Location: Tepus Village, Tepus District, Gunungkidul Regency, Yogyakarta Special Region Province, 55772
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HTM: IDR 5,000 (One Package with Indrayanti Beach Entrance Ticket)
Open and close: 24 hours

Tourism Potential

It cannot be denied that the name Jogja is one of the favorite tourist destinations in Indonesia because of the phenomenal existence of ancient landmarks.

As Fort Vredeburg, Kraton Yogyakarta, Taman Sari Palace, Ratu Boko Temple, Prambanan Temple, Sambisari Temple, Plaosan Temple, and a number of other temple buildings.

However, the strong customs and culture that are still preserved up to this moment also add to the appeal of DIY. Likewise with other potentials, including the potential for natural tourism, one of which is beach tourism which is often found in Yogyakarta.

The large potential of coastal tourism in Yogyakarta Province has made a number of coastal areas that were previously left unchecked, or used for fishermen’s activities and functioned for other purposes, are now being converted into tourist areas.

No wonder the number of tourist destinations in Jogja continues to grow, especially in the Gunung Kidul Regency area, which is known as a beach tourism paradise.

See also: 55 Attractions in Jogja You Must Visit

A total of more than fifty beaches line the West to the East of Gunungkidul Regency, some of which have long been known as tourism objects.

Some others are still in the development stage, while the rest are still in natural condition, aka the tourism industry has not yet been touched.

One of the new beaches in the development stage but has great potential to win the hearts of tourists is Watulawang Beach.

Also Read: 10 List of Cheap Jogja Tour Packages Starting from Rp. 163,000

This beach is not yet included in the list of Jogja tour packages offered by Tour & Travel services, because the name is still quite foreign to tourists.

Unlike Parangtritis Beach, Parangkusumo Beach, Sadranan Beach, Baron Beach, Wediombo Beach, Drini Beach, Nglambor Beach, as well as other beaches in Jogja.

Including two beaches flanking Watulawang Beach, namely Pok Tunggal Beach and Pulang Sawal Beach which is better known by the name Indrayanti Beach.

However, the beautiful natural panorama and the uniqueness of the topography of the coastal area that is owned by Watulawang Beach, made it not take long to become a favorite tourist destination in Yogyakarta.

Beauty Fascination

The name “Watulawang”, apart from being the identity of the beaches in the Gunungkidul area, is also the name of several other tourist attractions in the country.

Namely Watulawang Beach in Ngliyep Hamlet, Kedungsalam Village, Donomulyo District, Malang Regency, as well as two hilly tours: Watulawang Nganjuk Hill and Watulawang Hills in Mangunan Tourism Village, Dlingo District, Bantul Regency.

Especially for the use of the word Watulawang as the identity of the beach in Gunungkidul, it is taken from the Javanese vocabulary, namely “watu” which means “stone” and “lawang” which means “door”.

This beach is called Watulawang Beach, because on the part of the coral wall which partially juts into the sea there is a cave with a cave’s mouth shaped like a door.

It is said that the cave was used as a meditation place by King Brawijaya VI and the mystical impression is still felt when he is in the area around the rock cave.

The local people themselves still believe in various myths and mystical stories, so that activities that are customary and cultural are still carried out in various forms.

One of them is holding a Nyadran or Sadranan ceremony every month of Sha’ban on the hijriyah calendar, as a form of gratitude to God Almighty and as a form of gratitude to the Ruler of the South Sea.

In addition to the thick customs and the existence of traditional ceremonies that provide a special charm, the charm of the natural beauty of Watu Lawang Beach is indeed worth selling.

The beach is decorated with white sand with a fence of karst hills around it, presenting a very charming view.

Moreover, this beach is still not well known by tourists, so there are not many visitors who come and make the beach atmosphere tend to be quiet and calm, except during the Eid holidays.

That quiet and calm atmosphere makes the beach area ideal as a vacation spot and for a resort. Selin, whatever activity you do on the sand, will certainly provide pleasure.

Watulawang Beach itself is divided into two areas, namely the area to the west of the large rock where one of the walls has a cave, and the area to the east of the rock.

The beach to the west of the rock is smaller in the form of a basin, while the beach to the east of the rock has an elongated shape with a wider size.

Something that is interesting about this beach is the depressions on the shoreline. The basins when inundated by sea water resemble a pond or bath which is sometimes decorated with small fish in it.

That is why visitors who want to enjoy the fresh sea water by bathing and swimming do not need to go offshore, but simply by soaking in a coral basin, because in that place you can enjoy the sweeping waves.

Satisfied with your activities, you can rest while enjoying the beauty of the surrounding scenery by resting in the gazebos that have been prepared on the beach.

If you want to hunt for interesting spots for photo backgrounds, you can go to the viewing post at the top of the reef.

There is also a gazebo and to go to the gazebo at the top of the rock, a bridge made of bamboo has been prepared.

It is at the viewing post that you can enjoy the waves crashing from above a height, including the beautiful sunrise and sunset in the morning and evening, which is a shame if it is not captured with a camera lens.

Route to Location

When viewed on a map image or via google map, Watulawang Beach is located between two other beaches, namely Indrayanti Beach and Pok Tunggal Beach.

The three beaches are separated by karst rock walls, which are found in many areas of Gunung Kidul.

Meanwhile, the complete address of this beach is administratively located in Tepus Village, Tepus District, Gunungkidul Regency, Yogyakarta Special Region Province, 55772.

The distance between Jogja city center and Watu Lawang Beach is around 70 km which can be reached by motorized vehicle for approximately 1 hour 45 minutes, either by private vehicle or public transportation.

If using public transportation, tourists can choose a bus on the route Jogja – Wonosari and get off at the Wonosari terminal. After that, look for public transportation that goes to Watulawang Beach.

For trips using private vehicles, you can choose 2 routes, namely through the route that goes to West Imogiri through Panggang, Saptosari, Baron Beach and Kukup Beach.

Continues to Tepus, Krakal Beach and Indrayanti Beach before finally entering the Watu Lawang Beach area.

The second route from Jogja goes directly to Wonosari, when you arrive in Wonosari, you just have to follow the directions to Indrayanti Beach which can be found along the way.

Arriving at Indrayanti Beach, just continue the journey to the East for about 800 meters to get to Watu Lawang Beach.

The road access from Jogja to Watulawang Beach is actually very good, it’s just that when entering the tourist location, the road that must be traversed is still in the form of land and limestone rocks with a road width that only one car can pass through.

Price of admission

To be able to enjoy the beauty of Watulawang Beach, the entrance fee charged is made into a package with Pulang Sawal Beach or Indrayanti Beach, which are quite close.

The admission price for the two beaches is IDR 5,000 per person, excluding taxes or parking fees. Because at each tourist location, a parking fee of IDR 5,000 for motorbikes and IDR 10,000 for cars is still charged.

Because it is a new tourist attraction and with a relatively cheap ticket price, don’t get your hopes up for excess facilities on this beach.

Amenities

Some of the existing facilities at Watulawang Beach include a parking area, gazebo, showers and toilets, and a prayer room.

Although there are no fancy restaurants, you don’t need to worry if you just want to fill your stomach or get rid of your thirst, because around the beach there are several simple stalls selling various kinds of food and drinks.

Likewise for those who want to spend the night in the coastal area, around Watulawang Beach, accommodation facilities are available, namely Watulawang Resort, or they can also go to Indrayanti Beach, because there are more hotels and inns there.

Among them are Joglo Watu Kelir, Griya Kusuma Bambu Lengkung, Rock Garden Homestay and Resto, Walet Guest House, Griya Pesisir, and several other inns.