Maratua Island

Updated: August 2026

Maratua Island is the largest island in the Derawan Archipelago in Berau Regency, East Kalimantan, and the only island in the group with its own airstrip. It is the diving heart of the archipelago: a curved atoll rim whose outer walls drop past the 40 m recreational diving limit, and whose main channel produces the strongest drift dives in the region.

This guide sets out how to get to Maratua, which dive sites sit around the atoll, what there is to see above water, when to go and how many nights to plan. Indonesia Juara, part of Juara Holding Group since 2015, includes Maratua on its private Derawan itineraries, meeting travellers at Kalimarau Airport (BEJ) in Berau. Maratua is one of nine stops mapped in the full Derawan destinations guide.

Maratua Island is a horseshoe-shaped atoll, not a single beach

Maratua is shaped like an open ring. A long, narrow arm of land curls around a shallow inner lagoon, and the outer edge of that arm falls away into deep water almost immediately. That geometry is the whole reason the island matters to divers: within a few minutes of leaving a jetty you can be on a vertical wall, and within twenty minutes you can be on a channel where the tide pushes schooling fish into a predictable corner of the reef.

The island is inhabited. Small coastal villages sit along the sheltered lagoon side, which sets Maratua apart from Sangalaki Island and Kakaban Island, neither of which has a resident community. That means Maratua has jetties, boats, guides and places to sleep, and it is why almost every multi-day Derawan route uses Maratua as its second base after Derawan Island itself.

How to get to Maratua: the reliable route runs through Berau

The standard way to reach Maratua is to fly to Kalimarau Airport (BEJ) in Berau, transfer overland to the coastal town of Tanjung Batu, then continue by speedboat. Kalimarau is the meeting point for every private Derawan trip we run, and it connects to Jakarta, Balikpapan and other Indonesian hubs through domestic services.

Maratua also has an airstrip of its own, and small-aircraft services have operated to it from within East Kalimantan. Capacity is limited and schedules change, so treat a direct flight as a bonus if it happens to be running on your dates rather than the backbone of your plan. Our itineraries are built on the Berau route because that is the one that holds up across the whole April to November season.

Once you are inside the archipelago, Maratua is the furthest of the core islands from Derawan Island, and the crossing is the longest island leg on a standard route. Open-water legs between the islands run roughly 30 to 90 minutes each depending on the boat and the sea state, and Maratua to Kakaban is one of the shortest at around 30 minutes. The full arrival chain from Jakarta or Bali through to the island jetty is set out on how to get to the Derawan Islands.

Maratua dive sites: channel drifts, walls and a cave system

Maratua carries the best-known named dive sites in the Derawan Archipelago. Four of them appear in almost every trip report from the island, and each demands a different level of comfort in the water.

The outer wall itself is the other reason to dive here. It falls away past the 40 m recreational limit, so recreational divers work the top 15 to 30 m of the wall, where the coral cover, fans and reef fish are concentrated. Nothing about Maratua requires technical training to enjoy — but the channel dives do reward divers who can hold a position in moving water. The full site list across the archipelago is on Derawan dive sites, and a dive-focused itinerary is priced on the Derawan diving package page.

What you see on Maratua when you are not diving

Two of the nine stops on our Derawan route sit on the Maratua leg and neither of them needs a tank. Laguna Kehe Daing is a hidden lagoon reached through a narrow cleft in the rock — you pass through the gap and the lagoon opens out behind it. Goa Halo Tabung is a cave and sinkhole stop where the swim is the point rather than the depth. Both are short, and both are usually fitted into the same day as a Maratua dive or snorkel session.

Above the water, Maratua’s appeal is the lagoon itself: shallow, protected, and pale enough that turtles are visible from a boat without getting in. Turtles are a constant here, which is why the island’s snorkelling has an easier reputation than its diving. For the snorkel-first version of the archipelago, see Derawan snorkelling spots; for a route that strings Maratua together with Kakaban, Sangalaki and the mainland lakes, see the Derawan island hopping tour.

Maratua resort options and where our trips stay

Maratua has resort accommodation, which is unusual in this archipelago — most of the outer islands have none at all. The properties we work with across the Derawan Archipelago include Maratua Paradise Resort, Sienna Resort, Arasatu Villa, Pratasaba Resort, Seheku Paradise, Reza Derawan Resort and Alfit VIP Borneo Cottage. Which property you are placed in depends on your tier, your dates and availability at the time of booking, and it is confirmed in writing before you pay.

We do not publish room counts, star ratings or facility lists for these properties, because those details change and we would rather confirm them for your specific dates than have you plan around a number that has moved. If you want the property-level detail, the Maratua Paradise Resort page covers the best-known option on the island, and where to stay in the Derawan Islands compares the Maratua, Derawan and Berau gateway options side by side.

The best time to visit Maratua is April to November

Our private Derawan trips operate from April to November, an eight-month window when the Sulawesi Sea is at its calmest. That window matters more on Maratua than anywhere else in the archipelago, because reaching the island means the longest open-water leg on the route and the channel dives depend on manageable surface conditions. Outside the season, the Maratua leg is the first part of an itinerary to become weather-dependent.

Season timing also shapes what else you can reach on the same trip. Whale shark visits at Talisayan run at first light and sit on the mainland side of the route, while manta encounters cluster around Sangalaki — both covered on manta ray snorkelling and green turtle nesting.

How long to stay on Maratua: two nights if you dive, one if you do not

Our private trips run as 3D2N or 4D3N itineraries with a minimum of two travellers, and Maratua sits inside both. On a 3D2N route, Maratua is realistically a single full day, which is enough for the lagoon, one or two dives and one of the land stops. On a 4D3N route you can give Maratua a night of its own, which is what makes the channel dives and Blue Light Cave practical rather than rushed.

If diving is the reason you are flying to East Kalimantan, plan the longer itinerary. A single day on Maratua means choosing between the channel and the cave; two days means you do not have to choose. Travellers who want to dive the whole archipelago from the water instead of moving between islands each day should look at the Derawan liveaboard option.

What a trip including Maratua costs

Private Derawan trips including Maratua start from USD 281 per person, and the exact rate is set by your group size and by whether you take the standard or premium tier. Rates below are per person for the private 3D2N / 4D3N trip, minimum two travellers, meeting at Kalimarau Airport (BEJ).

The per-person figure falls as the group grows because boat and guide costs are shared across more people. Flights to Kalimarau are arranged separately and are not part of the per-person rate above, and the itemised inclusion list for your dates is confirmed in writing before booking. Full routing sits on the Derawan island tour and Derawan trip pages. To request dates, write to sales@indonesiajuara.asia.

How Maratua connects to the rest of the archipelago

Maratua is not a standalone destination in practice — the flight and the transfers only make sense if you use the island as one node in a wider route. From Maratua, Kakaban is around 30 minutes by boat, and Sangalaki sits on the same cluster, so most itineraries pair all three. Two smaller islands, Nabucco Island and Nunukan Island, sit on the same atoll ring and appear on longer routes. On the mainland side, Labuan Cermin Mirror Lake and Talisayan attach to the road legs at the start or end of the trip.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Maratua Island?

Maratua Island lies in the Derawan Archipelago, off the coast of Berau Regency in East Kalimantan, Indonesia. It is the largest island in the group and sits on the outer edge of the archipelago, facing the Sulawesi Sea. The island is shaped like a horseshoe, with a long arm of land wrapped around a shallow inner lagoon. That position on the outer rim is why its walls are deep and its channel currents are strong.

How do you get to Maratua Island?

The standard route to Maratua is a domestic flight to Kalimarau Airport (BEJ) in Berau, an overland transfer to Tanjung Batu, then a speedboat into the archipelago. Kalimarau is the meeting point for every private Derawan trip we operate. Maratua also has its own airstrip served by limited small-aircraft flights, but capacity and schedules change, so we build itineraries on the Berau route. An alternative northern approach runs through Tarakan.

What are the best Maratua dive sites?

The four best-known Maratua dive sites are Maratua Channel, Big Fish Country, Turtle Traffic and Blue Light Cave. Maratua Channel and Big Fish Country are current-driven sites that reward divers comfortable in moving water, Turtle Traffic is an easier reef and wall section named for the green turtles seen along it, and Blue Light Cave is a cave dive that requires appropriate training and a guide. The outer wall itself drops past the 40 m recreational limit.

Is there a resort on Maratua Island?

Yes, Maratua has resort accommodation, which is unusual among the outer islands of the Derawan Archipelago. Maratua Paradise Resort is the best-known property on the island, and our archipelago accommodation list also includes Sienna Resort, Arasatu Villa, Pratasaba Resort and Seheku Paradise. The property assigned to your trip depends on your tier, your dates and availability, and it is confirmed in writing before booking rather than promised in advance.

When is the best time to visit Maratua Island?

The Maratua season runs April to November, which is the window in which Indonesia Juara operates private Derawan trips. Those eight months bring the calmest conditions in the Sulawesi Sea, which matters because reaching Maratua involves the longest open-water leg on a standard archipelago route. July to September is the busiest stretch and the period to book accommodation earliest. December to March falls outside our operating season.

How many days should you spend on Maratua Island?

Plan one full day on Maratua if you are snorkelling and two if you are diving. A 3D2N private trip gives Maratua a single day, enough for the lagoon, one or two dives and one land stop such as Laguna Kehe Daing or Goa Halo Tabung. A 4D3N trip lets you give the island a night of its own, which is what makes the channel dives and Blue Light Cave comfortable rather than rushed. Minimum booking is two travellers.