Pangandaran, Beach in Pangandaran, Indonesia

Pangandaran is a beach in the villages of Pangandaran and Pananjung, facing the Indian Ocean. It is split into West Pangandaran and East Pangandaran, separated by a peninsula that juts into the sea and forms the 530-hectare Pananjung Nature Reserve. The sand is a mix of white and black, and the cape keeps the waves gentle.

Pangandaran was long known as a "Small Fishermen's Town", since most residents lived from fishing. The cape of the Pananjung Nature Reserve, 530 hectares, shelters the bay from large Indian Ocean waves. On 17 July 2006 a tsunami 5–7 metres high struck without warning and killed 600 people. The beach has been promoted as a tourist destination since 2012.

Most residents of Pangandaran village work as fishermen, which earned the beach the nickname "Small Fisherman's City." Each Muharam month, fishermen hold the Hajat Laut, a thanksgiving ceremony in which offerings are cast into the sea. The Pangandaran International Kite Festival is also held here regularly.

The bay's shape and the Pananjung peninsula keep the waves gentle and make the gap between high and low tide long, so swimming is safe. A lifeguard watchtower stands on the beach. The sand is a mix of white and black, and the water faces the Indian Ocean.

The adjacent Pananjung Nature Reserve forms a green peninsula jutting into the sea and shelters animals such as monkeys and wild boar. Walking trails lead through the forest to viewpoints from which both coastal sections are visible.