Karang Bolong Beach (south side),

The island of Nusa Kambangan was first used as a prison during the Dutch colonial period. In 1905 it was declared a restricted area and closed to the public.

The island remained restricted, under the Dutch colonial and, later, the independent Indonesian government, until 1996, when the governor of Central Java and the Minister of Law signed a memorandum which opened the eastern end of the island to the public.