Most people come to the Yomitan Peninsula on Okinawa's main island for the sand and the scuba opportunities. I, however, am one of those island residents on whom paradise is wasted — I like neither a sweltering day at the beach nor an afternoon spent exploring the intimidating world beneath the waves. I'm more of a mountain lover, and while Okinawa is a bit short on elevation, recent explorations of my island home had me steering my car to the highest hill I could find in the area.

It's not the hill that attracted me, but rather the structure that sits in majestic ruins on its crown. It's impossible to see the fortifications of Zakimi Castle until you are almost beneath them, a feature that I wonder might have held true in the days when the peninsula was less populated and Zakimi dominated the skyline. But what remains of this castle, built in the 15th century by dynamic warlord Gosamaru to protect the interests of the ruler, Sho Hashi (installed at Shuri Castle), is impressive nonetheless.

Unlike the reconstructed and embellished Shuri Castle down south, this rough-around-the-edges UNESCO sight lures its few visitors with more understated architectural appeal. The massive walls of large-cut stone are several meters thick — legend has it that each boulder was carted from a now untraceable castle site in central Okinawa to construct the fortress of Zakimi. Regardless of their origin, these stones that were once used to protect the structure from invading armies now serve only as an effective barrier against the typhoon winds that regularly batter the island.