The Best Hotels in Miyakojima

Seven all-suite villas on the southern coast of Irabu Island, close enough to Taiwan that the palms and turquoise water start to feel less like Japan and more like somewhere further adrift. Each villa faces south with a heated private pool, and if you want breakfast delivered on floating platters, that's a sentence you can now say out loud. Some villas add private saunas or a barbecue setup.

Perched on Irabu Island, halfway between Okinawa and Taiwan, this seaside resort sits somewhere the phrase "getting away from it all" stops feeling like a cliché. Most of the 58 rooms and suites face the ocean, and even the garden-facing ones lean into a spare, restful minimalism. The spa draws on local Okinawan ingredients, and the French restaurant does the same. Proof that the Miyako Islands reward the extra effort to reach them.

Five villas on the far southeastern tip of Miyako Island, itself already a detour from Okinawa, which is itself a detour from anywhere. Each villa at this small, private resort reads like a meditation on stone and tile, softened by cool textiles and just enough tropical green, with its own terrace and infinity pool aimed squarely at the Philippine Sea. After dark, the stars take over completely.

Perched on stilts above Miyako Island's southern coast, this boutique resort looks like a stack of futuristic glass boxes from the outside and barely more than that inside, which is the point. Slate floors, white linens, and sliding doors onto private patios keep nothing between you and the water. Breakfast is a carefully arranged spread of organic island produce. Imugya Marine Garden, a snorkeler's haunt, is directly across the street.