Mare-Mare – a small island settlement in Kepulauan Selayar Regency
Mare-Mare is a settlement belonging to the Bontomanai District (kecamatan) of Kepulauan Selayar Regency in South Sulawesi, and based on its coordinates (-6.0411607, 120.4876036), it is situated in the Selayar Islands region. Kepulauan Selayar (Selayar Islands) Regency lies in the southern part of Sulawesi Selatan (South Sulawesi) Province, near the Flores Sea and the Banda Sea, and administratively belongs to Sulawesi Selatan Province, whose capital is the more distant Makassar. The island group can be reached directly from the capital by car and ferry, or by airplane. Kepulauan Selayar Regency itself consists of a group of islands, and within the regency's territory there are several smaller administrative units, including Bontomanai District, of which Mare-Mare is also a part.
General overview
Mare-Mare belongs to the Bontomanai Kecamatan within Kepulauan Selayar Regency. At settlement level, no verified source provides independent population figures or territorial data; therefore, the following reflects the broader context at regency and provincial level. Kepulauan Selayar Regency itself is a relatively small population area, subsisting mainly on agriculture and fishing, where the daily life of coastal and island villages is significantly determined by proximity to the sea and the isolation that island location brings. According to mid-2024 data, Sulawesi Selatan (South Sulawesi) Province has approximately 9.5 million inhabitants, though this refers to the entire extensive province, of which Mare-Mare is merely a tiny point. In the Bontomanai District and Mare-Mare region, the way of life likely follows the fishing-agricultural pattern characteristic of the Kepulauan Selayar region, where coconut palm plantations, traditional fishing, and small-scale agriculture form the foundation of the local economy. The settlement does not appear in prominent administrative or tourism sources, indicating that this is distinctly a quiet, locally-oriented village.
Real estate and investment
No verified source provides real estate or investment data at the Mare-Mare level. In the broader Kepulauan Selayar region — whose attraction is partly linked to Taka Bonerate National Park and coral reef tourism — moderate interest in the real estate market has been observed over the past decade, primarily in connection with tourism developments. However, this process is most evident in the regency center, Benteng, and in the busier points of the region; in smaller, remote villages, real estate turnover and prices typically remain low. Under Indonesian land ownership regulations, foreigners cannot acquire full ownership rights (Hak Milik) over property in Indonesia; for them, Hak Pakai (usage rights) or other lease-based solutions are available, which form a uniformly applicable legal framework throughout the country. Before any investment decision, local legal advice and thorough familiarization with current regulations are recommended, particularly in island areas where land use arrangements may be more complex.
Safety and security
No independent settlement-level data is available regarding Mare-Mare's public safety situation. Based on broader context, it can be stated that Sulawesi Selatan Province, and within it the Kepulauan Selayar region, ranks among the less urban, low-density island areas within Indonesia. In such rural, island communities, public safety typically rests on local social cohesion and community norms, with urban crime problems being less common; however, infrastructure deficiencies arising from island isolation (e.g., emergency services, police presence) may occur. These statements are general in nature and are based solely on the region's and island group's typical characteristics; no available source contains specific data relating to Mare-Mare.
Tourist attractions
No verified source mentions named tourist attractions associated with Mare-Mare. However, it is known that the most famous natural asset of the broader Kepulauan Selayar Regency is Taka Bonerate National Park (Taman Nasional Taka Bonerate), which is one of the world's largest coral reef atoll systems and is known for its outstanding marine biodiversity within Indonesia. This national park is connected to the regency's territory and is a well-known destination among those interested in diving, snorkeling, and marine ecological tourism. Beyond this, the natural landscape typically characteristic of the Selayar Islands — long coastlines, coral reefs, traditional fishing villages — itself constitutes an attraction for those seeking quiet, less developed island tourism. Mare-Mare's proximity to these values is likely based on its coordinates, but no specific attractions or distances relative to the village can be provided due to the lack of verified sources.
Summary
Mare-Mare is a small, poorly documented settlement in South Sulawesi, located in the Bontomanai District of Kepulauan Selayar Regency. No public sources are directly available about the village itself, so its assessment is based primarily on general knowledge relating to the broader Kepulauan Selayar region. The world of the Selayar Islands, with its fishing-agricultural culture, coral reef heritage, and relative tranquility, imparts a distinctive character to this area, of which Mare-Mare is a part. Any investment or residence intentions directed toward the region are worth exploring thoroughly through local and legal sources as well.
