Kuroshima Island is a small island with a circumference of about 13km. Nakamoto Beach is the most famous tourist attraction on the island, about 30 minutes on foot from the Kuroshima Port. However, if you want to visit the tourist attractions scattered around the island, it is recommended to rent a bicycle. Many visitors rent bicycles and enjoy sightseeing on the island. In addition, Kuroshima Island has almost no slopes, so even children can ride a bicycle comfortably.
If you visit major tourist attractions on the island by bicycle, it will take 4 or 5 hours even if you go around slowly, and you can do a day trip from Ishigaki Island. If you use a rental bicycle on Kuroshima Island, it is cheaper to apply for a package tour.
The means of transportation on Kuroshima 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 Kuroshima Island
♦ Kuroshima Island Tour with Rental Bicycle
No rental bicycle reservation required
When you arrive at Kuroshima Port by ferry, the bicycle rental shop shuttle car stops in front of the ferry terminal. You don’t need to make a reservation for the shuttle car. If you take the shuttle car of the shop you want to use, you will take to the shop and you can rent a bicycle without reservation.
There are 3 bicycle rental shops on Kuroshima Island, and 2 shuttle cars other than Heart Land, which has a shop in front of Kuroshima Port, are stopped.
The fee comparison of the rental bicycle shop is described later.
For guests staying Kuroshima Island
If you are staying Kuroshima Island, please check if you can rent a bicycle at your accommodation. Some accommodations offer free bicycle rental to guests.
How to rent a bicycle
1. You get on the shuttle car of the shop where you want to rent a bicycle, or go directly to the shop on foot.
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.
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. In that case, you can leave it as it is.
6. You walk back to the port.
Comparison of rental bicycle shops
There are 3 rental bicycle shops on Kuroshima Island. All shops are near the port.
There is almost no difference in service at any of the shops, but there are not many child bicycles, so it is better to reserve them.
Kuroshima Island is almost flat. Therefore, you can comfortably go around the island even by city bicycle.
Machan Oba’s Rental Bicycle & Scooter : 080-6497-2323
Kuroshima Rental Bicycle : 090-4996-2512
Standard cycling plan
This is a standard cycling plan that goes around the major tourist attractions of Kuroshima Island. If you are sightseeing on this standard plan, it will take 4, 5 hours.
We recommended you Nakamoto Beach for cycling break. There are benches with a roof, vending machines and toilets. You can take a break there while looking at the beautiful sea.
The map below also includes information on the slopes. Kuroshima Island is almost flat, but the road from the port to the Kuroshima Observatory is slight uphill. Therefore, if you go sightseeing from No.1 on the map, you can avoid the uphill and you can comfortably go sightseeing by bicycle.
Precautions when cycling on Kuroshima Island
There are not many restaurants and vending machines on the island. Especially if you find a restaurant that is open, you should have lunch there. If you do not, you may lose the opportunity to have lunch.
The sunlight on Kuroshima Island is strong. Therefore, a hat and sunscreen are essential.
You should not leave your baggage in the bicycle basket. No one will take your baggage away, but the crow will bring it. There are many crows on Kuroshima Island. They bring your baggage even if it’s not food.
Rental bicycles do not have a key. When you arrive at the tourist attractions, some similar bicycles are parked. You should check the number of the bicycle you rented and ride it so that you do not mistake it for someone else’s bicycle.
There are many guide signs to tourist destinations on Kuroshima Island, but they are in Japanese. Therefore, we recommend that you prepare a router or SIM card to use Google Map.
There are off-limits area on the island. There are various reasons for this, such as private property and sacred places. Would you like to give consideration to the residents.
Kuroshima Island Tour with Rental Bicycle
There are several package tours that includes a round-trip ferry fare between Ishigaki Island and Kuroshima Island and a rental bicycle fee on Kuroshima 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.
The 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.
Hirata Tourism is recommended. It is an officially certified foreign tourist information center in Japan.
Tour company
Hirata Tourism
Anei Kanko Ferry
Yaeyama Kanko Ferry
Ishigaki Island Travel Center (only in Japanese)
Yamaneko Tours (only in Japanese)
