Port Tano Travel Guide

Port Tano (Poto Tano) is the main entry point to the island of Sumbawa in West Nusa Tenggara, southern Indonesia. It is a little harbor and village with very little appeal other than for traveling on toward Sumbawa’s main attractions.

Port Tano lies at the extreme west of West Sumbawa and ferries from Labuan Lombok only take around 90 minutes to cross on a good day. It is then a two-hour bus ride to Sumbawa Besar, the capital, and seven hours to Bima in East Sumbawa. The city of Taliwang is an hour to the south from Port Tano.

The village of Port Tano is near to the harbor. It is a stilted village of the old Bugis style that can be seen elsewhere in rural Sumbawa. The bay here is the prettiest part, decorated as it is with boats and flags. There is also a lighthouse to look at if you get stuck in Port Tano.

People come through Port Tano for the famous surfing beaches of Sekongkang and Maluk in the southwest of Sumbawa, as well as for the massive Tambora volcano in the center of the island.

Getting There & Away

Port Tano is a 90-minute ferry ride away from Lombok’s eastern Labuan dock. You cannot get direct to Port Tano from Bali. If coming from Bali, you’ll need to take a ferry to Lembar in Lombok, from where buses run to Labuan Lombok. Bus/ferry combinations are a popular method for getting to Sumbawa destinations from Bali. The nearest major international airport is Ngurah Rai in Denpasar, Bali, an hour’s flight from nearby Sumbawa Besar.

Things to Do

Port Tano Attractions

Port Tano harbor

This is the main reason for coming here and is generally the first and last thing people see when coming through port tano.

Side trips from Port Tano

Sumbawa Besar]]

The unremarkable sumbawa capital is a two-hour bus journey from port tano and is mainly used as a stop-off for visits elsewhere on sumbawa.

Sekongkang

A fabulous beach in the southwest of sumbawa and one of the main reasons for coming through port tano. it has great surf for most of the year and a laid back scene.

Events

Balap Sampan

Races go off every august in port tano, with flags and merriment galore.