10 Most Beautiful Beaches in Uluwatu, Bali

Located in the southwestern end of the Bukit Peninsula of Bali, Indonesia, Uluwatu is a popular holiday destination for surf, sun and soft white sand. This means that, yes, some of the best beaches in Bali are located here! If you’re travelling to Uluwatu soon, this article will surely come in handy, as I’ve compiled all the info you need to know on the 10 best beaches in Uluwatu (in my humble opinion), which activities you can do there and more!

Fun Fact! The name Uluwatu came from ‘ulu’ which means “land’s end” and ‘watu’, meaning “rock”, which exactly describes Uluwatu’s location. Uluwatu’s coastline captivates holiday-makers and surf enthusiasts across the globe; its beautiful cliffs and gorgeous rock formations add to the reasons why it is a must-visit destination in Bali!

With so many gorgeous beaches in Uluwatu, it can be really hard to choose. Luckily for you, I have narrowed my list down to 10 must-visit beaches. Whether you want to surf, swim, or sloth under the sun, this guide will take you through the best beaches in Uluwatu!

Let’s go:

10 Best beaches in Uluwatu, Bali

NOTE: You can visit Uluwatu any time of the year, but the best time for beaches, swimming, sunbathing or a surf break is from April to October. This time of year there is less rain and humidity. Or, if you are travelling on a budget, you can visit the Bali beaches in May, June, and October.

Just so you know from the start: it’s not unusual to be charged a fee for entering the Uluwatu beaches, or mainly for parking. These fees usually range from 5.000 to 15.000 IDR (0.25 to 1 US$). I will mention the entrance fee for each of the beaches I’m talking about below:

1 – Dreamland Beach

With a 100 metre stretch of soft sand and crystal blue water for swimming and surfing, Dreamland Beach used to be one of Bali’s hidden treasures; now it’s set up with sunbeds to rent and visited by tourists frequently. Even though it’s good for surf (perfect for beginners btw!) the waters are also good for swimming as the waves don’t get too rough on the shore. However, it is always a good idea not to swim out too far since the current is strong in this area.

Dreamland is easy to access and a perfect start before heading to other Bali beaches, which is why I consider it to be one of the best beaches in Uluwatu! This beach is one short walk away (20 minutes) from Bingin Beach. Refreshment shops and food carts are available along the beach, which makes this one of the best Uluwatu beaches in my opinion!

ENTRANCE FEE: IDR 10,000 for domestic tourists and IDR 15,000 for foreigners

THINGS TO DO: Surfing, swimming, sunbathing, sunset viewing (walking up the hill for the best views)

BEST BEACHCLUB: Klapa

WHERE TO STAY: Klapa Resort

RELATED READ: Wondering where to stay in Uluwatu? I recommend checking out my dedicated article: A Complete Guide to Accommodation in Uluwatu, Bali – 22 Best Hotels

2 – Padang Padang Beach

Padang Padang Beach (also known as Pantai Labuan Sait among locals) is definitely on everyone’s list of the famous best beaches in Uluwatu. Heck, it’s even one of the most popular beaches in Bali! Why? Mainly because it was one of the shooting locations for ‘Eat, Pray, Love’, so you might recognise it if you’ve seen the movie. Padang Padang Beach in Uluwatu is ideal for some sunbathing, getting friendly with the monkeys (watch your belongings!) and lots of relaxation!

What to do at Padang Padang? Find souvenirs like sarongs, friendship bracelets, shirts, hats, board shorts from one of the local shops. Catch the beautiful sunrise, or dig your toes into the soft golden sand, find a spot to read a book, the list is endless – sounds perfect, right?

NOTE: The main section of Padang Padang Beach is easily accessible but rather small, and can get pretty crowded during the daytime. During low tide, you can walk along the beach all the way down to Impossibles Beach. You’ll find lots of rockpools and formations along the way, so make sure to explore!

ENTRANCE FEE: IDR 15,000 per person and an extra 10,000 IDR for the car park.

THINGS TO DO: Swimming, sunbathing, surfing, rockpools

BEST BEACH CLUB: Blue Heaven Bali

WHERE TO STAY: Suarga Padang Padang

3 – Nyang Nyang Beach

If you’re looking for a superb white sand beach stretched over 1.5 km, Nyang Nyang Beach is one of Bali’s best spots for you! It’s true, it’s a bit hard to reach, as you’ll have to go about 500 steps down from the top of the cliff, but it has a unique “secret beach” vibe that is worth all the time and effort. Nyang Nyang Beach is the best if you are up for something more secluded or want a leisurely walk on its long stretch of lovely white sand. Nyang Nyang also has the remains of the hull from a shipwreck which is quite cool for photos. If you want to enjoy the view, the water, and a little privacy, this is the place to be!

By the way, you can even do paragliding here – more info here and easy to visit Uluwatu Temple from here as well, which is only half a kilometre away by car/motorbike.

ENTRANCE FEE: There is no entrance fee, but parking will cost 2,000 IDR per motorbike

THINGS TO DO: Beach walk, swimming, soak up the sun, photo-taking, sunset viewing, paragliding, mini shipwreck

WHERE TO STAY: The Sanctus Villa

4 – Thomas Beach

Birds eye view of Thomas beach, Bali, Indonesia

Gorgeous and truly underrated! Thomas Beach Uluwatu is a hidden gem and a superb beach in Bali which makes for an excellent spot for surfing, as well as paddleboarding. Getting there is a sweaty 10 minutes hike on the bumpy road, but you will be rewarded with blue waters and soft sandy shores. I recommend visiting Thomas Beach before low tide to enjoy swimming. It is also a great surfing spot for beginners and the perfect place to relax; enjoy the sun, water, and sand. You can also rent a surfboard at Thomas Beach for 50.000 IDR for 2 hours.

ENTRANCE FEE: there is no entrance fee, but sunbeds and umbrellas are available for rent for 50.000 IDR (2 beds and one umbrella)

THINGS TO DO: surfing, swimming, sunbathing

WHERE TO STAY: Kutuh Manak Guest House is not exactly only the beach, but 400m from it

5 – Suluban Beach

Suluban Beach Uluwatu is famous for the shipwreck located there, which makes for an excellent photo spot! Even though it’s pretty tiny, Suluban is one of the best spots around Uluwatu to watch the sunset or sunrise. It’s also known as Blue Point Beach because this is where you’ll find this famous surfing spot.

While you’re at Uluwatu Suluban Beach, make sure you check out the nearby cave formations and rock pools where you can take a dip, visit some other sandy beaches located nearby, catch some waves, and be in awe of the incredible sunset after a long day. It may be a strenuous walk down the developed cliff, but this paradise is worth the workout.

ENTRANCE FEE: There is no entrance fee, but the parking cost is 3,000 IDR (0.20 US$). But if you access the beach via Single Fin, you will have to pay 5,000 IDR (0.35 US$) for parking your motorbike or 15,000 IDR (1 US$) for parking your car.

THINGS TO DO: sunset/sunrise watching, surfing, swimming

BEST BEACH CLUB: Single Fin

WHERE TO STAY: The Manik Toya, only 300m away from the beach

6 – Pantai Tegal Wangi

Pantai Tegal Wangi Beach is a wonderful Bali beach located close to Jimbaran and it’s the best beach in Uluwatu if you’re looking for a unique photo spot. There’s a cave there and plenty of little natural pools where you can swim. Plus, it’s quiet! But be sure to wear appropriate shoes, as the beach itself is quite rocky.

Truth be told, the major attraction on Tegal Wangi Beach is the magnificent sunset view. The swimming area is small due to the massive rock covering most of the shoreline, but there are rock pools that you can swim in during low tide. The best part is that developments have not reached this area yet, so you get to indulge in gorgeous views.

ENTRANCE FEE: There is no entrance fee but with parking cost of 2.000 IDR

THINGS TO DO: sunset watching, exploring the natural rock pools, relaxing

WHERE TO STAY: AYANA Resort and Spa is only 350m from the beach

7 – Green Bowl Beach

Green Bowl Beach Uluwatu (Pantai Green Bowl) is an excellent choice if you’re looking for one of those secluded Uluwatu beaches that you can have all to yourself!

Remember that I mentioned Tegal Wangi beach having a cave? Well, Uluwatu Green Bowl Beach has not one, but two limestone caves and it has a very laid-back vibe, which makes it one of the best beaches in Bali in my opinion. Plus, Green Bowl Beach is also a very good surfing beach in Uluwatu and the waters are SO, so clear!

You can park your car or scooter in the parking lot at the top of the cliff and then you’ll have to descend 300 stairs. The good part is that the stairs are made of concrete, so you won’t have any difficulties here – maybe just a little to get back up!

ENTRANCE FEE: no entrance fee, parking is 2.000 IDR

THINGS TO DO: exploring the caves, relaxing, sunbathing, surfing

WHERE TO STAY: no nearby hotels

8 – Bingin Beach

If you’re looking for a tucked-away beach, Bingin is your answer! And it’s also one of the most gorgeous Uluwatu beaches in my humble opinion. Bingin Beach Uluwatu offers enough beach restaurants and accommodations and it’s a perfect spot for sunbathing even though it’s still remote. I totally recommend Bingin Beach if you’re dreaming of a romantic dinner on the beach, with the sunset as your backdrop! If you decide to swim here, it’s best to have some sort of water shoes, as the seabed is quite rocky. And make sure you swim on the left side at high tide, it’s the safest part!

ENTRANCE FEE: no entrance fee. The parking lot is not that close as for the other beaches, you’ll have to walk for 5-10 minutes to reach Bingin Beach

THINGS TO DO: relaxing, SUP, surfing (advanced only), snorkelling, sunbathing, eating at the warungs, taking a picture with the boulder and tiny tree

BEST BEACH CLUB: no beach clubs around, but the restaurant at Sun & Surf is pretty good

WHERE TO STAY: The Inn Possible

9 – Karma Beach

Karma Beach is hands-down one of the best beaches in Bali if you want to experience staying in a luxury resort without actually staying there! Karma Beach was recently transformed into Karma Beach Club which has quickly become one of the most fun Uluwatu beaches. They have various restaurants here, movie nights and countless other fun activities. If you’re all about relaxation, you can just sit with a cocktail at the bar and admire the sunset! And the best part? No need to climb down to the beach, as they have an funicular that takes you there directly.

ENTRANCE FEE: 450.000 IDR (31.5 US$)

THINGS TO DO: see the sunset, sunbathe, drink, watch a movie, kids club

BEST BEACH CLUB: Karma Beach Club

WHERE TO STAY: Karma Kandara

10 – Melasti Beach

Last but not least, if you’re looking for a beautiful Uluwatu beach that’s popular among tourists and that has a good vibe, you should add Melasti Beach Uluwatu to your bucket list! Melasti is a good place to lounge and to swim as well, but its location makes it popular with the crowds, so even though it’s a great spot, expect Melasti Beach to be touristy and crowded at times. It’s right near Green Bowl Beach and the stunning rise that descends down to Melasti is so worth the effort – so many beautiful views!

ENTRANCE FEE: 10.000 IDR entrance fee + 2.000 IDR for the parking

THINGS TO DO: relaxing, sipping a drink at the beach club, sunbathing, swimming

BEST BEACH CLUB: Sundays Beach Club is very close to Melasti Beach

WHERE TO STAY: Villa Melasti

BONUS: Other notable beaches in Uluwatu, Bali

Not your first time visiting Uluwatu Bali? No worries, I made a short round-up below with some extra beaches in Uluwatu to choose from. Spoiler alert: just like the ones above, all of the beaches below are absolutely gorgeous!

Balangan Beach – Balangan Beach is one of the best beaches in Uluwatu that offers everything you can think of: perfect vibes, soft white sand, yummy food places and some of the best surfing experiences on the coast. Pantai Balangan is tiny but super beautiful and, best of all, it’s not that crowded; plus, it’s not hard at all to get to the beach, compared to other spots on this list. This being said, there’s no reason not to add Balangan Beach to your list, especially if you’ve already seen most of the 10 Uluwatu beaches on my list above!
Pandawa Beach / Nusa Dua – Pandawa Beach, also known as Nusa Dua is a gorgeous beach in Uluwatu with white sand, white limestone cliffs and turquoise waters. And it’s also known as one of the prettiest beaches in Bali! The entrance fee to Pandawa Beach is 10.000 IDR it is a great choice for surfing and paddleboarding.
Karang Boma Cliff – also known as THE best sunset spot in the entire Uluwatu, Karang Boma Cliff offers one of the many places for incredible panoramic views of Bukit Peninsula and the Bali sea. The beach isn’t actually accessible, but the viewpoint is worth it. Entrance fee of 10.000 IDR.
Jaran Hill Beach – Jaran Hill hosts the famous “Secrets” surfing point and offers one of the best views of the other beaches in Bali and the entire coast. This beach is located right at the end of the trail that gets you to Uluwatu Lighthouse and you’ll find 3 viewing points here: Uluwatu Lighthouse, Jaran Hill Cliffs and Jaran Hill (highest).

When it comes to finding the best white sand beach, Bali (Uluwatu) is definitely THE place to go! It’s exactly why I created this ultimate guide to the best beaches in Uluwatu. I selected 10 beautiful beaches that I, personally, really love – some for sunbathing, others for surfing, paragliding or simply sipping a cocktail on the beach. I’m recommending some famous spots such as Thomas Beach, Nyang Nyang, Dreamland Beach and more. I also created an extra list with 7 more great beach spots around Uluwatu such as Melasti Beach, Balangan Beach, Bingin Beach and Karang Boma Cliff.

If you need more help with planning your trip and itinerary for Uluwatu, I recommend clicking here to find all my articles about this superb destination.

xoxo,

Melissa

Want to know more about travelling to Bali?

Check out all my Bali Travel Guides here.
Need to book your flights? Head over to Skyscanner!
Time to book your tour in the city? Head over here!
Did you not get travel insurance yet??? Get it – it’s not a hassle you want to risk!
Don’t forget to download my nifty Google Maps Guide for your trip to Bali so you don’t miss a thing!

Pin me for later!

A Complete Guide to Uluwatu Bali The Best Beaches

Want to stay in the loop? Join my exclusive mailing list, plus you’ll gain access to my ever-growing free resource library!