Sawarna is a village on the south coast of Banten province, in the Western Java region of Indonesia.

Understand

Woman in a rice field in Sawarna.

Sawarna is a village in the district Bayah, in the regency of Lebak. Lebak is a large regency that mostly consists of jungle. To get from Sawarna to the regency capital Rangkasbitung, in the north of the regency, requires travelling more than 100 km. Sawarna is about 40 km to the west from the more well-known beach town of Pelabuhan Ratu.

Get in

On the northern side of Sawarna there is a dense jungle, and the Mount Halimun Salak National Park, and on the southern side there is the Indian Ocean. Therefore, Sawarna can practically only be accessed from the west and from the east.

By car

Sawarna is just off national road 3 (road numbers are not commonly signposted). From the west, the road runs from the city of Cilegon along the western coast via Labuan to the south coast, and then to Sawarna. From the east, the main road leads from the city of Bandung via Sukabumi to Sawarna. From Jakarta, Sawarna can be reached by taking the roll road to Bogor and then the trunk roads via Pelabuhan Ratu. In optimal conditions, the trip from Jakarta to Sawarna takes about 4.5 to 5 hours, but because of traffic congestion and limited road capacity, this is commonly 6 to 7 hours.

By bus

Sawarna is not served by long distance buses. There are angkots (minivans) from the town of Bayah (about 15 km to the northwest) and from Pelabuhan Ratu (40 km to the east) to Sawarna, but with a low frequency. If there is no angkot, you can take an ojek (motorcycle taxi) from Bayah. There are regular buses from Bogor to Pelabuhan Ratu. Bayah can also be reached from the other side, by angkot from Malingping. In turn, Malingping can be reached by elf (small bus) from Serang or Rangkasbitung.

For travelling from Jakarta to Sawarna, either via Bogor-Pelabuhan Ratu(-Bayah) or via Serang/Rangkasbitung-Malingping-Bayah, you should count on at least 8 hour travel time.

See

• 1 Karang Tanjung Layar (Tanjung Layar Rock). The rock of Tanjung Layar (Sail Cape) is the reason for the name of the cape, as it is shaped like a sail. It is the icon of Sawarna, and surrounded by beautiful beaches. (updated Oct 2016)

Do

Surfing in Sawarna

• Surfing on Ciantir Beach.

Eat

• 1 Warung Makang Pak Kumis, Pantai Pasir Putih (White Sand Beach), ☏ +62 857 7510 9253. Simple eatery at the beach, selling grilled fish and sea food. (updated Oct 2016)

Sleep

• 1 Andrew Homestay, Jl. Sawarna KM. 1, ☏ +62 819 0567 9501. Homestay in the village, next to the Indomaret convenience store. From Rp450,000 per room per night (for up to 5 persons). (updated Sep 2016)
• 2 Sawarna Paradiso (Cottage Sawarna), Jalan Raya Sawarna, Bayah, Kabupaten Lebak, Banten 42393, Indonesia, ☏ +6282112232146, hallosawarna@gmail.com. Rp 400.000,-. (updated Jan 2017)
• 3 Bukit Indah, Desa Sawarna, Jl. Cihasem, Bayah, Sawarna, Bayah, Kabupaten Lebak, Banten 42393, Indonesia, ☏ +6281517772664, blogsawarna@gmail.com. Rp 350.000,-. (updated Jan 2017)

Go next

• Ujung Kulon National Park — in the extreme southwestern corner of Java, known for its unique flora and fauna, including the Javan rhinoceros.
• Panimbang — more beaches on the west coast of Java, about 120 km from Sawarna.