10 Best Places to Go Surfing in Bali

Bali is famous for its excellent surfing, and some of the best spots are on the southern coasts and around the Bukit peninsula. These ocean playgrounds are strictly for advanced surfers as they mostly comprise serious reef breaks and large curls. Hazardous for beginners, some of these reefs provide consistent waves that pros love.

Surf spots like Padang Padang regularly host major surfing championships due to their long and consistent barrels, while the legendary breaks of Uluwatu provide an exotic towering temple backdrop with a steady supply of large swells. Check out this guide on the best surf spots in Bali if you’re planning to ride world-class waves together with skilled surfers from around the world.

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1. Uluwatu

A legendary location with a temple backdrop

Good for: Photo, Adventure

Uluwatu is a legendary surfing spot, famous not only for its top waves but also the experience of surfing with the beautiful views of Uluwatu Temple. Where else can you sit in the line-up after catching a big wave and look up to see an ancient Hindu shrine and magnificent cliff face?

Crowds become a factor when the waves are under 1 meter, but the coast clears as the ocean begins to produce epic barrels. It’s good to refer to tide charts and local knowledge here. Remember to also bring some cash for a great after-surf massage at one of the warungs on the cliff. Beware of tide changes, or you may be swept down to Padang Padang.

Location: Pecatu, South Kuta, Badung, Bali, Indonesia

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2. Suluban

A secluded paradise that’s an adventure to get to

Good for: Photo, Adventure

Not far north from Uluwatu is the secluded surfers’ paradise of Suluban. Nicknamed Blue Point, this place has its own unique appeal, including a beautiful narrow beach where many sunbathers crowd. Getting to the beach is an adventure down steep staircases and rocky openings that require you to bend down a bit to get through.

You must first make your way along the narrow path, down the somewhat treacherous steps and into a cave, then out onto the sand. Suluban in Balinese means to “crouch under”, which is easily understandable. The main appeal for surfers is its long and powerful swells and consistent barrels. The cliff top is lined with shacks overlooking the thrills and the beautiful horizon. Read more

Location: Pantai Suluban St, Pecatu, South Kuta, Badung, Bali 80361, Indonesia

3. Padang Padang

A playground for the most confident pro surfers

Good for: Adventure, Budget, Couples

Padang Padang is a favorite spot due to its consistent barrels, and most of all, its accessibility and unique hollow rock entrance that opens out onto an exotic, long, white-sand beach. It’s located between Bingin and Uluwatu, and the beach is often the location of international surfing events, such as the regular Rip Curl Cup Padang Padang.

The powerful and consistent waves are an average of 1 meter and above. Suitable for pros, sharp reefs dwell underneath the beautiful barrels, which occasionally break onto the rocks. Though the waves are strictly for advanced surfers, the beach gets crowded, especially on the weekends. Read more

Location: Jalan Labuansait, Pecatu, South Kuta, Badung, Bali 80361, Indonesia

4. Impossibles

The name says it all

Good for: Photo, Adventure

This famous surfing destination lies between Bingin and Padang Padang, and features a long reef. Its nickname implies that it was once an intimidating break, urging experienced surfers to conquer its waves.

Impossibles comprises 3 take-off zones (or peaks), the first of which is accessible via Padang Padang. The 2 others are accessible from the Impossibles Beach’s midsection. Here you’ll get long and powerful swells with consistent barrels to enjoy. The waves average 0.5 to 1.5 meters. The challenge of searching for the spot and the tough surf are paid off with wonderful panoramas of the beautiful beach and its irregular rock formations.

Location: Bukit Peninsula, South Kuta, Badung, Bali 80361, Indonesia

5. Bingin

A less intimidating surf spot

Good for: Photo, Adventure

Bingin is an hour’s drive from Kuta, and only minutes north of Uluwatu. The waves here aren’t as big as Uluwatu’s, but being on the same south-western side of the Bukit Peninsula, it shares the same hazardous reef. Bingin’s barrels are consistent, much like its neighbor’s, but are a little shorter.

This makes catching a good wave in time a little bit of a challenge here. Tides similarly play a factor, so it’s a good idea to keep your tide charts handy or ask around some local surfers who know the playgrounds well. Expect more crowds here than at Uluwatu, as the waves are less intimidating. Read more

Location: Jl. Pantai Bingin, Pecatu, Kec. Kuta Sel., Kabupaten Badung, Bali 80361, Indonesia

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6. Balangan

One of the longest left-hander breaks on Bali

Good for: Photo, Budget, Adventure

Just north from the crowded and highly developed Dreamland Beach, Balangan is a surfing paradise with a half-mile-long stretch of white sand and seaweed-covered rocks. The reef is right in front of the beach, and it has southern swells with one of the longest left-hander breaks on the island that range from 4 to 6.5 feet high.

For pros, heading to the point is the best plan to catch the steeper walls, and sometimes barrels when the swell is large. At the edge of the beach, there’s a great selection of warungs to grab a bite to eat at when all tired out from the surfing fun. Read more

Location: Jl. Pantai Balangan No.54, Jimbaran, Kec. Kuta Sel., Kabupaten Badung, Bali 80361, Indonesia

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7. Green Bowl

Tricky access to a pro surfer’s dream

Good for: Adventure, Unusual

Reaching the tiny Green Bowl beach is an adventure in itself as it’s located on the southernmost tip of the island, beside the closed Bali Cliff Resort. The beach appeals to lovers of quiet and exotic shores who don’t mind taking hundreds of concrete steps down a cliff face to reach a secluded beach. At the base are several bat caves that add to its list of unique features.

Green Bowl has consistent swells, as well as the strong southern ocean currents that move out to sea in unpredictable directions, so it’s strictly a location for experienced surfers. Crowds are hit-and-miss, but most of the time it isn’t very packed, owing to its far-flung location and tough access.

Location: Ungasan, South Kuta, Badung, Bali, Indonesia

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8. Canggu

Lots of different surf spots to explore

Good for: Photo, Adventure

Canggu has many different surf spots. One of the most famous is Pantai Batu Mejan, known by surfers as Echo Beach. The waves here are usually larger than Kuta’s, especially in the mornings. The black-sand beach and reef breaks are for intermediate to advanced surfers.

Sets tend to shift during the day, and you might find yourself sitting in the line-up waiting for as long as 30 minutes before scoring the right wave. The waves are usually fast, with most preferring the lefts to the rights. You can find more peaks down the coast to the northwest, towards Pererenan Beach. Read more

Location: Jl. Munduk Kedungu, Pererenan, Kec. Mengwi, Kabupaten Badung, Bali, Indonesia

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9. Keramas

Night surfing spectacles to delight

Good for: Adventure, Couples, Unusual

Keramas is a black-sand beach on the island’s eastern coast in Gianyar. With a wide-open ocean view facing Nusa Lembongan island, the Keramas beach break is home to the Hotel Komune and Beach Club Bali, which presents night surfing spectacles (as if day surfing wasn’t enough excitement).

Eastern swells pick up and break over an uneven lava reef. The waves are mostly fast right-handers and average up to 5 feet. Keramas is also a regular host to major pro and grommet events (for novices).

Location: Jl. Prof. Dr. Ida Bagus Mantra No.80551, Keramas, Kec. Blahbatuh, Kabupaten Gianyar, Bali, Indonesia

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10. Nusa Lembongan

Shipwrecks, Lacerations, and Playgrounds

Good for: Photo, Adventure

Nusa Lembongan, located southeast of the Bali mainland, has several great breaks. One of them is nicknamed Shipwrecks, and is marked by a ship that ran aground on its north-western reefs. This spot gets packed with surfers of all standards, but only the skilled and strong-willed will be able to secure a good barrel.

Surf spots to the south of Lembongan include Lacerations and the smaller swell at Playgrounds, which both break across a shallow reef. The latter is easy to get to and is ideal for beginners. Getting to these fantastic surf spots requires a boat ride from Nusa Lembongan’s Mushroom Bay.

Location: Jungutbatu, Nusa Penida, Klungkung, Bali, Indonesia

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