Pink Beach in Komodo National Park: how long you get and where to snorkel
4 min read
The answer first. Pink Beach is mostly one stop on a longer boat trip. For a day with several stops and snorkelling, the Komodo Island Day Tour with Snorkeling (€77.31 per person, 4.7 from 2,001 reviews) gives Pink Beach about an hour, with swimming and snorkelling in the plan.
How long you get
| Trip | Time at Pink Beach | What the listing says to do there | From | Reviews |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Komodo Island Day Tour with Snorkeling | 1 hour | Swimming, snorkelling | €77.31 | 2,001 |
| Full-Day Speedboat Tour | 1 hour | Swimming, snorkelling | €82.47 | 414 |
| 2D1N Komodo and Pink Beach Shared Boat Tour | Day two, between Padar and Komodo Island | Swim or relax | €159.73 | 520 |
| 3D2N Budget Komodo Liveaboard | Planned for 8:45 am on day two | Swim, relax or snorkel | €280.91 | 40 |
An hour is what the day trips give you. The overnight trips leave the length open. A new 3-hour Pink Beach boat tour for up to 10 people on a traditional wooden boat, with snorkelling and a hike along nearby ridges, has no reviews yet and costs many times more per person than the day trips above, so we do not recommend it.
Why the sand is pink
The listings disagree on the cause. One says the colour comes from crushed red coral mixed into the sand, another from microscopic foraminifera that produce a red pigment. We found no official statement either way, so we only report what the beach looks like: pink-tinted sand, calm and shallow at the shoreline according to one listing, with coral reefs offshore. Tour listings also say not to touch marine life and not to litter.
Other snorkelling stops on the same trips
Pink Beach is rarely the only place you get into the water. The day trips add Taka Makassar, Kanawa Island, Siaba Island and Manta Point; the overnight trips add Kelor and Manjarite. One listing calls Manjarite a shallow, calm reef and the easiest water of the whole trip, where beginners spend most of their time. Siaba is described as a stop where green turtles feed on seagrass. The Komodo Island day tour and the full-day speedboat tour both list snorkelling gear as included.
Who should skip a snorkelling day
The listings for the Komodo Island day tour list non-swimmers as not suitable, the full-day speedboat tour lists people prone to seasickness instead, and a short Pink Beach listing makes the same point for both groups. A three-day listing says non-swimmers may join with a life jacket but not in deep water; ask the operator first. You also pay for the park: the Komodo Island day tour says park entry is paid on site in cash, so carry it.
Our recommendation
For one day, the Komodo Island Day Tour with Snorkeling gives you Pink Beach together with Padar, Komodo Island and Manta Point. For a closer look at the underwater stops, see the snorkelling and diving category.
