In a nutshell
- We’ll show you the best beaches in Bali — with honest tips on what each one is really like and who it’s best for.
- Most top picks are near Uluwatu and on the Nusa Islands — easy to combine on a Bali road trip.
- For beaches that are harder to reach, we’ve included tips on the best way to get there so you don’t waste time figuring it out.
The most beautiful beaches in Bali on a map
Most of our favorite beaches in Bali are near Uluwatu and the Nusa Islands. Perfect, because our Bali itinerary runs right through those areas.
That said, you can still work the other beaches into your Bali travel plans. We’ll show you how in the beach descriptions below.
Padang Padang Beach
- Perfect for: swimming, snorkeling, surfing
- Location: near Uluwatu – open in Google Maps
- Getting there: From the parking lot, you walk down a steep staircase for about 5–10 minutes to reach the beach.
- Shade: two sun loungers with umbrella for 100,000 IDR (about $5), some shade from the rocks
- Facilities: warungs (Indonesian restaurants), restrooms, surf schools
- Entrance fee: 15,000 IDR (about $1), 2,000 IDR (about 10 cents) parking fee
Padang Padang Beach is super small, and the scenery is simply stunning. The beach is surrounded by trees and rocks, and there are even small caves in the rocks that you can swim into.
The warungs along the edge do take away a little from the picturesque setting, but on the plus side you have restrooms and can grab snacks. Surf lessons are also available here.
That said, Padang Padang Beach is pretty popular. If you walk past the rocks you can see on the right side of the beach in the photo, though, it gets much quieter.
Warning: There are monkeys on the beach that love to steal things. Keep a close eye on your belongings!
Read our hotel tips for Uluwatu
Mengiat Beach
- Perfect for: families, swimming
- Location: near Uluwatu – open in Google Maps
- Getting there: You can park right at the beach.
- Shade: two sun loungers with umbrella for 100,000 IDR
- Facilities: warungs, showers, changing rooms, restrooms
- Entrance fee: free, 5,000 IDR parking fee
For us, Mengiat Beach is the best sandy beach in Bali for families. It’s long and wide, and the reef offshore keeps the waves from getting too big. That makes it perfect for a vacation with kids — but also for anyone who just prefers calmer water.
The only downside is that some seaweed and a bit of trash washes up on Mengiat Beach, especially during the rainy season. You can find out exactly when that is in our article on the best time to visit Bali. Every morning, though, the beachfront hotels in Bali give the sand a thorough cleanup.
Blue Point Beach
- Perfect for: explorers, surfing, photos
- Location: near Uluwatu – open in Google Maps
- Getting there: You park at the top of the cliff and walk down for about 10–15 minutes on many steps, past restaurants and vendors.
- Shade: The rocks provide shade.
- Facilities: There are warungs with restrooms above the beach.
- Entrance fee: free, 5,000 IDR parking fee
What makes Blue Point Beach special: it only exists at low tide. At high tide, the beach is completely submerged. When the water pulls back, you can even walk through a small cave and past a massive rock to two more beaches that are otherwise cut off by the sea.
Those two beaches aren’t impressive enough to earn their own spot on our list. But we had so much fun on the little exploration that we didn’t want to keep it from you.
Just make sure you head back to Blue Point Beach before the tide comes in. Otherwise you’ll have to wait for the next low tide — or swim. And that’s not much fun with the big waves out there.
Blue Point Beach itself is completely surrounded by rocks, which makes it really great for photos — it extends only a very narrow strip out into the sea.
For surfers, Blue Point Beach and its neighbors are also a fantastic spot.
Balangan Beach
- Perfect for: surfing, sunbathing
- Location: near Uluwatu – open in Google Maps
- Getting there: You can drive all the way to the beach.
- Shade: two sun loungers with umbrella for 100,000 IDR
- Facilities: warungs with restrooms, surf schools
- Entrance fee: free, 5,000 IDR parking fee
Uluwatu is THE place for surfers, with waves of every size and countless surfboard rentals. There’s a beach here for every skill level.
Balangan Beach is mainly for intermediate and advanced surfers. The powerful waves are perfect for it.
There are a few surf schools for beginners here too. But the water gets pretty crowded and the bottom is rocky, which isn’t ideal if you’re just starting out. If you want to give surfing a try, you’re better off heading to beach number 6 on our list.
Balangan Beach is also great for sunbathing. Actually swimming, though, is a bit tricky. At high tide the waves are really powerful, and at low tide you have to walk a long way over rocks to get to the water.
Nunggalan Beach
- Perfect for: relaxing, sunbathing, swimming
- Location: near Uluwatu – open in Google Maps
- Getting there: You walk about 30 minutes down over rocks and through the forest.
- Shade: two sun loungers with umbrella for 100,000 IDR
- Facilities: drinks stand, no restrooms
- Entrance fee: free, 5,000 IDR parking fee
Nunggalan Beach has one major advantage: the beach is tucked away and the hike to get there is genuinely demanding. You’ll need about 30 minutes on foot, making your way down over rocks and through a small forest.
That might not sound like an advantage at first — but think of it this way: it keeps the crowds away, so you’ll have the sandy beach nearly all to yourself. And what a beach it is! The sand is golden and very clean, and it’s a seriously great swimming spot. One of our top under-the-radar picks for Bali.
By the way, part of a shipwreck also lies on Nunggalan Beach, waiting to be discovered.
Kuta Beach
- Perfect for: beginner surfers, sunbathing, swimming
- Location: Kuta – open in Google Maps
- Getting there: About a one-hour drive from Uluwatu. You can park right at the beach.
- Shade: two sun loungers with umbrella for 100,000 IDR
- Facilities: warungs and bars with restrooms, surf schools
- Entrance fee: free, 2,000 IDR parking fee
Kuta Beach gives you plenty of room to spread out — it’s the longest sandy beach in Bali at a full 8 kilometers.
If you want some activity, we’d recommend surfing over walking. The conditions here are ideal for beginners and there are lots of surf schools to choose from. We took a surf lesson with the Up2U Surf School and loved it — our instructor was really attentive and focused exclusively on the two of us.
The beach is also great for chilling, swimming, and watching sunsets.
One honest heads-up: cleanliness was an issue when we visited during the rainy season. A storm just before our visit had washed up so much trash it was piled up in small heaps. During the dry season the beach is supposed to be cleaner — though some debris still washes up even then.
Amed Beach
- Perfect for: snorkeling
- Location: Amed – open in Google Maps
- Getting there: Short, narrow paths lead from the road down to the beach.
- Shade: If you eat at one of the warungs, you can use the sun loungers for free.
- Facilities: warungs and bars with restrooms
- Entrance fee: free, 2,000 IDR parking fee
If you want the perfect snorkeling beach in Bali, Amed is your answer. It’s only a few meters from the shore to the coral reefs.
Some of the corals are still intact, and new ones are being cultivated to supplement them. Swimming among the corals are lots of colorful fish, and with a bit of luck you might even spot rays and sea turtles.
Another big plus: Amed is really peaceful, because it’s still relatively off the beaten path. Not many Bali itineraries pass through here — including ours. But if you love snorkeling and want a break from the tourist crowds, you can easily tack on a few days of beach time here.
Of course, there’s a small catch — and that’s the beach itself. It’s black and made up of small stones rather than sand.
Diamond Beach
- Perfect for: photos
- Location: Nusa Penida – open in Google Maps
- Getting there: From the parking lot, you walk down for about 20 minutes. Some climbing experience is recommended.
- Shade: In the afternoon, the cliffs behind the beach provide shade. No sun loungers or umbrellas available.
- Facilities: none
- Entrance fee: 35,000 IDR, 5,000 IDR parking fee
Diamond Beach is our definition of a dream beach. It simply has the complete package: white sand, palm trees, dramatic cliffs, and a massive rock rising out of the sea. From the cliff above, you can photograph it perfectly.
The downside, of course, is that lots of other people flock to Diamond Beach on Nusa Penida for exactly the same reason.
The best time to visit is at sunrise, around 6 in the morning. There’s hardly anyone else around at that hour, and the rocks are bathed in beautiful golden light.
After sunrise, you can head down to the beach itself — the descent takes about 20 minutes and requires some climbing experience. In places you have to lower yourself using a rope, and some of the steps are very steep.
Please note: Diamond Beach is not a swimming beach. You’re allowed to cool off briefly at the water’s edge, but swimming is prohibited — a rule put in place following several tragic accidents.
Secret Point Beach
- Perfect for: sunbathing, swimming, advanced surfers
- Location: Nusa Ceningan – open in Google Maps
- Getting there: Walk past the Secret Point Huts Hotel and take the small staircase down.
- Shade: In the morning, the rocks behind the beach provide shade. No sun loungers or umbrellas available.
- Facilities: beach bar above the beach
- Entrance fee: free
Allow us to introduce our favorite beach in Bali. It’s relatively small and still a genuinely under-the-radar spot.
Swimming and sunbathing are both great at Secret Point Beach, and when you need a break you can grab a coconut and watch the surfers out in the bay.
Technically, the beach isn’t on Bali itself — it’s on Nusa Ceningan, just next to Bali. But you can get here in half an hour from Bali, or in 15 minutes by boat from Nusa Penida. You can find out how in our article about Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Ceningan.
Nusa Ceningan and Nusa Lembongan (where our next beach is located) aren’t included in our Bali itinerary. We do, however, highly recommend both islands as a day trip from Nusa Penida.
Please note: Don’t come at high tide. The beach gets very small and things get pretty cozy even with just a few people.
Jungutbatu Beach: For sunsets
- Perfect for: sunsets, sunbathing, surfers
- Location: Nusa Lembongan – open in Google Maps
- Getting there: You can park right at the beach.
- Shade: If you eat at one of the warungs, you can use the sun loungers for free.
- Facilities: warungs and bars with restrooms
- Entrance fee: free
Jungutbatu Beach is the main beach on Nusa Lembongan. It’s the longest beach on the island and many boats dock here. The water is also very shallow, which makes it not the best spot for swimming.
But the sunsets here are absolutely spectacular. The colors in the sky explode in the evening, and with the boats in the foreground you can get some seriously stunning photos.
A little further out on the water there’s also a great surf spot. Surf school boats will take you out there.
Frequently asked questions about the best beaches in Bali
Where are the best swimming beaches in Bali?
Most of Bali’s sandy beaches are located near Uluwatu. There are tons of great spots for surfing and a few really good ones for swimming too.
Our favorites for swimming near Uluwatu are Mengiat Beach and Nunggalan Beach.
On Nusa Ceningan, there’s also a fantastic swimming spot: Secret Point Beach.
Are the beaches in Bali clean?
It really depends on the time of year.
During the rainy season, the sea is often rough and storms can wash a lot of trash onto the beach. It can take a few days before everything is cleaned up again. The beaches on the Nusa Islands, however, were very clean during our visit in the rainy season.
During the dry season, some trash and seaweed still washes ashore, but significantly less. Beaches like Mengiat Beach are also cleaned every morning.
Where on Bali will I notice the tides least?
On Bali, there are no beaches where you won’t experience low and high tide.
At some beaches, though, you’ll notice the tides much less than at others. The beaches of Nusa Dua, Sanur, and Jimbaran Bay are more sheltered than, for example, those near Uluwatu.
Where are the white sand beaches in Bali?
The white sandy beaches of Bali are found mainly in the south of the island and on Nusa Penida, Nusa Ceningan, and Nusa Lembongan.
Can you have a proper beach vacation in Bali?
Absolutely! We’ve even put together an article on the best beach hotels in Bali to help you find the perfect place to stay.
