Pangandaran is a small town and a subdistrict in southern Ciamis regency, West Java, Indonesia. It is located on the southern coast of Java. Pangandaran is a popular tourist destination, having a beach which is considered to be one of the finest in Java and which offers excellent surfing.
A kite-flying festival is held on the beach in July each year. Locals regularly use kites in the evenings to catch bats, which are either eaten or used in Chinese remedies. There is a local belief that wearing any green garment in this area will anger Loro Kidul, the Javanese guardian spirit or goddess of the southern sea, and will bring misfortune.
The Penanjung Pangandaran nature reserve is nearby on a peninsula connected to the mainland by a narrow neck of land. The isthmus is around 200 meters wide and we can see sunrise at East Beach and also sunset at West Beach when the sun is above the southern hemisphere. About eighty percent of the nature reserve is secondary rainforest. The flora of the nature reserve includes the Rafflesia.
On July 17th 2006, an undersea earthquake measuring 7.7 on the Richter scale triggered a devastating tsunami enfulging the resort and causing destruction as far inland as half a kilometre. Extensive damage was caused and hundreds were killed including a small number of foreign tourists
