7 BEST Beaches in Uluwatu, Bali

Looking for the best beaches in Uluwatu? You’ve come to the right place!

In this article we have listed all of the most beautiful beaches in Uluwatu, including their exact location, tips on how to get there, what to expect, photo and more.

In my opinion, Uluwatu by far has the best beaches in the whole of Bali. On my first two trips to Bali I didn’t understand how people could travel to Bali just for the beaches, as elsewhere on the island I’d never seen pretty ones.

That was until I finally visited Uluwatu on my third trip to Bali. Here I finally found white sand beaches with crystal clear water and a rich marine life, as well as fun and trendy beach clubs.

So what are you waiting for? Dive in, and discover the best beaches in Uluwatu, Bali!

Most beautiful beaches in Uluwatu

Exploring the beautiful beaches of Uluwatu is a must on any Bali itinerary, and here they are!

Melasti Beach

Melasti Beach is one of the most beautiful beaches in Uluwatu and one of my personal favourite beaches in Bali.

Located right up on the southernmost point of Bali, it’s easy to get to in a taxi or by driving yourself as you can just drive right up to the beach. 

Not only is the beach itself simply stunning with limestone cliffs and soft golden sand, but the crystal-clear water makes it one of the beaches in Uluwatu for swimming. 

There’s also a tempting selection of beach bars, eateries and more upmarket beach clubs scattered along the sand which makes spending the whole day there really easy.

Make sure to turn up with enough cash to pay for the entrance fee for the beach which is an affordable 10,000 IDR per person. Depending on where you park, parking is charged at 2,000 IDR per vehicle. 

Sundays Beach Club

Spend the day at Sunday Beach Club and relax in the beautiful surroundings of one of the best beach clubs in Uluwatu. It’s considered one of the best Instagram photo spots in Bali, and it’s easy to see why!

The cool bamboo construction is located on its own stretch of private beach that’s backed by lush greenery and azure blue waters. 

Getting to the beach is all part of the fun. The journey down to the beach begins at Ungasan Clifftop Resort, where you’ll ride a private funicular down to the beach itself.

Spending the day here is a VIP experience with a VIP price tag to match. It might just be one of the fanciest Uluwatu beaches Bali has to offer. The entrance fee is 250,000 IDR, with a 400,000 IDR minimum spend. 

Though it may be pricey, no beach guide of Uluwatu would be complete with it on their list. It’s not often you get such beautiful surroundings and amazing service too. 

The entrance fee also allows you to use the kayaks, SUPs and snorkel gear onsite. You won’t be snorkelling with turtles, but there is still some nice reef to explore.

Green Bowl Beach

At the opposite end of the spectrum is the very wild Green Bowl Beach. Situated around a 25 minute scooter ride from Uluwatu, this 30-metre stretch of pristine beach is situated at the bottom of cliffs that soar up 75 metres from the sea. 

There’s no funicular to allow you easy access to this beach. Instead, countless steps run down through the greenery — fine on the way down, but not so fine coming back up again in the heat.

Another thing to consider is the lack of facilities here. There are a couple of warungs serving up local food and bottled water at the top of the cliffs, but there’s absolutely nothing down on the beach itself.

You should also come at low tide as at high tide the beach pretty much disappears.

Overall, Green Bowl is one of my favourite beaches in Uluwatu. Note there’s a 10,000 IDR entrance fee from the ticket office up the top.

Bingin Beach

Another contender for the best beach in Uluwatu is Bingin Beach. Like Green Bowl Beach, getting to this slice of sand involves descending a lot of steps, but it’s worth it.

Make the journey down here and you’ll find a very cool beach. Unlike Green Bowl, which has no services at all (unless you count the car park at the top of the cliff), Bingin Beach has a selection of facilities.

Here you’ll find sunbeds, umbrellas, bars and restaurants. There aren’t as many services to choose from as Melasti, but at least they’re there!

Bingin Beach has no entrance fee, which is a plus, but if you want to park your scooter at the car park up top you’ll be charged 5,000 IDR.

Suluban Beach

This beach is super famous in the surfing community. It’s one of the best surf spots in all of Bali, not just Uluwatu. Considered to be “the spiritual home to surfing in Indonesia”, Suluban Beach attracts surfers from across the globe.

This was a location featured in the legendary surf film Morning of the Earth in 1972, which led to the island’s popularity as a surf spot.

It’s not just surfing that makes this (possibly) the best beach Uluwatu has to offer.

It’s also home to Single Fin, a stylish restaurant and bar where you can sip cocktails to the sound of DJs on a backdrop of cliffs and gorgeous sea views.

The beach itself is a small, picturesque cove between cliffs, accessed via steps. Bear in mind that at high tide, there is very little beach to sit on, it’s more of an entrance and exit spot for surfers.

There’s parking at the top (fee 3,000 IDR).

Padang Padang Beach

Another beach in Uluwatu that’s famous for surfing, Padang Padang was made even more famous when it was featured in the 2010 film Eat, Pray, Love.

Aside from being a beautiful beach, Padang Padang has plenty of services like loungers, umbrellas and several bars and restaurants to make use of during your time there.

If you want to try your hand at surfing, then you can make use of the surfboard rental here, which is charged at 100,000 IDR per hour. If you’re a complete beginner, you can pay for a 1-hour surf lesson (400,000 IDR).

There’s a 15,000 IDR entrance fee to access the beach. There’s an additional fee of 5,000 IDR if you want to use the car park.

Come early morning if you want to avoid the crowds; if you don’t mind crowds, then visit in time for sunset for some beautiful views.

Nusa Dua

Nusa Dua isn’t technically Uluwatu, but it’s a beach near Uluwatu that you may want to visit. Nusa Dua isn’t technically one beach, but multiple beaches, more or less merging from one to the other.

It’s all backed by resort hotels and has been popular with tourists seeking a resort experience for the best part of half a century.

Generally speaking, this is a really family-friendly selection of beaches that features calm, shallow waters making it ideal for paddling.

Since it is backed by resorts some parts of the beaches can get pretty busy, but mostly it’s surprisingly chilled.

The beaches here include Nusa Dua, Geger Beach (the only one with an entrance fee; 3,000 IDR), Sawangan Beach – where you can pay for a camel ride on the sand – and Samuh Beach.

Being set in a resort area, you can expect to find plenty of facilities and services should you need them.

Where to stay in Uluwatu

While my favourite beaches are in the south of the Bukit Peninsula, the best area to stay in my opinion is around Suluban or Bingin beaches, as it’s livelier. Here are some great places to stay for every budget.

Budget: Ancala Uluwatu – For a budget price, you get rooms with minimalist design, cool artwork, and a private veranda leading out onto a lush tropical garden. Plus in the common areas a pool and bicycle rental.

Click here to book your stay at Ancala Uluwatu!

Mid-range: Bingin Garden Uluwatu – Located just a few hundred metres from the beach, here you will find clean and spacious rooms, with a minimalist decor accented with natural wood in one of the best locations to stay in Uluwatu.

Check out prices & availability at Bingin Garden Uluwatu here!

Luxury: Umana Bali – If you’re looking for luxury, then this resort definitely delivers. This five-star resort sits atop a cliff overlooking the ocean, and offers four dining options, iconic Bali private pools, hot tubs and a shared infinity pool.

Don’t miss out, click here to book your stay at Umana Bali!

How to get to these Uluwatu beaches

There are lots of different ways to travel around Uluwatu, and Bali more generally. My personal favourite, especially around Uluwatu, is to rent a scooter and just go explore.

That way you have maximum freedom, you can just weave in and out of traffic, and it’s easy to find parking at all these beaches. You can rent a scooter in Bali for as little as 100,000 IDR per day.

If you don’t feel comfortable on a scooter, I suggest hiring a private driver instead. 

While being in a car can be better than a scooter (you don’t get wet if it rains, if you’re stuck in traffic you’re not breathing the smog of other cars, there’s air conditioning inside cars, the list goes on), I don’t recommend renting a car and driving yourself.

Bali traffic can be intense, and while you can weave your way around it in a scooter, with a car you’d just be stuck there, road raging against other drivers. If you have a driver you can just sit back and relax, while he stresses.

You can also join an Uluwatu beaches tour. You get all the benefits of a private driver, without having to worry about telling him where to go. Here are some popular Uluwatu tours.

Bali: Hidden Beach Tour & Seafood Dinner with Sunset View

With pick-up available from a number of locations around Bali, this private tour takes you to many of the best beaches of the Bukit Peninsula.

Being a private tour, you can decide where to go, but it would generally include stops at Padang Padang Beach, Bingin Beach and Suluban Beach. You will wrap up your day Jimbaran Beach for a seafood dinner with sunset view.

Click here to join a hidden beach & sunset seafood dinner tour in Bali!

Bali: Full-Day Private White Sand Beaches and Sunset Tour

This is another private tour, but it’s a bit more comprehensive in that it goes beyond Uluwatu. Plus, it also includes a visit to Uluwatu Temple for the traditional Kecak Dance.

Click here to book your private beaches & sunset tour in Uluwatu!

Do you need travel insurance?

After my personal experience spending two nights in a private hospital in Tenerife, and having to pay for it out of pocket (it wasn’t cheap), I always recommend getting travel insurance.

You might not end up needing it, but for a small fee you can travel without worries. Personally, I suggest getting your travel insurance with  Heymondo.

Heymondo offers tailor made travel insurance, providing the best value for money for your specific trip. You can also buy it once you’re already abroad and have forgotten about it before flying (which, if you’re anything like me, is quite likely).

Besides the usual cancellation, medical expenses, luggage coverage and general travel insurance services, Heymondo also has a 24/7 doctor chat and instant assistance through their app.

Plus, as a Greta’s Travels reader, you get 5% off your Heymondo travel insurance!

Click here to get your 5% off Heymondo travel insurance!

Final thoughts on Uluwatu best beaches

There you have it, the ultimate compilation of best beaches in Uluwatu! Have you been to Uluwatu before? How did you find it? Let me know in the comments below!

Uluwatu is by far my favourite area in Bali. When people ask me for tips I always tell them to avoid areas in Bali like Kuta, and head instead to the beautiful beaches of Uluwatu.

I also really like the greener areas of Bali, like Ubud with its terraced rice fields. The rich diversity of the Island of the Gods is actually what makes it so fun to tick off activities from your Bali bucket list.

But if you’re looking for pretty Bali beaches, then Uluwatu if where you should be searching. With its dramatic cliffs, rich marine life, pristine white sand and crystal clear turquoise water, it doesn’t get better than this.

I hope you found my Uluwatu beaches guide useful! If you have any questions, just let me know in the comments below!

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