There are many beaches in Bali, but Suluban Beach was the only one I rated as a “must-see.” This hidden gem in Uluwatu has picturesque turquoise waters with natural limestone cliffs as a backdrop. Many of the pictures you see online are from the neighbouring Blue Point Beach, which looks pretty but sucks for actual sunbathing and swimming. Suluban Beach is a quiet, secluded stretch of sand with barely any tourists.
How To Get to Suluban Beach
First, you’ll want to get onto Jalan Mamo, which is off Jalan Pantai Padang-Padang. There will be a lot of signs for bars and restaurants at the corner of Jalan Mamo that you should watch for.
It’s not very far until there’s a small kiosk in the middle of the road. Anyone on a motorbike or in a car will have to stop here and pay for parking. If you’re walking to Suluban Beach as we did, you don’t have to stop or pay for anything. In fact, Suluban Beach didn’t seem to have an “admission fee” that many other Bali beaches have.
The parking lot is on the left at the end of the road, filled with tons of motorbikes. Walk through the parking lot and down the stairs next to the Single Fin bar to start the descent to Suluban Beach.
There are a lot of bars along the way with prime views that you might want to stop at afterwards. I recommend La Terrazza. Eventually, you’ll see the Twin Fin Bar on your right. Take the stairs down on the left. There is a large pink massage platform at the bottom of the stairs. Take another left at this point.
The paths down here have mostly shops lining the edges, like beachwear and surfboard rentals. There were a couple of photography stalls where you could get professional, close-up shots of you surfing. The road will split into two, and you want to take the right option.
There is a big sign for Suluban Beach around the corner, along with a set of steep stairs. Once at the bottom, the rocks loom overhead which makes it feel like you’re in a cave. The path continues ahead over a concrete bridge and up more stairs. On the right is the more crowded Blue Point Beach. There will be a lot of surfers and beachgoers headed this way. However, Suluban Beach is through the rocks on the left of the path.
There is a triangular gap in the rocks that you’ll need to squeeze through. Even a small person will need to crouch down. Once you’re through, you will have arrived at Suluban Beach.
What It’s Like at Suluban Beach
Suluban Beach has more beach space while at the same time having fewer tourists than Blue Point Beach next door. There were probably less than thirty people on the beach during our visit. We were able to set up our towels in a good spot that was far enough away from the next person. There were no monkeys or shady-looking deviants on the beach. I was not concerned about my stuff getting stolen while in the water.
For a public beach, the sand was fine and clean. There was almost no litter around. Occasionally, some friendly locals passed by to place Canang Sari (offerings). There are absolutely no amenities and no toilets at Suluban Beach. You’ll have to wait until you can get to one of the bars or restaurants at the top of the cliffs.
Water shoes are not required when going into the water at Suluban Beach. There are a few large boulders in the water. They are a little rough if you’re trying to sit on them, but they’re easy enough to avoid if you’re wading or swimming. I don’t think this beach is ideal for surfers – there are too many rocks in the shallow waters. Most of the surfers were at Blue Point Beach. Suluban is for sunbathing and light swimming. The waves are pretty strong, so nobody went very far into the water.
When To Go to Suluban Beach
As tempting as it is to go during prime sunbathing hours around the afternoon, anyone visiting Suluban Beach must go in the early morning. The tide rises as the morning passes. As early as 11 am, the water level might be too high to pass through the rock gap safely. We left at 10:30 am, and the beach was nearly empty at this time. Only ten minutes later, the space through the rocks had shrunk as the waves continually flowed through the gap. In the afternoon, I would guess that the entrance to Suluban Beach is completely underwater.
Saturday Worthy?
Suluban Beach is a beautiful beach and we had a lovely morning here. I can’t believe how quiet and clean it was, especially since it didn’t have an admission fee. It’s easy to get to, and the walk down is pleasant with the shops and bars. If you don’t intend to surf, definitely come to Suluban Beach instead of the more popular and crowded Blue Point Beach.
