Best Beaches for Swimming in Bali: Safe & Calm Waters

Sanur Beach on Bali's southeast coast is widely considered the safest and most pleasant swimming beach on the island. A long coral reef running parallel to the shore creates a natural lagoon that filters out ocean swells, leaving the water inside remarkably calm — almost pool-like on many days. The water is warm, shallow, and stays waist-deep for a good distance from shore, making it ideal for families with young children and non-confident swimmers. The beach stretches for about four kilometres along a paved promenade that is perfect for morning walks, cycling, and finding the right spot for the day. Unlike the surf beaches of the west coast, Sanur faces east, which means it catches the morning sun beautifully but is shaded by late afternoon — a natural pattern that encourages an early start. Sanur town has a laid-back, mature atmosphere quite different from the party vibe of Kuta or Seminyak. The beachfront is lined with small restaurants, juice bars, and traditional warungs rather than mega beach clubs. At low tide, the water in the lagoon can become very shallow (sometimes just ankle-deep), so check tide charts and plan your swimming for mid to high tide. Several spots along the beach have designated swimming areas with lifeguards. Sanur also serves as the departure point for fast boats to Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Penida, so you can easily combine a morning swim with an island day trip.

Nusa Dua Beach occupies the southern end of Bali's eastern coastline, where a wide fringing reef creates a protected swimming zone in front of the island's most luxurious resorts. The water here is consistently calm, clean, and a vivid shade of turquoise that looks almost unreal in photographs. Unlike many reef-protected beaches, Nusa Dua maintains good swimming depth even at lower tides, with sandy bottoms free of sharp rocks or coral near the shore. The beach is well-maintained, with regular cleaning and lifeguard stations positioned at intervals. While the beachfront resorts — including The Mulia, St. Regis, Hilton, and Sofitel — give Nusa Dua an exclusive feel, the beach itself is public property. Several clearly signposted public access points allow non-guests to enjoy the same pristine water and sand. The most popular public access is via Pantai Mengiat, where you will find parking, warungs, and sun lounger rentals for around IDR 50,000 per day. Water sports operators at Nusa Dua offer parasailing, jet skiing, banana boat rides, and glass-bottom boat trips for those who want more than just swimming. The calm conditions also make Nusa Dua one of Bali's best locations for stand-up paddleboarding (SUP), with rental boards available for around IDR 100,000 per hour. The only downside is that Nusa Dua can feel somewhat sterile compared to Bali's more characterful beaches — the trade-off for its manicured perfection.

Jimbaran Bay sweeps in a gentle arc around a wide, shallow bay just south of the airport. The water here stays remarkably shallow for a long distance from shore — you can often walk 50 metres out and still be only waist-deep. This makes Jimbaran one of the most family-friendly swimming beaches in Bali, as parents can easily supervise children in the gentle, warm shallows. The sandy bottom is clean and free of rocks, and the protected shape of the bay keeps wave energy low even during periods of bigger swell. While not as glass-calm as Sanur or Nusa Dua, Jimbaran rarely has waves large enough to be concerning for swimmers. The beach is particularly beautiful in the late afternoon and early evening, when the setting sun paints the water gold and the famous Jimbaran seafood restaurants begin setting up their tables on the sand. Swimming before dinner is a popular ritual — let the kids play in the shallows while you sip a cold Bintang beer, then dry off and sit down to plates of grilled snapper, prawns, and squid as the sun drops below the horizon. The bay's fishing village heritage is still visible in the traditional jukung outrigger boats that line the southern end of the beach. The fish market at the far southern end is also worth a morning visit, where the overnight catch comes in around 6 AM. Jimbaran is just a 10-minute drive from Ngurah Rai International Airport, making it an easy first or last stop on your Bali trip.

Pandawa Beach is one of Bali's newer beach discoveries, hidden behind dramatic limestone cliffs on the southern Bukit Peninsula until a road was carved through the rock in 2012. The approach is spectacular — the road descends between towering cliff walls with carved Hindu statues of the five Pandawa brothers set into niches in the rock face. The beach itself is a 1.5-kilometre stretch of fine white sand backed by vertical cliffs that provide natural shelter from wind and larger swells. The water at Pandawa is generally calm, particularly in the central section of the beach, with a sandy bottom and good visibility. During the dry season (April to October), conditions are typically excellent for swimming, with gentle lapping waves and warm, clear water. The sheltering cliffs block the afternoon wind that can make other south coast beaches uncomfortable. The western end of the beach is designated for swimming, while the eastern end is used by local seaweed farmers who cultivate their crops in the shallow waters. This traditional seaweed farming is fascinating to observe and provides an income for local families. Facilities at Pandawa have developed rapidly in recent years. You will find restaurants, changing rooms, sun loungers for rent, and even kayak and SUP board hire. The entrance fee is IDR 15,000 per person, with additional parking charges. Pandawa gets busy on weekends when families from Denpasar make the trip, so weekday visits are recommended for a quieter experience. The beach is at the base of high cliffs, which means it loses direct sunlight earlier in the afternoon — plan for swimming before 3 PM for the best sun.

Lovina Beach on Bali's north coast is the ultimate calm-water beach destination. The entire northern coastline of Bali faces the Bali Sea rather than the Indian Ocean, which means it receives almost no significant wave energy. The result is water that is often as flat as a lake, with barely a ripple breaking on the volcanic black sand shore. For swimmers who dislike waves entirely, Lovina is paradise. The water is warm, clean, and deepens gradually, making it safe for swimmers of all abilities. Lovina is actually a string of several small beaches and fishing villages stretching about eight kilometres along the coast, centred on the village of Kalibukbuk. The area has a distinctly different atmosphere from southern Bali — quieter, cheaper, and more traditionally Balinese. Accommodation is significantly less expensive, with clean beachfront bungalows available from IDR 200,000 per night. The most popular activity in Lovina is the early morning dolphin-watching trip. Traditional outrigger boats depart from the beach at around 5:30 AM and head out to spot pods of spinner dolphins that feed in the waters offshore. Sightings are reported on over 90 percent of trips, and watching wild dolphins leap and spin in the calm morning sea is a genuinely magical experience. Trips cost around IDR 150,000 per person. Beyond swimming and dolphins, the Lovina area offers excellent snorkelling at nearby reef sites, natural hot springs at Banjar (20 minutes inland), and the twin waterfalls of Sekumpul — arguably Bali's most beautiful cascade — about 45 minutes to the east. The main drawback of Lovina is the distance from southern Bali: it is a 2.5 to 3 hour drive from the airport, or about 2 hours from Ubud.