You don’t need to wait to arrive in Bali to enjoy a beach vacation. There are dozens of white-sandy beaches stretch on the Southern coast of Yogyakarta. Unlike Bali, beaches in Yogyakarta offer quieter ambiance and more authentic feeling as the locals still do their daily activities around the beaches. Although the beaches are mostly restricted to swim too far, the view and activities are worth your time. For locals, beaches in Yogyakarta are the perfect place for camping. Here are the lists of the best beaches in Yogyakarta that you should visit.
Indrayanti Beach
Regarded as the Bali of Yogyakarta, Indrayanti Beach is the most popular one. Seating in a gazebo, feeling the breeze while watching the waves of blue turquoise water hitting the beach sand would be very relaxing. Head to the top of the cliff on the right side to see a more outstanding view of the surrounding cliffs combine with ocean view. The beach is regarded as a romantic place to have dinner at night as you’ll be able to see magnificent views of a thousand stars on the sky above you.
Baron Beach
Not only it’s a place to enjoy the beauty of the ocean view, but Baron Beach also a place to dive into local seafood cuisine. The best time to visit is in the morning as you’ll have the chance to see the fishermen come back from the ocean. You can buy the fish from the fishermen at a much lower price, even for tourists! Our advice is to buy the fish and ask at the local food stalls around the beach to cook it for you. Usually, the fee is only around 30K Indonesian Rupiah.
Depok Beach
Only one hour away from Yogyakarta City, Depok Beach is a place to dive into the local bustling fish market. Not a beach with a beauty to enjoy, but a great destination for tasting local seafood. Visit in the morning to avoid touristy afternoon at the beach.
Wediombo Beach
Although being one of the most distanced beaches from Yogyakarta City, Wediombo Beach is one of our best recommendations for you. Its gem lies on the natural-made swimming pool on its eastern side. Once you swim in its natural pool, you’ll feel like you want to relax there for several hours. But even if the natural pool is somewhat a Pièce de résistance of beaches in Yogyakarta, the beach is less-touristy most of the time.
One eastern part of the beach, there perched Bukit Karang on the ocean side, a perfect spot for fishing.
The Tanah Lot of Yogyakarta, Kukup Beach
Kukup Beach offers stretches of white-sandy beaches with more gentle waves, a perfect place for swimming. It would remind you of Tanah Lot in Bali, thanks to the existence of a coral reef on the eastern part of the beach. You can go to the top of the coral reef to see the picturesque views of the ocean through the recently-made bridge. Kukup Beach is perfect for a family visit.
Siung Beach
If you are into rock-climbing, then Siung Beach is a perfect destination for you. Thanks to the local community, now more than 200 rock climbing routes are open across the coral cliffs near the beach. Rush your adrenaline by climbing the cliffs with the sounds of waves below you!
Sedahan Beach
Require 20 minutes hiking from the nearby village, Sedahan Beach hidden location is a perfect place for camping. Imagine talking at night with your traveling partner in front of a campfire at the beach, hearing no sound other than you, your partners, and the sounds of waves. Surely, camping in Sedahan Beach can be your most highlight of traveling in Yogyakarta.
Greweng Beach
Greweng Beach is only separated by several cliffs away from Sedahan Beach. If you think it’s best to camp at the beach where there are locals, then Greweng Beach is the place for you. For campfire, you just need to buy some woods which cost only about 20K Indonesian Rupiah, including the fireplace so you won’t hurt the beach environment.
Jungwok Beach
Located not far from Sedahan Beach, Jungwok Beach is an alternative for those who are not into hiking to reach the beach for camping. The stretches of the white-sands are only around 100 meters (328 ft.) as the beach is stranded between two coral cliffs. However, such a location makes it a more attractive place for camping.
Nglambor Beach
For snorkeling activity, head to Nglambor Beach, and you’ll be able to greet Nemo on its water. Snorkeling in Nglambor is safe and suitable for beginners as the waves are gentle and the water is shallow. If you’re lucky, you might encounter some gorgeous sea turtles.
Ngulurang Beach
Nguluran Beach is more of a place for Instagram photos, thanks to a glass-bottom roof lies on its cliff. However, there are some other human-made decorations across the cliff for the Instagrammable pictures. The beach can be fun to visit during the weekday when it’s less touristy so you can enjoy taking pictures without a long queue of people.
Timang Beach
The thrilling experience of crossing cliffs between the ocean water with a hanging gondola awaits you in Timang Beach. Although looking like a manual made by locals, the gondola is pretty safe as it used to use by local fishers to fish on the island on the other side. Bring your fishing tool or rent one in Yogyakarta if you want to join the fishermen fishing from the cliff.
Ngobaran Beach
A shrine lies on a cliff in Ngobaran Beach, make it not only a relaxing beach but also one with mystical ambiance. Not far away from the shrine, there lies a Javanese Gazebo for Kejawen ritual and also a small mosque used by local Muslims. Here, you can learn from locals that people from different religions can live side by side peacefully.
Tips for visiting the beaches in Yogyakarta
Transportation to the beaches
Most of the white-sand beaches in Yogyakarta are located in Wonosari Regency, 2 hours away from Yogyakarta City. To this day, there is no public transportation available to reach the Southern coastline. Therefore, the best ways are either renting a vehicle or hiring a driver. Beach is reachable by scooter, but as the ride can be up to 2 hours, it’s better to rent a car if you are not used to riding a scooter that far.
Camping at the beach
All beaches in Yogyakarta don’t require either registration or ticket fee for camping. Usually, visitors are only charged with the parking fee for the safety guarantee of the vehicles during the night. Arrive at the beach before 6 PM to avoid dark journeys on the road and put up your tent before dark. There are so many tent rental places across the city of Yogyakarta. Camping is now a hype among youths in Yogyakarta. One tent usually costs only about 40K Indonesian Rupiah per night to rent. You may also rent the outdoor stove for cooking during the camping, which generally only costs about 20K per night.
Yogyakarta has a lot to offer in terms of a beach vacation. Although reaching the beach required a long drive, it’s worth to do as you’ll experience an amazing journey driving through the green scenery of coral cliffs across the road, and relax at the quiet beach of Yogyakarta.
