Suluban Beach

Few visitors know the name Suluban, but most have seen it: this is the beach surfers mean when they say they are going to “Uluwatu”. The name Uluwatu covers a set of reef breaks that wrap around Suluban Point on the south-west side of the Bukit Peninsula, about 2 km north of the clifftop Uluwatu Temple, and Suluban’s cove is where surfers paddle out.

The beach itself is tiny. A staircase drops through a cleft in the limestone into a cave-like cove walled by sheer rock, where sand, shells and broken coral are exposed at mid and low tide. As the tide rises, waves surge into the cove and can fill it almost completely, so don’t leave belongings at the bottom. The cliffs above are stacked with cafés, bars and surf shops on terraces and platforms, and they are the main reason most non-surfers come: the views over the line-up, especially at sunset in the dry season, are among the best in Bali.

Uluwatu is a long, powerful left-hander over shallow reef and one of the best-known waves anywhere, with several distinct sections that work on different tides and swell sizes. It is for experienced surfers only: the reef is sharp, the currents are strong, and getting out through the cave and back in again needs timing. Boards can be rented on the cliff, but beginners are better served by the sand-bottom waves at Kuta Beach.

Swimming is limited to a small pool of deep water directly in front of the cove, and even there the current can push swimmers onto the rocks. Snorkelling is possible on calm days. The dry season, roughly May to October, brings the biggest and most consistent swell and the best show from the cliffs.

This coast has been transformed by development since the 2010s, and villas, cafés and hotels now line the clifftops from Suluban north toward Padang Padang and Bingin.

Follow the main road south toward Uluwatu Temple and turn off at the signs for Suluban; parking is near the top of the steps, and the path down runs past the clifftop cafés. Allow about an hour from Kuta, more in heavy traffic. There is no public transport, so come by taxi, hired car or scooter.