On the edge of a peninsula on the island of Okinawa, the town of Motobu offers a wealth of natural and cultural attractions within minutes of the port. You easily spend an entire day exploring the expansive Ocean Expo Park that stretches along the coast. Here the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium is renowned for its enormous Kuroshio Sea tank where you can observe whale sharks and manta rays up close. The park also includes tropical botanical gardens and arboretums, a re-creation of a native Okinawan village from the Ryukyu kingdom era, and the white sands of Emerald Beach. Motobu Genki Village offers dolphin encounters and semisubmersible tours, or you might charter a boat to go island hopping in search of your own stretch of secluded sand on the offshore isles nearby. Explore the coast via bicycle or on foot along Bise Fukugi Tree Road, a sandy avenue shaded by thousands of Motobu’s emblematic Fukugi trees. To add historical context to the island’s natural beauty, visit the ruins of Nakijin Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Dating to the 14th century, the graceful curves of the castle’s stone ramparts are an ancient architectural masterpiece constructed without mortar.