Parangtritis beach boosts Yogyakarta's income

Parangtritis beach boosts Yogyakarta's income

By Markus Mardius

YOGYAKARTA (JP): Parangtritis, located 27 kilometers south of
here, is one of the thriving tourist destinations in this
province.

Its mysteries, shrines and panoramic views have continued to
lure visitors. A number of annual ceremonies like the Labuhan,
traditional offerings to the queen of the sea, Idul Fitri and
Satu Suro, the Moslem New Year.

Beautiful views of waves crashing in from the southern ocean
can be seen from the surrounding hills. The waves cut their way
along the cliffs at the eastern end of the beach where there are
many caves, including underwater caves. A short climb to the top
of the nearby Pemancingan hill is an arresting sight. You can see
the ocean, in shades of blue, black and brown, and clearly see
the numerous underwater caves.

The quiet sea can suddenly turn rough and large breakers come
right up to the shore. While there are many notices around the
area warning of the dangers of swimming, young holidaymakers
continue to succumb to the temptation. Every year many drownings
are reported along this beach.

The Javanese call this beautiful stretch of sea Nyai Roro
Kidul, queen of the sea. Legend has it that there is an
everlasting marriage bond between the kings of Java and Nyai Roro
Kidul. This link began when Panembahan (King) Senopati, the
founder of the kingdom of Mataram, met the beautiful princess of
the south coast when he was meditating beside a black volcanic
stone.

An agreement was reached after their meeting. Nyai Roro Kidul
offered to help Senopati found the mighty kingdom of Mataram, if
the king would take her as his wife and allow her to claim the
hands of their sons and grandsons. The king agreed and from that
time onward Senopati, then King of Yogyakarta, was the husband of
Ratu Pantai Selatan, the queen of the south beach.

The beach is also known as regol, the main gate to the palace
of Nyai Roro Kidul. The name illustrates that the coast is seen
as the link between the queen and the humans outside the palace.

Nyai Roro Kidul met with the spirit world in a place known as
Parang Endog. It is located at the extreme north of the beach and
is a deserted and craggy area. The sound of people bargaining,
the aroma from cooking pots and the chatter of village gossips
can not to be found anywhere near this mystic place.

The meeting place of Nyai Roro Kidul and the kings of Java is
called Parang Kusumo and is located at the southern end of the
beach. Many people come to this area to practice spiritualism.

An arched wall in the village obviously acted as the seaward
door to the palace in the past. The arch is directed towards the
land and also the wide expanse of the sea in front of the
village. The palace has therefore become a place for locals to
pay homage and make offerings to the queen of the sea.

Parangtritis started to become a popular destination for
tourists in 1960. To many people, a visit to Yogykarta -- the
second most popular tourist destination in Indonesia after Bali
-- is not complete without a visit to Parangtritis. The number of
visitors increased from 1,074,517 in 1992 to 1,362,654 in 1993,
while last year the number reached 1,400,376.

There are 20 hotels along the three kilometer beach.
Competition is inevitable and room rates range from Rp 5,000 to
Rp 7,500 per night.

Sri Sorosudarmo, the regent of Bantul, says an average of
2,987 people visit the beach each day and that the regency earns
about Rp 500 million a year from tourism.

"In 1993 the total income generated by Parangtritis reached Rp
506 million. The busiest days are school holidays, the Labuhan
like Malam Satu Suro and Saturday nights. Most are domestic
tourists," he says.

"If every visitor spends Rp 2,000.00 a day, between Rp 5
million and Rp 6 million should be circulating in the area on any
given day. The administration has therefore decided to pay more
attention to Parangtritis as a promising tourist attraction in
Yogyakarta," he said.