Anyer, officially Anyar, old spelling Anjer and also known as Angier, is a coastal town in Banten, formerly West Java, Indonesia, 82 miles (100 km) west of Jakarta and 15 kilometers (9 mi) south of Merak. A significant coastal town late 18th century, Anyer faces the Sunda Strait.
Anyer’s proximity to the Sunda Strait makes it a practical staging point for day‑trippers aiming to watch the massive traffic of ships that thread between the Indian Ocean and the Java Sea. While most visitors head straight to the more tourist‑centric islands of Sumatra or Bali, a morning ferry ride from the nearby port of Merak offers a quiet glimpse of the strait’s industrial rhythm. Combine the crossing with a bike ride along the coastal road to soak up the salty air, and you’ll capture a slice of everyday life that larger resorts rarely reveal.
The 1933 lighthouse on Anyer’s shoreline is more than a navigational aid; it doubles as a modest showcase of traditional Javanese boatbuilding. Small workshops cluster nearby, where artisans still fashion wooden skiffs using techniques passed down through generations. Striking up conversation with a craftsman can lead to an impromptu demonstration of how a simple hull is lofted and sealed, offering a tactile lesson in maritime heritage that contrasts sharply with the steel‑bound vessels that dominate the strait today.
While Anyer’s shoreline draws casual sun‑seekers, a short drive inland reveals a network of rubber plantations and modest tea estates that pepper the Banten hinterland. The juxtaposition of cultivated green against the blue horizon provides a peaceful retreat for walkers seeking shade and a glimpse of rural rhythms. Pack a light snack and a reusable water bottle; the unmarked paths are best explored on foot or by hired motorbike, allowing you to discover roadside stalls serving fresh tempeh and sweet mangoes, a culinary interlude seldom mentioned in guidebooks.
Town in Banten, Indonesia Anyer lighthouse (1933) Coast of Java Sea off Anyer. Anyer, officially Anyar, old spelling Anjer and also known as Angier, is a coastal town in Banten, formerly West Java, Indonesia, 82 miles (100 km) west of Jakarta and 15 kilometers (9 mi) south of Merak. A significant coastal town late 18th century, Anyer faces the Sunda Strait.
[edit] The town was a considerable port in the 19th century but was destroyed by a 100-foot-high tsunami which was caused by the 1883 eruption of Krakatoa. The present settlement still houses the Cikoneng Lighthouse built by the Dutch government two years later as a memorial for the townspeople killed by the eruption. It was also the starting point of the Great Post Road, built by the Dutch in the nineteenth century, which ran around 1,000 kilometers (620 mi) to the eastern tip of Java. Off the coast of Anyer is the island Pulau Sangiang, an uninhabited island with vast areas of untouched jungle. The area is also known for coral formations swarming with tropical fish. Anyer Beach is a tourist attraction with hot swimming water, a hotel, and rental of resting sheds, boats, four-wheeled motorcycles, water scooters, and a banana boat. Plans around 2011 proposed that the Sunda Strait Bridge, an ambitious megaproject scheduled to start in 2014, would stretch from Anyer across the Sunda Strait to Lampung in South Sumatra.