Sawarna Beach

Sawarna is a village on the south Banten coast reached over a bamboo and cable suspension footbridge across the Ciwaru, with the beaches beyond it - Ciantir, a long stretch of grey sand with a surf break; Tanjung Layar, where two large rock formations stand out of the shallows and are the image the place is known by; Karang Taraje, a shelf of rock the ocean breaks over; and Legon Pari further along. Behind are caves - Lalay with bats, Langir and others - and paddy and coconut. The road down from Jakarta is long and winding and the coast was for years known mainly to Indonesian backpackers and surfers, with village homestays rather than hotels, and it remains modest. Indian Ocean currents here are strong.

What you actually see

• Tanjung Layar - the rock formations standing out of the shallows.
• A suspension footbridge - the crossing from the village to the beaches.
• Karang Taraje - the rock shelf the ocean breaks across.
• Bat caves inland - Goa Lalay and others behind the coast.

When to go

May to September. Two days.

Honest expectations

The drive from Jakarta takes six to eight hours on winding roads. Currents are dangerous - swim only where locals do. Facilities are village homestays with limited power.

Nearby

Bayah is east; the Banten south coast runs on towards Ujung Kulon.