Parangkusumo Beach Mystical Tours and Natural Attractions

Table Of Contents

• 1. Introduction
• 2. Parangkusumo Beach with its Mystical Tours
• 3. Natural Attractions
• a. Gumuk Pasir or Sand-Dunes
• b. Gardu Action
• c. Labuhan Ceremony
• d. Melasti Ceremony
• e. Exotic Sunset
• 4. Facilities at Parangkusumo Beach
• 5. Other Information

Source: beritagar.id - Suryo Wibowo

1. Introduction

Apart from its history, Yogyakarta also has natural attractions that are no less stunning, one of which is Parangkusumo beach, Parangkusumo beach is a natural tourist attraction located in Bantul Regency, Yogyakarta Province, about thirty kilometers to south of Yogyakarta city. This beach is also adjacent to Parangtritis Beach and Depok Beach. Bantul Regency itself is one of the districts in the Yogyakarta Special Region Province, which is located between 07 ° 44 ′ 04 ″ - 08 ° 00 ′ 27 ″ South Latitude and 110 ° 12 ′ 34 ″ - 110 ° 31 ′ 08 ″ East Longitude. The area of Bantul Regency is 508.85 km2 (15.905% of the total area of DIY Province). This district is bordered by Yogyakarta City and Sleman Regency in the north, Gunung Kidul Regency in the east, the Indian Ocean in the south, and Kulon Progo Regency in the west.

One of the places that are often used as recreational spots in Bantul Regency is Parangtritis Beach and Parangkusumo Beach, although not as famous as Parangtritis, Parangkusumo also has unique tourist destinations that must be visited if you visit Yogyakarta for mystical tourism and also its natural tourism.

2. Parangkusumo Beach with its Mystical Tours

Parangkusumo is very strong with its mystical tours where every Monday night at one day before Tuesday Kliwon and Thursday night at one day before Friday Kliwon is full of visitors who are always filled with followers of the Javanese Faith (Kejawen) to do meditation or Tirakat and are believed to be a place of worship for Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono I. Not far from Parangkusumo Beach, about 500 meters we can find a place which is known to be sacred which many pilgrims visit is Cepuri Parangkusumo.

According to folklore, the two stones used to be the place for the Panembahan Senopati and Kanjeng Ratu Kidul guesthouses. There they meet and then fall in love even though they both come from different realms. According to one source of the Gilang Stone which is located on the north side is the seat of Panembahan Senopati, while the other, smaller stone is the seat of Ratu Kidul.

The story of their meeting actually originated with Panembahan Senopati who went to the south coast to meditate. Because of his supernatural powers, Panembahan Senopati's hermitage was able to create a storm on the south coast, so that news about his hermitage then reached the South Sea Kingdom led by Kanjeng Ratu Kidul. If you are getting curious about Kanjeng Ratu Kidul, you can read Story of The Queen and The Mataram Kingdom.

Then Kanjeng Ratu Kidul went over to Panembahan Senopati and established communication. During the hermitage, Panembahan Senopati ask to Kanjeng Ratu Kidul that help him to become the King of Mataram. Kanjeng Ratu Kidul, who fell in love with Panembahan Senopati, was willing to grant this request on the condition that Panembahan Senopati and his descendants must marry her. Panembahan Senopati agreed on the condition that the marriage did not produce children.

3. Natural Attractions

 a. Gumuk Pasir or Sand-Dunes

Source: Shutterstock

Another unique recreation place in Parangkusumo is Gumuk Pasir or sand-dunes which is the only sand dune in Indonesia and even in Southeast Asia which stretches from Parangtritis Beach to Parangkusumo Beach. 

Apart from Jogja, the Gumuk Pasir phenomenon can only be found in Mexico. In the past, Gumuk Pasir in Jogja was only used as a place to take pictures. However, since there are sandboarding activities (sliding on the sand), Gumuk Pasir has been crowded with tourists.

For information about Sandboarding at Parangkusumo you can also read related articles: All details to know abaout Parangkusumo Sandboarding

Gumuk Pasir (sand dune) is a natural formation in the form of sand dunes that occur due to wind movement (Aeolian/Eolean). The term 'Gumuk' comes from the Javanese language which means a mound or something that poking out from a flat surface.

The process of sand dune occurring on Parangtritis beach cannot be separated from the existence of Mount Merapi, Kali Opak, Kali Progo and Graben Bantul. The role of Mount Merapi is very large in the process of ordering sand dunes, sand from Merapi is carried away by the Progo and Opak rivers to the southern sea. When the sand reaches the end of river, it is carried away by strong sea waves so that it is eroded into very fine sand grains.

The wind is strong enough to blow the grains of sand onto the land, so that sand dunes are formed like small hills known as sand dunes. To produce a sand dune like what it looks like today, it took a lot of time, up to thousands of years.

   

b. Gardu Action

Then there is Gardu Action which stands for Garbage Care and Education, this place is a waste processing area as well as a learning arena for good waste management. Despite the waste management method, Gardu Action is far from being dirty and smelly. This tourist spot in the Kretek District is actually very strong with artistic nuances. When you enter Gardu Action, you will see various art installations made of trash and used goods.

   

c. Labuhan Ceremony

In addition, if visitors come at the right time, the Labuhan Ceremony will be held while watching the month of Ruwah in the Javanese calendar. The goal is to give thanks for the protection given to the Yogyakarta Palace. That said, this ritual is a symbol of the bond and power between the palace and the rulers of the South Sea.

In the Labuhan Ceremony, there will be offerings in the form of personal items belonging to the Sultan as the ruler of the Yogyakarta Palace. Starting from fingers, Surjan, nails, hair, crops, to special foods such as Apem are also offered. All offerings will be prayed first in the Cepuri Complex, then the servants/Abdi Dalem will be paraded to the shoreline to be carried away. Furthermore, the offerings that are washed away will be fought over by visitors looking for blessings.

   

d. Melasti Ceremony

In addition, there is a Melasti Ceremony, which is a religious ritual performed by Hindus about three or four days before the Nyepi celebration. This ritual aims to cleanse themselves from all ugliness, so that Hindus can welcome the Saka New Year with a new soul. Usually, the Melasti Ceremony at Parangkusumo Beach starts at around 14:00. The ceremony was attended by thousands of people dressed in Balinese clothing. They will perform a variety of beautiful dances before carrying out an offering to the sea.

   

e. Exotic Sunset

And the last is to enjoy the exotic sunset, you should come to Parangkusumo Beach in June - August. Here you can also rent an ATV to get around the beach and feel a different sensation, you can rent a horse-cart or wagon. Not far from Parangkusumo you can visit other natural attractions such as; Watugupit Paragliding, Parangtritis Beach and Sendang Beji are one of the springs with other mystical stories.

Incidentally the writer visited Parangkusumo beach at night coinciding at Thursday night at one day before Friday Kliwon and the scenery was very beautiful, calm with the sound of the rolling waves and the view of the pilgrims meditating or taking meditation so hard as well as the area of Batu Cinta. However, in the same area there are often art performances and it just so happens that on that night a Wayang Kulit performance tells the story of Hanoman Duta.

4. Facilities at Parangkusumo Beach

Clean toilet

Restaurant

Lodging

Prayer room

Gazebo

ATV and horse cart rental

5. Other Information

Beach Operating Hours: 24 hours

Price:

IDR 10,000 entrance ticket, -

IDR 5,000 car park, -

Motorcycle parking IDR 2,000

ATV Rental IDR 50,000 per 15 minutes

Rent Andong (horse-cart) IDR 20,000, - per round

Parangkusumo Beach 👈 Maps

Source:

Pantai Parangkusumo Jogja

Selasa Kliwon di tepi Parangkusumo

Pantai Parangkusumo, Keindahan Panorama Berbalut Legenda

Pratomo, Septo (2014). Motivasi Masyarakat Melakukan Kegiatan Sandboarding Sebagai Sarana Olahraga Rekreasi Di Pantai Parangkusumo Yogyakarta Tahun 2014.