Sawarna Beach, Sand beach in Banten, Indonesia
Sawarna Beach is a white sand beach on the southern coast of Java, in the Banten province, facing the Indian Ocean. Dark volcanic rock formations rise along both ends of the shoreline, giving the beach a hemmed-in, sheltered feel.
The area around the beach was for a long time a remote fishing settlement that remained largely unknown outside the local region. Better road access over the past few decades brought more visitors and gradually changed the character of the village.
Fishermen from the nearby village head out each morning in small wooden boats and return in the afternoon with their catch. Mending nets and sorting fish on the sand are part of daily life here and are easy to observe from the shoreline.
Small guesthouses in the village of Sawarna offer a base for the visit, and locals there can point you toward nearby caves and natural spots. The waves coming in from the Indian Ocean can be strong, so it is worth checking conditions before swimming.
Behind the beach, a series of limestone caves formed over millions of years now shelter large bat colonies that fly out at dusk. One of these caves runs for about 1 kilometer underground and can be visited with a local guide.
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