Yogyakarta Beaches: 10 Best Beaches of Gunung Kidul
You may know Yogyakarta for its landmark sights like Borobudur and Prambanan Temple, but did you know it’s also home to jaw-dropping beach views? Being more off the beaten path, expect to find the Yogyakarta beaches in Gunung Kidul regency with towering coral islands and vibrant crashing waves. You’ll only see local tourists and the cheapest food prices in all of Java!
Although the beaches of Gunung Kidul are not as well known as Bali or Kuta Lombok, *hot take*, I think this special region of Yogyakarta has some of the best beaches in all of Indonesia. Yogyakarta beaches vary from sparkling white sand beaches to wild and rugged coastlines, but all the best have something in common – incredible sea stacks.
With dangerously big waves and sheer cliff walls, many of these beaches are not prime chilling spots. So, at the end of this article, I’ll also add a few beach locations to chill at. If you’re eager to explore more than the average Yogyakarta tourist attractions, here are 10 beautiful beaches to add to your list.
How Far Are Yogyakarta’s Beaches?
Not close. You can expect a minimum of an hour’s drive from the city center to the nearest beach. The furthest beach on this list will take 3 hours from the Yogyakarta city center. Also, due to the steep cliffs facing the sea, driving distances may be further than it looks on a map. For these reasons, I don’t recommend going for a day trip, but rather at least one overnight.
Tours to Yogyakarta Beaches
The best way to explore the Gunung Kidul region is by renting your own car or scooter to the Yogyakarta beaches. For those who are short on time, here are a few tours that will take you to the highlights.
📍Jomblang Cave and Waterfall or Timang Beach or Snorkeling at Nglambor Beach
📍Yogyakarta Nglambor Beach Snorkeling Tour with Private Transport
📍Full-Day Private Guided Timang Beach Tour From Yogyakarta
What are Yogyakarta’s Beaches Like?
Beach-goers in Yogyakarta province are spoiled for choice, as the region is home to two distinctively different coastline areas. In the Bantul province, where the city of Yogyakarta is located, the beaches tend to be lively and crowded, with a range of beachside bars and restaurants providing ample opportunity to socialize.
In contrast, the beaches of Gunung Kidul province are known for their dramatic cliffs and towering rock formations, as well as their secluded coves and crystal-clear waters.
In this post, I’ll only name ones from the Gunung Kidul region, with the exception of Parangtritis Beach.
Where to Stay in Gunung Kidul
📍HIGHLY RATED BEACH BUNGALOWS NEAR KRAKAL BEACH – The Royal Joglo
📍CHEAP PRIVATE ROOMS NEAR SUNDAK TIMUR BEACH – Rock Garden Homestay & Resto
📍ENTIRE PRIVATE VILLA RIGHT ON INDRAYANTI BEACH – Sundak Beach House
I stayed near Indrayanti Beach, and think it is a great starting point to discover the best beaches. (Although I wouldn’t recommend the one that I personally stayed at.)
👉 Find other accommodation options near Indrayanti Beach by clicking here!
Entrance Fee to Yogyakarta Beaches
To enter the Wonosari Regency Beach area, tourists pay a fee – it’s 9500 for one day, or you can get a multiple-day pass for a discounted rate. The ticket office flanks both sides from Pantai Buluk Beach to Pantai Indrayanti Beach.
Tip! If you plan on visiting further beaches and entering back in, bring your ticket with you to prove you’ve already paid for the day.
Parking usually costs extra, and nearly every beach charges 2,000-5,000 IDR for a parking ticket. Some beaches have an additional 5,000-10,000 IDR entrance fees.
Best Yogyakarta Beaches in Gunung Kidul
Timang Beach
The white waves of Pantai Timang Beach crash against the coral stones and cliffs, creating a natural symphony that can be heard for miles around. For adventure seekers, add the thrill of crossing onto the coral rock formation by booking this Timang Beach Tour onto Watu Panjang Island, on two paths.
The first is a wooden ‘cable cart’ tied with only fabric rope using a pulley system. Then, two men manually hull the pulleys originally used for transportation by local lobster fishermen.
The second path is not as cool but is half as expensive. A separate suspension bridge allows visitors to walk across and see the view from the other side.
What’s funny is, these two routes to get there are run by two different rival businesses. You are not even permitted to cross over the imaginary line to the other side or utilize a different approach to return.
Crossing Fee to Watu Panjang Island
Cable Car Fee: 200,000 IDR
Suspension Bridge Fee: 100,000 IDR
How to Get to Timang Beach:
Timang Beach is the only beach I went to where the roads were so bad for so long that you should just get a jeep to take you there. A driver originally quoted me 300,000 IDR to drive the roughly 20 minute drive, then waited to bring me back, but ended up accepting 30,000 IDR. (No, that is not a typo.)
👉 Don’t want to deal with the complicated logistics of getting to Timang? This tour will take you on a full day adventure to Timang Beach
Jogan Beach
Jogan Beach is a hidden gem of Gunung Kidul, Indonesia. The beach’s main attraction is its picturesque waterfall that flows directly into the sea.
Bamboo platforms lead visitors to the waterfall, where they can enjoy the refreshing spray of the mist. A small cave behind the waterfall provides a unique view of the beach. But be careful – algae may make the sea rocks and platform slippery.
Nglambor Beach
Sheltered from the open ocean, Nglambor is one of the few snorkeling places in the region. Home to a vibrant ecosystem, the coral reefs here are teeming with tropical fish.
Aside from snorkeling, you can pay a local 50,000 IDR to walk along the developed walkway and suspension bridge that loop around the two small islands.
Note: To get to the beach, you’ll need to park and walk down the rest of the very steep hill.
Kukup Beach
Kukup beach is one of the most popular beaches in Gunung Kidul, Indonesia. The beach is known for its similarity to the Balinese landmark Tanah Lot, just replace a sacred shrine with a small viewing shelter. Visitors can cross over to the island via a bridge to take a closer look at the coral rocks that stretch into the sea.
The coral formations of this beach aid in breaking up the waves and creating calm seas, making it great for tide-pool exploration. Kukup beach is also much more suited than the others on this list for swimming and sunbathing.
Sinden Beach
What makes Sinden Beach stand out from other beaches in the area, such as Sedahan Beach and Grewang Beach (both of which offer (great camping opportunities), is its suspension bridge that leads to Kalong Island.
As great waves churn beneath your feet, the 200-meter bridge, simple in design and construction, sways under the impact of powerful winds. Once you reach Kalong Island, you can walk around the island in minutes.
Sinden Beach is a rocky cliff located in the easternmost part of Jogja, Indonesia. Not the most accessible, it requires hiking 1.2 miles from Wediombo Beach to reach.
Jungwong beach
Jungwong Beach has a beautiful fossil island located just off its coast. Secluded and with few facilities, only a few cheap food stands inhabit this pristine beach.
The sand on Jungwong Beach is white but not as refined as it looks. The waves and currents at Jungwong Beach can be dangerous, so it is not really the best place to relax and swim. However, it is still a beautiful place to visit, and the views from the beach are mesmerizing.
Note: The final 1km stretch of the road goes down a terribly unmaintained road leading to the beach.
Best Chilling Yogyakarta Beaches
Although the list of Yogyakarta beaches above is the most scenic, they are mostly not great for chilling at. With calmer waves and easier access to amenities, the following beaches are much better for soaking in the sun while enjoying a plate of nasi goreng in hand.
Wediombo Beach
Wediombo Beach, a more developed neighbor of Jungwok Beach, is a beautiful sandy beach and a great place for watching the sunset. Although Wediombo Beach is nothing crazy unique, good tide pooling opportunities and natural lagoons to chill in emerge during low tide.
Walk down a series of stairs, flanked with vendors all the way down to the beach. Many restaurants nearby offer Indonesian prices like 10k IDR for basics and 25k IDR for fancier fresh seafood dishes. The squid dish is a must-try!
Parangtritis Beach
Parangtritis beach is one of the closest and most popular beaches located south of Yogyakarta city. The nearby Parangndog and Paralayang hills offer a stunning vantage point to admire the coast and the sea that stretches into the horizon. If you are lucky, you might even see some paragliders taking off from these hills. Or join them!
Indrayanti Beach
Locals love Indrayanti Beach. With plenty of nearby accommodations and restaurants, Indrayanti Beach is a great home base for exploring the rest of the Gunung Kidul beaches.
Drini Beach
Similar to Indrayanti, Drini Beach is another white sand beach filled with facilities to start your trip from. In the morning, admire the local fisherman boats all lined up along the shores.
A few other Noteworthy or Popular beaches
- Baron Beach
- Sundak Beach
- Krakal Beach
- Ngobaran Beach
- Siung Beach
- Depok Beach
- Pok Tunggal Beach
Bucket List Worthy: Best Yogyakarta Beaches in Gunung Kidul
With only a fraction of the number of tourists Bali receives, Yogyakarta’s pristine beaches and stunning coral islands are just waiting to be explored. This Gunungkidul regency is perfect for those who want to get off the typical Jogya itinerary. Throw in other outdoor activities near the beaches, like rappeling in Goa Jomblang Cave and Cave River Tubing Goa Kalisuci or Goa Pindul.
If you only have time for a few of these incredible beaches, these are the ones I recommend you spend time at:
- Jogan’s Freshwater Waterfall into the Sea
- Seastacks of Nglambor Beach
- Taking the Cable Car across Timang Beach
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Catherine Xu is the founder and author of Nomadicated, an adventure travel blog that helps travelers cross off their bucket list. Since discovering traveling in 2015, she has lived and journeyed to 65 countries across 5 continents and vanlifed the west coast USA for 2+ years. These days, she splits her time in Southeast Asia and California while sharing her travel stories and resources based on first-hand experiences. Catherine's other works has been referenced in major publications like MSN, Self, and TripSavvy.