Best Beaches in Bali: Where to Swim, Surf and Watch the Sunset

1. Padang Padang. The prettiest small beach on Bali: a cove of soft white sand reached by a staircase that squeezes through a cleft in the rock beside the bridge on Jalan Labuansait. Best for swimming at mid to high tide in calm conditions and for watching expert surfers ride its famous left-hand barrel, which only works on big swells; beginners use the gentler inside waves nearby. There is a small entry fee, warungs and loungers. Caveats: it is tiny and packed from 11am, and monkeys grab bags on the stairs.

2. Melasti. A road cut through the cliffs in Ungasan leads down to a long white beach with clear blue water, the easiest Bukit beach to reach by car. Best for swimming and a beach-club day, with sunbeds and restaurants along the sand. Caveats: the cliffside development has taken away its wild feel, and waves can be strong in the dry-season swell.

3. Bingin. A jumble of homestays and warungs hangs off the cliff above a narrow strip of sand, reached by several hundred uneven steps. Best for surfers (a short, hollow left over shallow reef) and for low-tide rock pools and sunset beers. Caveats: the reef is exposed at low tide, so swimming is a high-tide affair, and the climb back up is hard in the heat.

4. Balangan. A long crescent of sand under a green headland, with a row of warungs and a reef break for intermediate surfers. Best for sunset and a quieter day than Padang Padang. Caveats: reef and rocks along the waterline, small parking fee.

5. Uluwatu (Suluban). Below the clifftop bars at Uluwatu, steps lead down through a limestone cave to a tiny beach that exists for surfing: the Peak, Racetracks and Outside Corner are expert reef breaks. Not a swimming beach, but the cave at low tide and the view from Single Fin above are worth the trip. Nearby Dreamland is a wider sandy option with heavy shore break.

6. Nusa Penida: Kelingking, Diamond Beach and Crystal Bay. Nusa Penida, 30-45 minutes by fast boat from Sanur, has the most photographed coastline in Indonesia. Kelingking is the T-Rex-shaped headland above a perfect cove; the viewpoint takes a minute, the descent takes 30-60 minutes on a near-vertical path of roots, bamboo rails and loose rock, and the surf at the bottom has drowned visitors, so treat it as a view, not a swim. Diamond Beach on the east coast has a staircase carved into the cliff and white sand below, with the same strong waves; the neighbouring Atuh beach is calmer. Crystal Bay on the west coast is the swimming and snorkelling beach, with boat trips to Manta Point nearby. Caveats: roads are narrow and steep, a full loop takes all day, and each site charges a small entry fee of a few thousand to IDR 25,000.

7. Nusa Lembongan. Smaller and easier than Penida, Nusa Lembongan has calm, swimmable Mushroom Bay, the long Jungut Batu beach facing Mount Agung, and Dream Beach, a cliff-backed cove that is beautiful but has dangerous waves. A suspension bridge leads to Nusa Ceningan. Best for a slow two or three days of snorkelling and sunsets.

8. Nusa Dua and Geger. The gated resort enclave of Nusa Dua fronts a reef that breaks the waves offshore, leaving clear, shallow, gentle water for children and weak swimmers. All beaches in Indonesia are public, and the beachfront path is open to anyone. Geger Beach at the south end is the best public access, with warungs, seaweed farmers at low tide and a small temple on the headland. Caveats: at low tide the water is ankle-deep with seagrass, and it is manicured rather than wild.

9. Jimbaran. A wide, sheltered bay south of the airport with soft sand and usually small waves, best known for its seafood dinners at sunset. Good for a swim and a long walk. Caveats: planes overhead and wet-season rubbish.

10. Sanur. The original Bali resort, Sanur has 5 km of reef-protected beach with a paved beachfront path for walking and cycling, calm water, sunrise views over Nusa Penida and the boats to the islands. Best for families, older travellers and kite-surfing in the dry-season trade winds. Caveats: very shallow and weedy at low tide, and the sand is narrow in places.

11. Kuta, Legian and Seminyak. One continuous strand of golden-grey sand runs about 10 km from Kuta past Legian to Seminyak. Best for learning to surf (dozens of schools on the sand at Kuta offer two-hour lessons with board for around IDR 350,000-600,000), sunset with a Bintang on a vendor’s bean bag, and beach clubs in Seminyak. Caveats: strong rips, persistent hawkers in Kuta, and rubbish washing in from November to March.

12. Canggu: Batu Bolong, Echo and Pererenan. Canggu’s black volcanic sand is for surfing first. Batu Bolong, beside its sea temple, has a soft, rolling wave for longboarders and beginners; Echo Beach is a faster reef and rock break for intermediates; Pererenan to the north is quieter. Best for surf, sunset bars and beach clubs at Berawa. Caveats: swimming is risky because of rips and rocks, the sand gets very hot, and the beaches are busy with scooters, dogs and construction.

13. Amed and Jemeluk Bay. A string of fishing villages on the east coast below Mount Agung, Amed has black-sand and pebble beaches with coral a few metres from shore. Jemeluk Bay is the best snorkelling spot, and a shallow Japanese shipwreck at Banyuning is reachable from the beach; the USAT Liberty wreck at Tulamben is 30 minutes north. Best for snorkellers and divers. Caveats: hard, stony entries (bring reef shoes) and about 2.5 to 3 hours from the airport.

14. Virgin Beach (Pasir Putih). A white-sand cove near Candidasa in East Bali, lined with fishing boats and warungs, with calm, clear water in the dry season. Caveats: a small entry fee, sunbed touts, and much less “virgin” than its name.

15. Lovina. The black-sand north coast at Lovina faces the calm Bali Sea, with almost no waves and gentle snorkelling reefs. Best for a quiet base and the dawn dolphin boats (around IDR 150,000-250,000 per person). Caveats: the sand is dark and grey, and dozens of boats chase each dolphin pod at once. Blue Lagoon at Padangbai and Menjangan Island in the north-west are better for coral.

Bali’s west coast and the Bukit have strong rip currents, and tourists drown every year. Swim only between the red and yellow flags where Balawista lifeguards are on duty, mainly on the Kuta to Seminyak strand and at Nusa Dua and Sanur. A red flag means no swimming. Look for rips as darker, flatter channels with no breaking waves between the white water. If one catches you, do not swim against it: float, raise an arm, and swim parallel to the beach until you are free, then come in on the breaking waves. On reef beaches, never swim at low tide over coral, and wear reef shoes.

Seasons. The dry season (April to October) brings south-east trade winds that blow offshore on the west coast, so Kuta, Canggu and the Bukit have their best surf and clearest water, while the east-side breaks at Sanur and Nusa Dua are best in the wet season (November to March). The same wet-season west monsoon pushes plastic from rivers and the Java Sea onto Kuta, Legian, Seminyak and Jimbaran, worst from December to February; crews clear it every morning, but some days the shoreline is covered. Nusa Dua, Sanur and the east coast are less affected. For snorkelling and diving in Amed and on the Nusa islands, visibility is best from April to November.

Beach clubs are how many visitors do the beach: a pool, a daybed, a DJ and a sunset. Potato Head and Ku De Ta in Seminyak, Finns and La Brisa in Canggu, and Sundays below the cliffs in Ungasan are free to enter but charge a minimum spend for a bed, from IDR 500,000 to several million. Mrs Sippy in Seminyak is the pool-party alternative away from the waves.

Fees. Most beaches are free. Expect to pay parking of IDR 2,000-5,000 for a scooter and IDR 5,000-10,000 for a car, and a village entry fee of IDR 10,000-30,000 per person at some cliff beaches and Nusa Penida viewpoints. Two sunbeds and an umbrella on Kuta or Seminyak cost IDR 50,000-100,000 for the day. Carry small notes.

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