*The procedure is the same when renting a motorcycle or car.
Comparison of rental shops
There are three rental shops in front of the port of Kohama Island. Bicycles, motorcycles and cars are available for rent at all of these shops.
There is no difference in these prices and services, but it is convenient to have a shop where you can make online discounts and make online reservations. In addition, if you are sightseeing before check-in at the hotel, it is also important that you can leave your baggage at the shop. There are no lockers on Kohama Island.
Standard cycling plan
This is a model course for cycling to visit the main tourist attractions of Kohama Island. This course takes 4 to 5 hours.
“COFFEE HOUSE Yashinoki” is recommended for cycling breaks. It is near an elementary school in the center of the island. This is vanilla ice cream with homemade brown sugar syrup on top. Brown sugar syrup is pretty sweet, but it’s just right for a tired body after cycling.
A model course for cycling
Kohama Island has undulations. The route is important because there are steep hills that even electric bicycles cannot pass through. The map below also includes information on uphill slopes. We propose a route that avoids uphill as much as possible when you visit from No.1 on the map.
Tour with Rental Bicycle
There are several package tours that includes a round-trip ferry fare between Ishigaki Island and Kohama Island and a rental bicycle fee on Kohama 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.
However, it is probably not available for those who stay overnight.
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
Yaeyama Kanko Ferry
Ishigaki Island Travel Center (only in Japanese)
Yamaneko Tours (only in Japanese)
How to rent an electric scooter
The rental shop on Kohama Island does not rent electric scooters.
There are two ways you can rent it.
The first way is that if you stay at the resort hotel Haimurubushi, you can rent it at the hotel.
But you can’t reserve it, so you don’t know if you can rent it. You can rent it even after checkout.
The hotel’s electric scooter is a type with a saddle similar to a bicycle or motorcycle. You can test drive it before renting it.
The second option, for day trips only, is to take a tour with an electric scooter.
It is a free plan tour that includes a round-trip ferry fare between Ishigaki Island and Kohama Island and an electric scooter rental fee.
This tour is provided by Anei Kanko Ferry, the ferry company of Ishigaki Island. You can make a reservation at the website, by phone, or at the shop counter.
You will have to rent an electric scooter in Ishigaki Island and bring it to Kohama Island yourself.
This electric scooter is a standing riding type without a saddle.
Details of this are summarized on another page “How to rent an electric scooter (Rimo) on Ishigaki“. That is the article when I actually rented it and went to Hateruma Island.
Take a sightseeing bus
・4 buses / day
・It’s cheaper to take a tour.
There is no route bus service on Kohama Island. However, there are 4 sightseeing buses operating daily. There aren’t many places to visit, but you can go around the island. It takes about 70 minutes, so it is recommended for those who want to go sightseeing quickly.
You can stay for 10 to 15 minutes at Manta Ray Observatory and Iriufudaki Observatory.
This bus does not require a reservation, but it is recommended to make a reservation as there is a limit to the number of passengers on the bus. The reservation can be made on the same day.
In addition, the bus departure time will change to match the ferry time. Therefore, it is better to confirm the departure time of the bus by phone.
If you take a sightseeing bus on a day trip, a tour will save you money. It is a tour that includes a round-trip ferry fare between Ishigaki Island and Kohama Island and a sightseeing bus fare on Kohama Island.
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
Yaeyama Kanko Ferry
Anei Kanko Ferry
Ishigaki Island Travel Center (only in Japanese)
Yamaneko Tours (only in Japanese)
