Satellite: Sentinel-2 cloudless 2016 by EOX (CC BY 4.0). Outline and points © OpenStreetMap contributors / Natural Earth. North up.
In numbers
4,408km²
Area
505km
Coastline
measured on a simplified outline
1,100m
Highest point
500,000
People
30°C
Warmest sea
December
960km
To the mainland
When to go to Buton Island
Best for the beach from August to October.
The sea is warmest in December (30 °C) and coolest in August (27 °C). You can swim comfortably all year (21 °C or more).
Averages 1991–2020. Sea: NOAA OISST, the water within 35 km of the coast. Air, rain and sun: NASA POWER. Best months weigh warm afternoons (23–30 °C), sea of 24 °C or more and few wet days.
Island in Southeast Sulawesi Province, Indonesia
Buton Island is an island in Indonesia. It covers 4,408 km², with 505 km of coastline. Its highest point rises to 1,100 m. About 500,000 people live on it. The nearest mainland is 960 km away.
Getting there
- Matahora Airport (WNI)nearest airport with scheduled flights · 88 km in a straight lineCar hire at DPS airport (Kuta, Badung)Discover Cars · Affiliate link↗
- FerriesKM Cantika Anugrah, WangiWangi -Kamaru, Kamaru - Kaledupa
- 960 km from the mainlanddistance to the nearest continental coast
- From August to Octoberbest months to go (from 30 years of averages)
Plan the trip
Ferries, stays and things to do
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On the island
What you find on Buton Island.
- 2viewpointsBukit Kolema, Bukit Wantiro
- 4ferry terminalsKamaru ferry port, Pelabuhan Ulunambo, Pelabuhan and 1 more
- 2marinasDermaga, Pelabuhan Desa Mataindaha
- 23named peaksKabawo Lambohogo, Gunu Moganebalango, Gunung Laea and 20 more
- 4waterfallsKabura Burna, Tirta Rimba Lower Falls, Tirta Rimba Upper Falls and 1 more
- 7castles and fortsDs. Bajo Benteng, Benteng Keraton Kesultanan Buton, Benteng Sorawolio Buton and 4 more
- 1ruins and archaeological sitesRumah Adat Lambale
- 6hotels, guesthouses and apartments
- 4restaurants, cafés and bars
Counted in OpenStreetMap, the map anyone can edit, inside the island's outline. A low number may only mean nobody has mapped it yet.
The shape of the land.
On average the island stands 209 m above the sea. 56 % of it is below 200 m.
- 23 %0–50 m
- 34 %50–200 m
- 37 %200–500 m
- 7 %500–1,000 m
Share of the island's area in each altitude band, from the Copernicus DEM (30 m, read at 30–240 m on large islands).
Size, for real
Next to islands you may know.
100 km
All outlines drawn to the same scale (Natural Earth and OpenStreetMap).
Towns on the island
- Pasar Wajono census figure
- Burangano census figure
Month by month
The weather on the island.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Afternoon high (°C) | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 29 |
| Night low (°C) | 26 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 25 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 27 |
| Sea (°C) | 29 | 29 | 30 | 30 | 29 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 30 |
| Rain (mm) | 214 | 226 | 247 | 225 | 214 | 215 | 121 | 49 | 45 | 58 | 138 | 254 |
| Wet days | 24 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 21 | 18 | 13 | 8 | 7 | 10 | 17 | 24 |
| Sun h/day | 5.9 | 5.8 | 6.3 | 6.2 | 5.7 | 5.4 | 6.4 | 7.6 | 8.5 | 8.8 | 8.2 | 6.1 |
| Wind (km/h) | 8 | 8 | 7 | 9 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 9 | 8 |
Averages 1991–2020 for the ~55 km NASA POWER cell over the island; the sea from NOAA OISST.
Recent years
Warmer and cooler years at sea.
Each month's sea temperature compared with its 1991–2020 average, in degrees.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +0.7 | +0.7 | +0.6 | +0.6 | +0.3 | +0.2 | +0.2 | +0.5 | +0.2 | +0.4 | +0.2 | −0.1 |
| 2021 | ±0.0 | +0.1 | +0.2 | ±0.0 | +0.1 | +0.4 | +0.5 | +0.4 | +0.8 | +0.6 | +0.2 | −0.1 |
| 2022 | −0.2 | ±0.0 | +0.3 | +0.1 | +0.7 | +0.9 | +1.1 | +0.8 | +0.9 | +0.8 | +0.2 | ±0.0 |
| 2023 | ±0.0 | −0.2 | −0.1 | ±0.0 | +0.4 | +0.4 | +0.9 | +0.5 | −0.1 | −0.2 | +0.2 | +0.2 |
| 2024 | +0.7 | +0.4 | +0.5 | +0.6 | +0.4 | +0.4 | +0.7 | +0.5 | +0.4 | +0.6 | +0.7 | +0.1 |
| 2025 | +0.5 | +0.3 | +0.5 | +0.2 | +0.4 | +0.6 | +0.5 | +0.1 | +0.1 | +0.1 | +0.1 | −0.2 |
+1 warmer than usual −1 cooler than usual
Photos
Seen by visitors.
Nearby
More islands nearby.
Muna Island
Indonesia2,939 km²109 m41 km away
Wawonii IslandIndonesia715 km²593 m103 km away
Kabaena IslandIndonesia858 km²1,521 m111 km away
Selayar IslandIndonesia650 km²82 m290 km away
SulawesiIndonesia174,600 km²3,478 m395 km away
Lembata IslandIndonesia1,253 km²2 m384 km away
Banggai IslandIndonesia268 km²136 m385 km away
Adonara IslandIndonesia508 km²1,659 m370 km awayAbout these numbers
| Names, area, population | Wikidata (Q1018014) · CC0 |
|---|---|
| Outline | Natural Earth · public domain |
| Sea temperature | NOAA OISST v2.1 · 1991–2020 |
| Climate | NASA POWER · 1991–2020 |
| Relief, 3D model | Copernicus DEM GLO-30 · © DLR e.V., © Airbus Defence and Space GmbH, Copernicus/ESA |
| Beaches, ports, lighthouses, trails | © OpenStreetMap contributors · ODbL |
| Towns | GeoNames · CC BY 4.0 |
| Images | EOX Sentinel-2 cloudless 2016 · CC BY 4.0; Wikimedia Commons |
Every figure is an average, an estimate or a count from a public dataset. Licences and methods: data sources.
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