AT A GLANCE
Why go?
On Surabaya's northeastern edge, where the city thins into fish ponds and tidal creeks, the Gunung Anyar Mangrove Ecotourism Park (Kawasan Mangrove Gunung Anyar) hides one of East Java's most surprising green escapes: a dense wall of coastal mangrove forest threaded by bamboo boardwalks, a 12-metre watchtower, and slow river boats that glide out toward the Java Sea. It is an easy, low-cost half-day out of the urban heat—and a place where a stroll becomes a small expedition.↗↗
The park forms part of the Kebun Raya Mangrove Surabaya, Indonesia's first mangrove botanical garden, officially inaugurated on 26 July 2023 to coincide with International Mangrove Day. Some 57 to 58 mangrove species grow here under the care of the city's mangrove-garden unit, making it equal parts recreation ground, conservation area and outdoor classroom.↗↗
A mangrove forest you can walk into
The heart of the experience is the forest itself. From the entrance, raised walkways of bamboo and timber carry you beneath a close canopy of prop roots and glossy leaves, the light turning green and the air cooling noticeably against Surabaya's humidity. The signature route is a 630-metre elevated jogging and boarding track that winds between the trees, while a 12-metre watchtower rises above the canopy for a bird's-eye view across the tidal belt and the rooftops of the surrounding kampung.
