Tanjung Bira: the peninsula where Sulawesi runs out

Bira is the last proper stop on the south coast of Sulawesi, where the land narrows to a thin peninsula and the road runs out at a harbour. The regency is Bulukumba, and the beaches on either side of the isthmus are the reason people come: Pantai Bira facing east, Pantai Bara facing west, both white sand, warm, shallow and clear.

The village is small and slow: a few guesthouses, warungs, a football field, motorbikes for hire. What gives Bira its character is that it is still a working place. Fishing boats come in at dusk, and at Tanaberu, just south, men build phinisi on the beach the way their grandfathers did. There is no promenade and no resort strip; the beach road is a lane, and the loudest thing in the village is usually a rooster.

Two beaches, one headland

Bira sits on a narrow neck of land with a beach on each side, and the two are different enough to plan around. Pantai Bira, facing east towards the Selayar strait, is the postcard: fine white sand, shallow water, a long view to the headland, and the sunrise. It is the swimming beach, calm at most tides and busy with local families at weekends.

Pantai Bara, ten minutes west, is shorter and often emptier, with a few warungs under the trees and the headland seen from the other side. Late afternoon is its moment. Both beaches are public and free to walk on, though there is usually a small parking charge for a motorbike or car. The sand is bright enough to hurt your eyes at midday; swim early or late.

Where the phinisi are built

At Tanaberu, a village just south of Bira, phinisi are still built by hand. These are the wooden schooners with the high stern and two masts that sail the Indonesian archipelago, and the hulls are laid out on the sand in stages: ribs first, then planks softened over a low fire and bent into place, then caulked and painted.

A boat takes months, sometimes more than a year, and the yard is a workplace rather than a visitor attraction. Walk south along the beach to find it, ask before you take photographs, and do not climb on a hull. If someone offers to show you around, a small payment or a purchase from the family is the right response.

Diving and snorkelling around Liukang Loe

Liukang Loe is the low island you can see from the beach, twenty minutes away by outrigger from the Bira jetty. The reef around it is the main reason divers stop here: coral in reasonable condition, plenty of reef fish, and gentler sites on the sheltered side. Local boatmen will take snorkellers out for half a day, and most guesthouses can arrange it.

The dive shops in the village are small and change from season to season, so check what is operating at the time of writing rather than assuming. Currents in the channel between the peninsula and the island can be strong, and the water is clearest in the dry season. If you are not confident, snorkel inside the reef and let the boatman choose the spot.

The ferry to Selayar

The ferry from Bira harbour to Pamatata on Selayar is the practical reason many travellers end up here. It carries motorbikes, cars, goods and foot passengers, takes roughly an hour and a half, and runs several times a day, though the timetable shifts with weather and maintenance. Buy a ticket at the harbour, arrive early, and do not plan a tight connection.

Selayar is quiet and long, with rice fields, a few good beaches and the Taka Bonerate atoll to the south-east, which is a national park and needs a liveaboard or a long boat ride. There is also a small airport on the island with flights from Makassar when the weather allows. For most visitors the ferry is a day trip or an onward leg rather than a holiday in itself.

Getting there and when to go

Bira is about 200 km from Makassar, four to five hours by road through Bulukumba, and the last stretch is the slow one. Buses run from the city terminal to Bulukumba and on towards Bira; a private car with a driver is the comfortable option at roughly Rp 700,000 to 1,000,000 one way, depending on the vehicle.

The dry season, roughly April to October, brings calm seas, clear water and the best diving. The wet season is wetter and rougher, with rain in bursts and ferries more likely to be cancelled; it is also quieter and cheaper. Ramadan and the Idul Fitri holiday fill the beaches with Indonesian families, which is good fun but fills the guesthouses.

• Two nights covers the beaches and Tanaberu; add a third for a dive day.
• Motorbikes are hired in the village for about Rp 80,000 to 120,000 a day.
• Bring cash: the ATMs in Bira are few and can be empty at weekends.
• The Selayar ferry leaves from the harbour at the south end of the beach road.

Questions people actually ask

Can you swim at Tanjung Bira?

Yes. Pantai Bira is shallow and calm at most tides and is the better swimming beach; Pantai Bara is shorter and can be choppier. There are no lifeguards, so watch the current after heavy rain and ask locally before swimming far out.

Is the ferry to Selayar reliable?

It runs most days and takes about ninety minutes to Pamatata, but the schedule changes with weather and boat maintenance. Buy your ticket at the harbour on the day, arrive early, and leave slack in your plans rather than booking a tight onward connection.