Bayuran Beach, Jepara’s Tourist Destination with PLTU View

Jepara is a city blessed with stunningly beautiful beaches. It has dozens of lovely and still pristine beaches. One of them is Pantai Bayuran, located in Desa Tubanan, Kecamatan Kembang, Kabupaten Jepara, Central Java, about 30 kilometers from Jepara City Square.

The fresh and serene atmosphere is a major draw for visitors. Some can be seen sitting under the trees, enjoying the sea breeze. One of them is Fina (19), a resident of Welahan Jepara, who said it was her first time visiting Bayuran Beach.

“This is our first time coming to Bayuran Beach. We came here because it went viral on social media. The trip is quite far — from Kudus it takes around one hour or a bit more,” she said when met some time ago.

According to her, the most popular spot is the one with the PLTU in the background. Bayuran Beach offers a unique view — the impressive sight of the Steam Power Plant (PLTU), which has become the main attraction for visitors.

“I came with a friend from Kudus. I invited her here to see Bayuran Beach. The view here is really beautiful, especially the famous PLTU scenery, which is great for photos. But there’s quite a lot of trash that ruins the view — hopefully it can be cleaned up by the locals or the beach management,” Fina explained.

There’s also something special about this beach: it has black sand, commonly known as iron sand. This iron sand is a primary raw material for making iron. Its still very natural beauty makes it enjoyable for everyone who visits.

This black-sand beach is located right next to residential homes. The road leading to the beach is in fairly good condition, paved with asphalt and passing through many rice paddies. It is also listed on Google Maps for easy navigation to Pantai Bayuran.

Bayuran Beach is usually crowded in the afternoon, as the sunset combined with the PLTU view creates a unique scene that visitors love to capture.

If you want to visit a black-sand beach in Jepara Regency, one of them is Pantai Bayuran, located in Dukuh Bayuran, Desa Tubanan, Kecamatan Kembang. This beach, which used to have fairly large waves, was once a popular free tourist destination for local residents, but that is no longer the case.

Edy AT (25), a resident of Desa Tubanan, said that when he was still in elementary school, he often went to the beach, which is now located near the Tanjung Jati B Power Plant. According to him, Bayuran was once a hub for fishermen looking for fish. He remembered walking from his house to the beach specifically to fish, and at that time, he would catch quite a lot of fish.

He recalled that the beauty of Bayuran Beach came from the meeting point of the river, rice fields, and sea. Lush trees also grew near the beach. Now, the condition is no longer like it used to be.

“The fishing boats owned by residents of Dukuh Bayuran and Sekuping are now very few. There isn’t much fishing activity anymore. For example, on Sundays, not many people come to Bayuran to enjoy the beach. If there are any, you can count them on your fingers,” he explained.

According to Edy, the decreasing number of visitors to Bayuran might be caused by the beach becoming hotter due to its proximity to the power plant. In addition, there is a striking difference between its past beauty and its current state. Moreover, the beach is now deeper because it has been dredged by the power plant operators to accommodate coal barges.

Jepara history enthusiast Kartika Catur Pelita assessed that Bayuran Beach is now increasingly neglected, especially in terms of environmental conditions. She noted that the catch of local fishermen has been steadily declining because many of their nets are damaged by coal-carrying ships.