Best Black Sand Beaches in Bali: Volcanic Shores Guide

Bali's black sand beaches are a direct product of the island's volcanic geology. Mount Agung, Bali's highest peak at 3,031 metres and the most sacred mountain in Balinese Hinduism, is an active stratovolcano that last erupted in 2017-2019. Over thousands of years, eruptions have deposited vast quantities of basaltic lava across the island's eastern and northern slopes. As this lava cools and solidifies, it forms dense, dark rock rich in iron and magnesium minerals. Rivers and streams carry fragments of this volcanic rock to the coast, where ocean waves grind them into fine sand over centuries. The resulting black sand is composed primarily of magnetite, ilmenite, and other iron-rich minerals, which give it its distinctive dark colour and metallic sheen. The iron content also makes black sand magnetic — run a magnet through the wet sand at Amed or Lovina and you will collect a satisfying cluster of dark particles. Black sand absorbs significantly more solar radiation than white sand, which is why it feels noticeably warmer (and sometimes uncomfortably hot) underfoot during the middle of the day. Wear sandals or water shoes when walking on black sand beaches between 10 AM and 3 PM, especially during the dry season. The mineralogy of black sand also creates different beach dynamics. Black sand beaches tend to be steeper and more compact than white sand beaches, with waves breaking more abruptly on the shore. The water runoff is faster, which can create stronger undertow near the waterline. These characteristics make black sand beaches generally better suited to experienced swimmers.

Lovina Beach on Bali's north coast is the island's most famous black sand destination and offers an experience completely unlike anything in the south. The sand here is a soft, fine grey-black, and the Bali Sea lapping against it is almost always calm — a stark contrast to the powerful surf on the south and west coasts. This calm water makes Lovina one of the best swimming beaches in Bali, and the warm black sand underfoot adds a sensory dimension that white sand beaches cannot match. Lovina stretches for approximately eight kilometres along the coast, encompassing several small villages with the central hub being Kalibukbuk. The area has a distinctly different atmosphere from southern Bali: quieter, more traditionally Balinese, and significantly cheaper. Beachfront bungalows start from IDR 200,000 per night, and a full meal at a local warung costs under IDR 40,000. The main attraction is the early morning dolphin-watching tour. Traditional outrigger boats (jukung) depart from the beach at approximately 5:30 AM and head out to spot pods of spinner dolphins that feed in the nearshore waters. Sightings are reported on over 90 percent of trips, and watching wild dolphins leap, spin, and play in the calm morning water — with Mount Agung rising in the background when conditions are clear — is genuinely magical. Trips cost around IDR 150,000 per person and last about two hours. Beyond dolphins, Lovina offers excellent snorkelling at nearby reef sites, diving at Menjangan Island (a 90-minute drive west), and relaxing hot springs at Banjar, about 20 minutes inland. The village of Kalibukbuk has a small but pleasant selection of restaurants, bars, and shops. The main drawback is distance: Lovina is approximately 2.5 to 3 hours from the airport and about 2 hours from Ubud.

Amed is a string of small fishing villages along Bali's northeast coast that has become the island's premier shore-entry snorkelling and diving destination. The beaches here are composed of coarse black volcanic pebbles and sand, creating a stark, beautiful landscape of dark shoreline against incredibly clear turquoise water. The coral reef begins just metres from the beach at several locations, making Amed one of the few places in Bali where you can walk into the water and be snorkelling over vibrant reef within minutes. The most popular snorkelling spot is the Japanese Shipwreck, a small World War II vessel lying in shallow water about 10 metres from shore. The wreck is encrusted with coral and home to schools of colourful fish, and you can explore it with just a mask and snorkel — no dive certification required. The water depth ranges from 3 to 12 metres around the wreck, making it accessible to both snorkellers and beginning divers. Just 15 minutes down the coast, the village of Tulamben is home to the USS Liberty, a US Army cargo ship torpedoed by a Japanese submarine in 1942 and later pushed into the sea by the 1963 eruption of Mount Agung. The wreck lies between 5 and 30 metres depth and is considered one of the top 50 dive sites in the world. Remarkably, the shallowest sections are accessible to snorkellers from the beach. Amed itself has developed a small but excellent tourism infrastructure. Boutique hotels, dive shops, yoga studios, and international restaurants line the coastal road, though the pace of life remains slow and relaxed. The area is popular with long-term travellers, divers, and people escaping the intensity of southern Bali. The drive from the airport takes approximately 2.5 hours via the east coast road through Candidasa. Salt production is a traditional activity along the Amed coast, and you can observe salt farmers harvesting crystals from seawater using traditional bamboo and palm-leaf evaporation techniques — a practice that has continued for centuries.

On Bali's west and east coasts respectively, Echo Beach and Keramas represent the island's most exciting black sand surf experiences. Echo Beach (Pantai Batu Mejan) in Canggu has transformed from a quiet fishing village into one of Bali's trendiest coastal hangouts, and its dark grey-black volcanic sand gives it a raw, untamed character that sets it apart from the groomed white sand strips of Nusa Dua. The surf at Echo Beach is powerful and breaks over a rocky reef bottom, making it suitable for intermediate to advanced surfers. Beginners should observe from the beach or head to nearby Batu Bolong Beach, where gentler waves break on a sandy bottom. The beach bar scene at Echo Beach is thriving, with venues like The Lawn and Echo Beach Club offering cocktails, international food, and sunset DJ sessions with front-row ocean views. The grey-black sand, crashing waves, and casual beach bar culture create an atmosphere that feels more like a rugged Pacific coast than a tropical island. On Bali's east coast, Keramas Beach is home to a world-class right-hand reef break that has hosted WSL (World Surf League) championship tour events. The beach itself is a wide stretch of coarse black volcanic sand, and the wave breaks over a shallow reef about 200 metres from shore. The surf at Keramas is strictly expert-level, with powerful, hollow waves that break in shallow water. For non-surfers, Keramas is still worth visiting for the dramatic scenery and the chance to watch elite surfers from the beach. The Komune Resort at Keramas has a beach club and restaurant with views of the break, and their unique night-surfing facility illuminates the wave with underwater lights — creating a surreal spectacle visible from the shore. The black sand at both Echo Beach and Keramas gets hot during midday, so bring footwear and plan your beach time for morning or late afternoon.

Kusamba is a working fishing village on Bali's southeast coast that offers a completely different black sand experience — one rooted in traditional Balinese culture rather than tourism. The beach here is a wide, steep expanse of coarse black volcanic sand, and on any given morning you will find colourful jukung outrigger boats lined up on the shore, fishermen mending nets, and families harvesting salt using methods passed down through generations. Kusamba's salt farming tradition is one of the most fascinating cultural practices still active in Bali. Workers collect seawater and pour it over troughs filled with black volcanic sand, where it evaporates in the tropical sun. The salt-encrusted sand is then collected, washed with more seawater, and the concentrated brine is poured into shallow coconut-wood troughs where it evaporates completely, leaving behind crystals of natural sea salt. The entire process is done by hand, using no electricity or modern equipment. You can walk among the salt-farming operations and observe the process up close. The farmers are generally welcoming and happy to explain their work, and you can buy bags of freshly harvested sea salt directly from them — a unique and authentic Bali souvenir that costs just a few thousand rupiah. Kusamba is not a swimming beach — the surf is powerful, the undertow is strong, and the steep beach creates dangerous shore break. It is a place for cultural observation, photography, and interaction with a traditional Balinese community that has maintained its way of life despite the tourism development surrounding it. The village is about a 45-minute drive from Ubud and 30 minutes from Sanur, making it an easy half-day trip. Combine it with a visit to the nearby Goa Lawah bat cave temple, which sits on a black sand beach just two kilometres east and is one of Bali's most important temples.