Goa Jatijajar


Useful Information

Location: Jl. Jatijajar, Palamarta, Jatijajar, Ayah, Kebumen Regency, Central Java 54473
(-7.6698400, 109.4235289)
Open: All year daily 7:30-16.
[2023]
Fee: Adults IDR 7,500, CHildren IDR 4,500.
[2023]
Classification: SpeleologyKarst Cave SpeleologyRiver Cave
Light: LightIncandescent Electric Light System LightColoured Light
Dimension: L=250 m, W=15 m, H=12 m.
Guided tours: self guided
Photography: allowed
Accessibility: no
Bibliography:  
Address: Goa Jatijajar, Jl. Jatijajar, Palamarta, Jatijajar, Ayah, Kebumen Regency, Central Java 54473, Tel: +62-812-2679-0901.
Central Java Tourism Board, Ruko Setiabudi Square 2nd Floor, Jl. Setiabudi, Srondol no. 12, Semarang, Central Java, Tel: +62-247-462401. E-mail:
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then.
Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

1802 cave discovered by a local named Jayamenawi, the owner of the land.
1975 opened as a show cave.

Description

Goa Jatijajar was discovered in 1802 by a local farmer who owned the land, according to legend he fell into a hole while looking for grass. We have no idea which kind of grass he wes looking for. At this time this area was settled by people named Jayamenawi. His discovery was reported to the Ambal Regent, who ordered to clear the scrub covering of the area. So the cave entrance became accessible.

The development was the idea of Suparjo Rustam, the Governor of Central Java. The cave was developed with concrete trails and electric light and opened to the public in 1975. The cave is a show cave for a long time and well known by the local. A sort of amusement park has developed in front of the entrance, there is a huge parking lot an both the entrance are and the cave are full of sculptures of different quality. There are dinosaurs, scenes from local lore, monkeys, and religious sculptures. There is a group of statues which displays the Lutung Kasarung Legend. This legend is very popular, everybody knows the legend, and there is a part which is located in a cave. Actually there are four cave which tell they were the cave from the legend, nevertheless it made Jatijajar cave popular.

The cave is a river cave, but it seems the visited part is a level which is about 3 m higher than the river. The lower part is water filled and the water appears in several springs below the cave entrance. The four springs are named Puser Bumi spring, the Jombor spring, the Mawar spring, and the Kantil spring. Each spring has its own set of esoteric healing powers, although they are all the resurgence of the same cave river.

The Jatijajar Village, after which the cave is named, is located in a fertile plain at the foot of heavily karstified limestone hills which are full of caves. The village and the cave were named after two teak trees that stood on each side of the cave portal, jati jajar translates lined up teak.