Likupang: the beach that got a designation

Likupang is a stretch of coast in North Minahasa, at the northern tip of the Minahasa peninsula, where the hills come down to a calm sea and the beaches are white rather than black. The sand is the first surprise: most of North Sulawesi's coast is volcanic, and the pale bays here look as though they belong to a different island altogether.

The second surprise is the designation. Likupang was named one of Indonesia's priority destinations and then a tourism special economic zone, which brought a new road, a small harbour and a scatter of resorts. Some of it is finished, some of it is a fence around a field. The beach, fortunately, did not need improving, and the coast still feels emptier than its reputation suggests.

What the special economic zone actually changed

The zone covers a stretch of coast around Paal and Marinsow, and the visible works are the usual package: a widened road from the Manado direction, a small marina and cruise pontoon, signage, and land cleared for hotels. The point of the designation is tax treatment and permits for investors, which matters a great deal to developers and very little to a visitor with a towel and a free afternoon.

In practice it means access is easier than it used to be and prices are rising faster than in the rest of North Minahasa. It also means the coast is in transition: a new resort can sit next to a coconut grove and a half-built wall, and a road that looks finished on a map can end in gravel. Ask locally before setting off on a road you have only seen in a brochure.

Paal, the beach on the postcard

Paal is the image everyone uses. A curved bay of fine white sand, water that stays shallow a long way out, and a headland at each end that keeps the swell down. The beach is public, with a small entrance charge and a row of stalls selling grilled fish, instant noodles and young coconut. On a weekday morning you may have most of it to yourself, apart from the people raking the sand and the goats.

It is best at high tide, when the water comes up to the sand and the swimming is easy; at low tide a wide flat of reef appears and you need to walk out a long way to find depth. There are no lifeguards and no flags, so watch the currents at the headlands and do not swim alone at dusk. The bay faces west, which makes it good for sunsets and poor for shade.

Marinsow, Pulisan and the rest of the coast

The coast road east from Paal passes Marinsow, another pale bay with a couple of simple places to eat, and continues to Pulisan, where a short climb gives you the view that explains the whole area: a green headland, a white beach, and the islands of Gangga and Bangka out to sea. The path up is steep and unmarked, and the view is best in the morning before the haze builds.

Pulisan is also where boats leave for the nearby islands, and where the reef starts close enough to shore to snorkel. Further west, the coast towards Serei and Bahoi is more village than resort, with boats pulled up on the sand and drying racks for fish. The further you get from Paal, the cheaper the food and the fewer the people.

Island hops and the reef

The islands offshore are the reason to stay more than a day. Lihaga is a small, low, white-sand island an hour or so by boat, with a reef on one side and nothing on it but sand, scrub and the people who came with you. Gangga, Talisei and Bangka are larger and inhabited, each with villages, gardens and its own character, and each worth a day if you have the time.

Boats can be arranged at Pulisan or through your accommodation, and a half-day trip with snorkelling usually costs a few hundred thousand rupiah per boat, shared between passengers. Bring your own mask if you are fussy about fit, and reef-safe sunscreen. The crossings are short but choppy in the afternoon, so mornings are better both for the water and for your stomach.

The road in, and where to stay

The road from Manado runs through Airmadidi and Likupang town, about 50 km and roughly an hour and a half to two hours depending on traffic leaving the city. Most visitors come by hired car; there is public transport but it involves several changes and a lot of waiting. The drive is pretty once you leave the coastal plain, with clove and coconut gardens and the sea appearing on the right.

Accommodation ranges from homestays in the villages at Rp 200,000 to 400,000 a night to new resorts on the Paal road at Rp 900,000 and up. Eating is mostly at the beach warungs or at your hotel; there is no restaurant strip and no bar scene. Bring cash, because ATMs are thin on the ground and not everywhere takes a card.

• Best light at Paal is before nine in the morning and again after four.
• Bring cash: ATMs are scarce and many warungs take only rupiah notes.
• Weekdays are quieter; families come up from Manado at weekends.
• For diving, base yourself on Gangga or Bangka rather than the mainland.

Questions people actually ask

Is Likupang worth visiting now, or is it still being built?

Both. Paal beach is beautiful and open, the road is good and there are places to stay and eat. Parts of the zone are still construction sites, so expect some noise and unfinished roads. It suits travellers who want a quiet beach more than a resort scene.

Can I get to the Gangga islands from Likupang?

Yes, boats leave from Pulisan and nearby beaches, and resorts can arrange transfers. Crossings are short in good weather but are cancelled when the sea is up, so keep a spare day and confirm the return boat before you leave the mainland.