IO – Banyuwangi is indeed very rich in coastal tourism potential; of course, this also makes Banyuwangi better-known to the world. Nearly half of the Banyuwangi region is surrounded by beaches, and one of these the tourists are increasingly eyeing is Pulau Merah Beach. At present the Pulau Merah Beach tourist destination in Banyuwangi is the target of favorite tourist destinations for both domestic and foreign tourists. This is because, not least because of the cleanliness and beauty of the charm of the beach that is served and also the waves that can be surfed.
Pulau Merah Beach is located at the southern end of Banyuwangi Regency, precisely in Sumber Agung Village, Pesanggaran District. This beach is part of the southern coast and is part of a series of Teluk Ijo Beach, Sukamade Beach, and Pancer Beach. The distance from Banyuwangi City to the location of Pulau Merah Beach is 60 Km with an estimated travel time of around 3 hours. The condition of the road to the beach is quite good plus there are guides who are very helpful, so don’t worry if you come far out of town.
This red island beach has white sand spread over 3 km. Not far from the shoreline there is a very beautiful small hill 200 meters high. In the east, tourists are treated to views of mountains, while in the west, tourists are treated to a view in the form of the beauty of sunset or sunset. In addition to the charming scenery, Pulau Merah beach has very good waves as high as 2 meters with a length of approximately 300 meters, surrounded by mangrove trees.
The security of traveling on Pulau Merah Beach is preferred by the local authorities, the proof is that there are officers who always guard and secure if there is an accident or something unwanted, especially for those who swim off the beach. There is a 5-meter-tall tower used by officers to monitor and ensure security on Pulau Merah Beach.
One of the attractions of Pulau Merah Beach is the waves. This is an opportunity for those who like surfing. This beach is always filled with surfers, not only domestic surfers who surf the beach; international surfers are always there every day. Many of them choose to stay for days or even weeks. Until now, the Banyuwangi Regency government has held regular surfing events every year. And the event involved participants from 20 countries around the world. If you don’t bring a surfboard, you can rent one at a rental place on the beach. Usually the price of renting a surfboard is IDR 50,000.
For those who enjoy fishing as a hobby, they can take advantage of traditional boat services for fishing in the middle of the sea. Another exclusive activity is snorkelling. On the location of Pulau Merah Beach there are parties who rent equipment for snorkelling. When the sea is receding, you can walk to the middle of the sea to climb the hill which is not far from the beach. Through the hill you can see the beauty of the high seas and also the exotic scenery that surrounds Pulau Merah Beach. Another interesting thing to do is to play with the waves: these 2-meter-high waves allow to have fun with relatives or family. At certain times it is indeed not allowed to swim on this beach. One of the factors is because of bad weather conditions that often occur; this is done to avoid something unwanted.
Pulau Merah Beach was previously known as Ringin Pintu Beach by the local community. The name Pulau Merah itself refers to a small hill in the middle of the sea that has red soil. But the island did not look red because of the trees covering it. In addition to the small hill where the land is red, this beach does look very red when late in the evening and the reddish-red color is caused by wet sand exposed to sunlight in the afternoon, especially during the dry season.
Not far from Pulau Merah Beach, there is a temple, namely Pura Tawang Alun. This temple was built in the 1980s. Besides being used for prayer places by local residents, this temple also often gets visits from Hindus from all over Indonesia, especially visitors from Bali and Bromo. (Aldo)