How long does the Padar Island hike take?

Thirty to forty five minutes up at a steady pace, and about half that coming down. Add fifteen or twenty minutes at the top for photographs. Fit walkers do the whole thing in an hour; nobody is timing you.

Are there Komodo dragons on Padar Island?

No. Dragons live on Komodo and Rinca, and were cleared from Padar decades ago when their prey disappeared from the island. Almost every Padar route stops at Komodo or Rinca the same day, which is where you see them.

Is Pink Beach on Padar Island?

Pink Beach is a separate stop a short sail from Padar, not part of it. The bay on the right of the Padar viewpoint does carry a pink cast from the same red coral, but the beach people photograph is its own destination.

Can you stay overnight on Padar Island?

Not on land. There is no accommodation, no shop and no fresh water, and camping is not permitted inside the national park. Staying overnight means sleeping on a liveaboard anchored offshore.

Do you need to be fit to climb Padar?

The full summit is steep in places and the surface is loose above the last staircase. That said, there is a marked viewpoint about fifteen minutes up that gives you most of the picture, and plenty of visitors stop there.

When is the best time of day to be on Padar?

Sunrise, comfortably. The colour separation between the three bays is strongest in low light, the ridge is cool, and the crowds that leave Labuan Bajo after breakfast have not arrived yet.

KOMODO NATIONAL PARK

Padar Island

Three bays, three colours of sand, one ridge 385 metres above the water. Here is what the island is and how to reach it.

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Summit above sea level: 385 m
Bays from the ridge: 3
By speedboat from Labuan Bajo: 2 hrs
Climb, at a steady pace: 45 min

What is Padar Island?

Padar is the third largest island in Komodo National Park, sitting between Komodo and Rinca in eastern Indonesia. It is visited for one view: three curved bays, each with a different colour of sand, seen from a ridge 385 metres above the water. Nobody lives there and nobody stays overnight, so every visit arrives by boat from Labuan Bajo.

Inside Komodo National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site, between Komodo and Rinca islands.
The summit trail is roughly 30 to 45 minutes of concrete steps and loose gravel.
No Komodo dragons live on Padar itself. They are on Komodo and Rinca, which most trips visit the same day.
There is no accommodation, no shop and no fresh water on the island.
The park charges an entry fee per person, paid on arrival and usually included in a tour price.

The bays of Padar Island at sunset, seen from the ridge

Three bays, three colours of sand

From the ridge you look down on three bays at once. The one on the left is white sand, the one straight ahead reads black, and the one on the right carries a pink cast. That single frame is the reason the island is on almost every Komodo itinerary.

The pink comes from fragments of red coral ground into the white sand over time, which is also what colours Pink Beach a few kilometres away. The black is volcanic. In flat midday light the difference is faint; at sunrise it is obvious, and that is when the boats aim to have you standing there.

On the island

What you actually do there

Most people are on Padar for two to three hours. This is what that time is spent on.

The rocky summit ridge on Padar Island, looking out over the bays

Climb for sunrise

Boats land in the dark. The climb starts by torchlight and puts you on the ridge as the light turns.

The marked rest point partway up the Padar Island trail

Stop at the lower posts

There are marked rest points on the way up. The view from the third one is most of the view, fifteen minutes in.

A visitor on the green ridge above one of Padar Island bays

Shoot the three bays

The classic frame needs the ridge to your back and the sun low. A guide who knows the spot saves you twenty minutes of hunting.

Padar Island seen from the water on the run out of Labuan Bajo

Swim before you leave

The bay below the landing is calm and shallow. Most trips give you time in the water before moving on.

The Milky Way over Padar Island at night

Stay for the night sky

On a liveaboard you are anchored off Padar after dark, with no light pollution for forty kilometres.

The stepped walking trail on Padar Island

Carry on to Pink Beach

Pink Beach is a separate stop nearby, not on Padar itself. Nearly every route pairs the two.

Getting there

How you reach Padar from Labuan Bajo

There is no airport and no ferry. Every route starts at the harbour in Labuan Bajo.

01
Fly into Labuan Bajo
Komodo Airport takes direct flights from Bali, Jakarta and Surabaya. The harbour is fifteen minutes from the terminal.
02
Leave before first light
A sunrise trek means casting off between 03:30 and 04:30, depending on the month and the boat.
03
Cross to the island
About two hours by speedboat, four to five on a wooden boat. Liveaboards do the crossing overnight while you sleep.
04
Climb, then carry on
Up and down takes an hour and a half with photographs. Most routes then run to Pink Beach, Komodo or Manta Point.

Crossings are called off when the sea is unsafe, most often between January and February. A good operator moves your date rather than sailing.

Ways to visit Padar

Four routes onto the same ridge. The difference is who you share the boat with and how long you stay in the park.

Shared open trip

You join a scheduled departure. Cheapest way in, and the boat is full.

From USD 300 per person

The bays of Padar Island seen from the viewpoint

Private day trip

Your own speedboat and your own departure time. Back in Labuan Bajo by evening.

Quoted per trip whole boat

A phinisi liveaboard under way in Komodo National Park

Liveaboard, 3 to 4 days

Sleep on board. Sunrise and sunset at Padar, plus dive sites a day trip cannot reach.

From USD 430 per person

A couple on the ridge above the bays of Padar Island

Private charter

The whole vessel for your group, with the route built around your dates.

Quoted per trip whole boat

Open trip fares are per person and cover the boat, meals, guide and park fees. Private prices move with group size, so we quote rather than list.

Padar Island questions

The things people get wrong about the island before they arrive.

Ask us anything

Put a date on it

Tell us when you land in Labuan Bajo and how long you have. You get a route and a price the same day.

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