Just 30 km south of the city lies the roaring Indian Ocean feared by locals and narrated by myths and legends, an interesting fact is that most of Javanese people are so scared of it, that they don't know how to swim!

The most popular beach is the one found in Parangtritis, a long sandy beach protected by rocky cliffs, transforming during weekends into a sort of an amusement-park, filled with local tourists, ATVs, horses and carts. Even if you might not enjoy the chaos, it is still an interesting window into local humanity.

Swimming in the Indian Ocean is strongly discouraged here, because of the powerful currents that regularly take reckless visitors.

When dressing up in the morning, don't wear anything in green color, because the mythological Queen of the South is believed to kidnap people dressed in green!

East of Parangtritis is a unique geological area called Gunung Kidul, made of hundreds of small hills, extending right up till the seaside. Here, there are both touristic and undiscovered beaches, that can compete with Bali's best for their beauty: Pantai Baron and Pantai Kukup are the most popular, but we suggest you explore the more quiet Sundak, Krakal and Ngandong beaches.
The sea is usually very rough, but during low tide you can swim in the natural swimming holes created inside the rock.