On a day in early September, I hit the road toward Minna Island, a small remote island located off the coast of mainland Okinawa’s Motobu Peninsula. It was meant to be a hassle-free trip since I had booked a tour package that included snorkeling, ferry fees and even a meal. For a price of 6,000 yen, it sounded like a very good deal.

As I was driving north, however, I got a phone call from the tour company saying they were canceling their tour due to choppy seas. It crossed my mind to head back, but I was already within a 30-minute drive from Toguchi Port and decided I would still try to make my way to the island on my own.

Due to the sea conditions, I expected an empty port. But instead, I found many tourists waiting for the next ferry departing at 10 a.m. Several were wearing swimwear and carrying beach gear, so it was clear that the high waves did not discourage their craving for water activities. I followed suit, bought roundtrip tickets to Minna Island for 1,730 yen (about $11.73) and boarded the ferry.

Ferry ride to Minna Island Thanks to its c shape, Minna Island is often called “croissant island.” The ferry docked at a small port on the back side of the island’s curl. Minna Beach, the sandy shore off the port, seemed to be blooming with beach parasols instead of flowers. Swim tubes dotted the waters off the beach and a banana boat zipped by dragging the reverberating sounds of the daring passengers riding it.

I knew that Minna Island was a popular destination among tourists, but it was still surprising to see such a big crowd descending on the small island with a 0.47 km2 dimension, a 4.6 km circumference, and a population of around 20.

Just off the ferry, there were booths offering water activities, including parasailing (8,000 yen), banana boat rides (2,000 yen), towing tube rides (2,000 yen), and boat snorkeling tours (5,000 yen).

High waves mean it may not be the best time to swim in the ocean, but my mind was settled on snorkeling. I really wanted to see what was hidden under the beautiful waters, so I hopped on the snorkeling tour without giving it a second thought.

Into the depths Around 10 tourists and I were taken on a boat for a short five-minute ride to the waters just south of the island for our 30-minute-long snorkeling session. Before diving in, the tour operator gave us a safety brief.

The second my head went underwater, I was struck by the depth of the ocean here. I could tell my feet were at least 10 meters above the bottom. My near-sighted eyes struggled to make out coral reefs spread underneath or the fish swimming around them. Luckily, the crystal-clear water allowed me to get a great view of the beautiful coral reefs and track the sea creatures lurking through the lens of my GoPro.

The depth of this area was a different experience than snorkeling I’ve done around Okuma Beach and Gorilla Chop on the main island. But, it was a stunning view nonetheless, even at a distance.

Waves were constantly coming at us. We kept swimming and moving around, trying not to get cast away. Our instructor was in the water with us, so I felt safe.

By the time we were back on the island’s shore, it was already lunchtime. After a quick shower, which costs 100 yen for 90 seconds, I walked south on a road that cuts down the middle of Minna from north to south. Before my visit, I’d Googled and found out that there were several places to grab a bite to eat down this way.

Lunch surprise No sooner had I walked for a couple of minutes, did color canopies come into view. They belonged to what Okinawans call “parlor,” which is a type of eatery where customers place and receive their orders at a counter before enjoying the food in outdoor seating. I stopped at a parlor called the Secret Beach House, which serves comfort foods like yakitori skewered grilled chicken and curry rice.

At the counter, I ordered “Taco Curry” for 1,200 yen, which, as you would have guessed right, was a mixture of curry rice and taco rice. The idea sounded a little gimmicky, but this fusion worked. The tangy tomato sauce and well-seasoned curry sauce went well together, making it hard to resist. I enjoyed my surprisingly-delicious meal on the second floor of the beach house with a great sea breeze and beautiful view. I was in bliss.

Island unwind With a tummy full and heart content, I walked further south to a small bay encircled by the croissant island’s crescent arches. This spot is called Namonaki Beach, or no-name beach, on Google Maps. The nameless beach had serene, shallow waters and no crowds, unlike the tourist-packed Minna Beach.

Maybe the lack of depth and waves of Namonaki Beach makes it unattractive to adventurous visitors, but the emptiness was soothing. Seated in the cool shade of a tree, I chilled out there for some time.

Habu awareness As I made my way back to the ferry dock, I wanted to explore a little more of the island’s crescent arch down another island-splitting road that runs east to west. Then, I remembered that Minna Island was once known as a habu snake hot spot. Despite a habu snake cleanup operation in the late 1970s, which some say means the venomous snakes were removed, I didn’t want to take any chances.

Sweet ending to a nice trip Instead, I stopped for a refreshing shaved ice (400 yen) at Parlor Tiida, a shop on the way back to Minna Beach. “Tiida” means “sun” in Okinawa dialect. I enjoyed the shade of a canopy while I cooled off with my blue Hawaiian shaved ice topped with milk sauce.

Enjoying the sweet taste of the milk and the vibrant color of the blue sauce brought me back to the memories of the beautiful waters and the peaceful landscape, making it hard to leave the island.

Toguchi Port GPS Coordinates: 26.659302, 127.889365

Minna Island (Minna Port) GPS Coordinate: 26.650747, 127.817912 *A ferry shuttles between the above-mentioned locations between around 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. The schedule varies depending on the season. For example, from Sept. 21 through Oct. 31, the ferry departs four times a day from Toguchi to Minna (at 9 a.m., 10 a.m., 1 p.m., and 4 p.m. respectively).

Toguchi Port GPS Coordinates: 26.659302, 127.889365

Minna Island (Minna Port) GPS Coordinate: 26.650747, 127.817912 *A ferry shuttles between the above-mentioned locations between around 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. The schedule varies depending on the season. For example, from Sept. 21 through Oct. 31, the ferry departs four times a day from Toguchi to Minna (at 9 a.m., 10 a.m., 1 p.m., and 4 p.m. respectively). For more info, check out the ferry’s timetable here.