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Gesashi Mangrove Forest

GesashimangroveYanbaruHigashinatural monument

Okinawa · Higashi

26.6034°N, 128.1446°E

The largest mangrove stand on Okinawa Island is at the mouth of the Gesashi river in Higashi, on the Pacific side of Yanbaru. Three of the four mangrove species found on the island grow here — yaeyama hirugi, ohirugi and mehirugi — and the stand is a national natural monument.

A boardwalk of up to 335 metres runs out into the trees from a park at the edge, which is free and has a car park and toilets. That gets you into the forest at ground level, among the stilt roots and the mudskippers and fiddler crabs on the flats. The other way to see it is by canoe on the river itself, run by local operators, which puts you underneath the canopy at water level. Yanbaru is otherwise mountain forest; this is the one place it meets the sea.

Essential Information

Opening Hours

Park and boardwalks open during daylight hours

Closed: Open year-round

Entrance Fee

Free | Free parking | Canoe tours charged separately by local operators

Best Season

Year-round | Spring and autumn for comfortable conditions

Visit Duration

45–60 minutes on the boardwalk | 2–3 hours with a canoe tour

Getting There

Access Information

Higashi, Kunigami District, at the Higashi Fureai Hirugi Park. About 2 hours by car from Naha Airport on ordinary roads, or 1 hour from Kyoda IC; a short walk from the Gesashi stop on the Higashi village community bus. Free, with parking for 20 cars and 3 large vehicles and toilets. Boardwalks up to 335 m one way. Mangrove canoe tours are run by local operators and charged separately.

Insider Guide

Premium

**Time it with the tide.** Low water exposes the mud flats and the crabs and mudskippers that live on them; high water is when the canoe tours run best. Neither is wrong but they are different visits. **The boardwalk is free and the canoe is not.** 335 metres of walkway costs nothing and gets you into the stand. Canoe tours are booked separately with local operators and go up the river. **Three of the island's four species.** Yaeyama hirugi, ohirugi and mehirugi grow here together, which is why the site is a natural monument. The differences in root form are visible from the boardwalk. **It is a long drive.** An hour from the expressway, two and a half from the airport. This is the east side of Yanbaru and there is very little along the way. **Combine with the Yanbaru forest.** The national park interior and Cape Hedo are further north on the same run.

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