10 Best Hotels and Ryokan Inns for Sightseeing on Amami Oshima

Enjoy the Splendor of Nature at Amami Oshima!

Amami Oshima enjoys a warm climate all year round and was even registered as a World Natural Heritage Site in July 2021. For all these reasons and more, it keeps attracting travelers from all over and is regarded as one of Japan’s most popular resort areas. One of the things that visitors love most about the island is its crystal-clear sea filled with coral reefs and expansive subtropical evergreen forests inhabited by rare animal species such as the Amami rabbit. Amami Oshima also offers canoeing, snorkeling, and many other marine activities. If you happen to visit it during winter, you can even enjoy whale watching!

Another reason for Amami Oshima’s popularity is that it can be easily reached in just 75 minutes by plane from Fukuoka Airport. 

10 Best Hotels and Ryokan Inns on Amami Oshima

1. Le Grand Bleu

Located a 15-minute drive from Amami Airport, Le Grand Bleu is a luxurious and private facility on the coast of Ashitoku in Tatsugo with mobile home-style accommodations boasting the same level of service as a resort hotel.

The guestrooms are designed with nature in mind using earth tones that you often find at resorts. There are two types of accommodations to choose from: the one-room Twin with a large terrace and the Royal where you rent out the entire unit. If you are visiting Amami Oshima with a friend, you should book the Twin, but if you’re traveling with a large group or a family, then the Royal will be perfect for you.

Open the windows in your room and you will be greeted by a view of the island’s emerald sea that will make you feel like all this natural beauty has been made especially for you!

For lunch and dinner, we recommend barbecuing. You can rent an iron griddle set, tables, and other necessary equipment and grill anything you want. The hotel also rents out marine goods such as snorkeling sets, lifejackets, life preservers, and SUPs, allowing you to make your own fun while visiting the island.

2. Denpaku Amami Hotel

Denpaku Amami Hotel is located a 10-minute drive from Amami Airport on the second floor of Magun Hiroba, a multipurpose complex housed in a building that once served as a supermarket for the local villagers. An atrium connects the first and second floors, creating an open structure with plenty of natural light.

The guestrooms all feel fresh and neat due to their design being based around the color white, while the high ceilings make them feel more spacious.

The front desk is located on the first floor of Magun Hiroba where you will also find a restaurant that serves traditional island dishes, a gathering space for local villagers, as well as a shop and gallery offering Amami Oshima’s traditional crafts and souvenirs. Denpaku Amami Hotel is a cozy facility with a homey vibe that will let you experience the island’s unique culture firsthand.

On the second floor, there is a library that hotel guests can use for free, which includes books and photos of Amami Oshima. Make sure to check it out if you decide to stay here!

3. Petit Resort Native Sea Amami

Petit Resort Native Sea Amami is located a 20-minute drive from Amami Airport on a hill overlooking Kurasaki Beach, giving the entire facility, from the guestrooms to the restaurant and lobby corridors, panoramic, 270-degree views of the surrounding sea. Few other hotels boast such picturesque locations.

With the local coral reefs, blue sea, and soothing sounds of crashing waves, it’s easy to lose track of time as you gaze at this beautiful seaside scenery. The Hawaiian-inspired guestrooms are equipped with semi-double beds, guaranteeing first-rate rest and relaxation. There are only 14 accommodations total at this hotel to ensure that every guest is well cared for, so if you’re looking for that extra touch of hospitality, this is the place for you.

The hotel houses the “forest” restaurant that is even popular with the locals. The restaurant takes pride in its dishes that incorporate organic vegetables grown on the hotel’s fields, as well as the seasonal ingredients of Amami. You have a wide array of options to choose from, including Amami Oshima’s local cuisine, creative Western dishes, and Japanese-Western fusion cuisine.

The expansive Kurasaki Beach, a local secret hideaway, can be found just a 2-minute walk from the hotel. Though open to the public, its secluded location makes it feel like a private beach where you can enjoy marine activities or just quietly admire the sea around the island and create memories of a lifetime.

4. Native Sea Amami Adan on the Beach

Native Sea Amami Adan on the Beach welcomes guests with an artistic white-colored lobby adorned with modern wall decorations characteristic of southern Japanese islands. As the sea breeze blows through the space, it creates a refreshing and relaxing atmosphere.

All rooms are equipped with spacious terraces offering 180° panoramic views of the surrounding area while still protecting your privacy. Some accommodations also come with scenic baths that allow guests to soak while gazing out at the tranquil sea around them.

More highlights of the spacious guestrooms include sofas, dining tables, comfortable beds, refrigerators, microwave ovens, irons, and other amenities.

When night falls, the star-studded sky above creates a romantic atmosphere that perfectly complements the tranquil seascape views available from Native Sea Amami Adan on the Beach.

5. Miru Amami

Miru Amami is an exotic villa that is inspired by the concept of "DESIGNING THE IN-BETWEENS." Characterized by its use of traditional Amami architecture and nature-inspired exterior, this is a luxury resort hotel where some guestrooms come with their own private pools.

There are three types of guestrooms: POOL VILLAS with their own private pool, OCEAN VILLAS that are closest to the sea and offer fantastic views, and HILLSIDE VILLAS perched on the mountainside even higher than the OCEAN VILLAS. Depending on the room you choose, you’ll get to enjoy a different side of the nature paradise of Amami Oshima, from its mountains to the sea around it.

The front desk is manned by staff familiar with Amami. They will help get you to and from the airport, recommend sightseeing spots, let you know about fun activities available in the area, and more.

At the restaurant annex, guests can savor sumptuous meals that use the freshest seasonal ingredients of Amami, be it during a casual lunch or a special dinner course.

6. Coral Palms

Coral Palms, located a 5-minute drive from Amami Airport, is a resort hotel with an outdoor pool that is available for night swimming. There is a bar next to it where guests can enjoy a selection of delicious alcoholic beverages.

Most of the guestrooms at this hotel are Western-style, though some have both Japanese-style and Western-style interiors.

There are various sightseeing spots around the hotel such as Heart Rock, a heart-shaped tidal pool that only appears when the waters recede, Oshima Tsumugimura where you can learn firsthand about Oshima tsumugi weaving (a specialty product of the island), and Ayamaru Misaki Kanko Park which is home to one of the 10 best views in Amami. 

The hotel is known for its shabu-shabu course that uses Kurobuta pork from Kagoshima, as well as local dishes that are made from local ingredients. For a delectable respite from traveling, there is no better place than the Coral Palms restaurant.

7. Hotel New Amami

Hotel New Amami is located a 50-minute drive from Amami Airport right next to the best restaurant district on the island and near the Amami Airport shuttle bus and city bus center. A reasonably priced business hotel, the facility is especially recommended as a base for exploring Amami Oshima.

The hotel guestrooms are compact, functional, and simple in design, but they offer free Wi-Fi and come fully equipped with a TV, desk, and other amenities.

At the bathhouse, guests will find a spacious sauna, large shared bath, hot tub, and a cold water tub, all offering ultimate relaxation.

The hotel restaurant offers a Japanese or Western breakfast buffet. Be sure to try the fresh handmade tofu!

8. Golden Mile Hostel

Golden Mile Hostel is a guest house located a 2-minute walk from Yanigawa Street, a popular spot known for its many restaurants and bars. What guests love about this facility is its exotic vibe and the chance to witness the daily life of the people of Amami up close. Golden Mile Hostel is especially recommended for solo travelers and backpackers.

There is a wide variety of accommodations to choose from, from twin rooms that are ideal for couples to co-ed dormitory rooms. Whatever you choose, it’s guaranteed to be affordable. The dormitory room has shared modular baths, shower rooms, and toilets.

If you want to have fun with your friends or family plus a little privacy, it would be best to get a private room, which comes equipped with refrigerators, wash basins, washing machines, shower rooms, and toilets. The private rooms are also great for extended stays on the island.

The ground floor of the hostel is occupied by a combination entrance and lounge where travelers can just sit and rest. There are manga comic books, video games, and a large TV for watching movies to help you pass the time and relax. Guests can also rent bicycles and snorkeling sets and explore Amami on their own.

9. en- Hostel & Café bar

Found along Yanigawa Street at the heart of Amami Oshima, en- Hostel & Café bar is a guest house meant to connect people with different lifestyles and backgrounds. As the name suggests, there is a cafe bar inside the hostel.

Guestrooms are divided into private double rooms, semi-private twin rooms, and dormitory-type rooms that are recommended for solo travelers and backpackers. The accommodations feature simple interiors to create a calming, natural atmosphere, but that does not mean that the hostel is completely bare-bones. The facility is actually equipped with free Wi-Fi, air-conditioners, hairdryers, and offers many amenities such as towels, shampoo, and other toiletries.

At the cafe bar annex, guests can enjoy the hot sandwich of the day for breakfast. For lunch, there is pasta cooked with local ingredients and curry made in collaboration with a popular local restaurant. The hostel’s delicious coffee is a must during the day, but at night, you might want to try the bar’s unique cocktails such as brown sugar shochu, a specialty of Amami Oshima.

The communal space has internet, desks, and a counter, making it perfect for people who like to mix work and pleasure.

10. Hotel Caretta

Located a 15-minute drive from Amami Airport, Hotel Caretta is a European-style resort hotel with an outdoor pool surrounded by the sea and forest.

The rooms are decorated in blue, yellow, and green, the colors of Amami Oshima’s landscape that will make you feel as if you were in the tropics.

Various types of accommodations are available at this hotel, ranging from rooms suitable for solo travelers to large guestrooms that are perfect for groups. The hotel is made up of four buildings, with each one offering a different view of the surrounding sea and forest, so you can choose a room that’s perfect for you and enjoy Amami’s majestic nature.

Hotel Caretta’s breakfast buffet has received rave reviews from guests, especially the crispy croissants and Danish pastries that are freshly baked every morning, as well as the wide array of breads. The hotel also offers local Amami dishes. For dinner, you can get the special full course that uses plenty of ingredients grown on the island.

Finding the Perfect Place to Stay in the Paradise of Amami Oshima

We hope that our guide to the best hotels and inns on Amami Oshima has helped you out. The island really has it all, from fancy resort hotels that integrate seamlessly with the gorgeous sea and lush greenery around them to no-frills hostels that are perfect for those who plan to spend a lot of time exploring this slice of paradise. Choose a facility that best fits your needs and get ready for a vacation of a lifetime. Safe travels!

 

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