List of beaches in Indonesia

Kuta Beach in Bali.

Beaches in Indonesia are extensive, characterized by coral reefs, deposits from volcanoes, rich marine biodiversity, strong ocean currents, and associated with diverse cultural traditions. With around 17,500 islands,[1] Indonesia has an intricate coastline of over 80,000 km (50,000 mi),[2] the fourth longest in the world.

Indonesia is located in a region of abundant coral reefs known as the Coral Triangle[3] as well as being the country with the most volcanoes in the world.[4] Some beaches are derived from fluvial sands and gravels, others from cliff erosion. Coral reefs form white or yellow sanded beaches, while beach sediments derived from volcanic rocks are typically black or grey, such as those of northern Bali and southern Java. In the granitic zone of the Riau, Bangka and Belitung Islands, white quartz sands as well as granite boulders dominate. Sandy backshores are colonized by coastal vegetation, notably Ipomoea pes-caprae and Spinifex littoreus, then coconut and casuarina trees. Coastal dunes are poorly developed in the humid tropics, but on the southern shores of Java and Sumatra, prograded beaches are backed by dunes, some of which carry woodland vegetation. Large deposits of lava and ash from volcanic eruptions may transport large quantities of pyroclastic sediment down to the coast, such as at Mount Merapi in southern Java and Mount Agung in Bali.[2] The area within the Coral Triangle is associated with rich marine biodiversity.[5] Beaches in the area, such as those that are important turtle nesting beaches, are protected by the government.[6]

Wave action in Indonesian waters is largely generated by local winds, gentle in the equatorial zone but stronger on the northern and southern coasts subject to northeast and southeast trade winds, respectively. Ocean swell moves into the southern coast from the Indian Ocean and to the northern coast from the southwest Pacific, are creating particularly large waves in this area.[2]

Some beaches are considered sacred and ritual processions are held on these. Sea temples are erected on the coasts of Bali, Lombok, and Java to appease the god or goddess of the Sea.[7][8] Some beaches on the southern coast of Java are considered sacred because of their association with the figure of Nyai Roro Kidul, Queen of the Southern Sea. In accordance with Javanese beliefs, people are warned not to wear green clothes on these beaches because the color is sacred to her and wearing it may offend her and cause the person to drown into the sea.[8][9][10] Rituals are enacted on beaches such as Parangtritis, Pangandaran, Karang Bolong Beach, Ngliyep, Puger, and Banyuwangi.[8][10]

Below is a list of notable Indonesian beaches. The list is sorted by provinces roughly west to east, north to south; and then alphabetically by the name of the beach, ignoring the words "beach" or "pantai" (Indonesian "beach"). To avoid mistranslation, the names of the beaches are listed by translating the word pantai into "beach". Translation of other words, such as Tanjung (Indonesian for "cape") or Pasir Putih (Indonesian for "white sand"), are ignored.

  1. ^ Information on Indonesia. ASEM Development conference II: Towards an Asia-Europe partnership for sustainable development. 26–27 May 2010, Yogyakarta, Indonesia. ec.europa.eu
  2. ^ a b c Bird, Eric (2010). Encyclopedia of the World's Coastal Landforms. Vol. 1. Springer Reference. p. 1158. ISBN 9781402086380. Retrieved December 1, 2012.
  3. ^ Veron, J.E.N. (1995). Corals in space and time: biogeography and evolution of the Scleractinia. Vol. xiii. Sydney, Australia: UNSW Press. p. 321.
  4. ^ Williams, Stanley (2012). "General Facts About Volcanoes". Scholastic Inc. Retrieved 30 November 2012.
  5. ^ Allen, G. R. (2007). Conservation hotspots of biodiversity and endemism for Indo-Pacific coral reef fishes. Aquatic Conservation: Marine Freshwater Ecosystem. doi:10.1002/aqc.880.
  6. ^ Freund, Jurgen (2012). "Coral Triangle Overview". World Wildlife Fund. WWF.org. Retrieved 8 December 2012.
  7. ^ van Berkmoes, Ryan (2009). Bali & Lombok 12. Lonely Planet. p. 28. ISBN 9781741048643.
  8. ^ a b c Robson, Stuart (2007). The Kraton, KITLV Press 2003. Leiden, the Netherlands. ISBN 978-90-6718-131-0.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  9. ^ Lueras, Lorca (2002). Action Guide: Surfing Indonesia: サーフィンポイントガイド(インドネシア). Tuttle Publishing. ISBN 9789625938530.
  10. ^ a b Dr. C.W. Wormser. Het Hooge Heiligdom - Legend of Borobudur. Deventer / Bandung: W. Van Hoeve, N.V. Maatschappij Vorkink. p. 114.