All the beaches in Bali

Usefulness. I've toured all the beaches of the southern peninsula, and the best one for me was Melasti. The water is similar to the Maldives, there are no waves, there are loungers, free showers, the beach is large, not crowded, maybe it seemed so, but you definitely don't bump into people, the beach is really clean with beautiful whitish sand, you can drive right up to the beach. I also liked the holiday format at the Grand Hyatt, they have pools, but the water isn't as clear. By the way, a guy was almost carried away into the ocean. Lifeguards on a boat saved him. He says he was carried by the current about 300 meters along the shore and couldn't swim back. Fortunately, someone from the shore saw him.

The southern beaches (Melasti, Pandawa, Nusa Dua, Geger) have white-yellow sand, are beautiful, but not suitable for swimming. It's a bit far to swim to the reefs, and to get there, you're essentially wading through knee-deep or waist-high water. They're great for children and for those who don't like swimming. Swimming shoes are recommended as there are many small stones, and splinters can be easily caught.
The western beaches (Kuta, Seminyak, Canggu, Denpasar) are beautiful in the evening. They say they're the best for sunsets (though Goa's were seemingly prettier). We encountered large waves, and tides need to be monitored, but swimming in them is difficult and not very appealing, to put it another way. They're mostly suitable for surfers, who, by the way, all learn there. You can also walk along the gentle shore at low tide. But there's little joy in swimming; sunbeds are rented almost everywhere for about 100k for two, cold drinks are almost always available, including beer, but luck's needed for a shower to wash off salty water—some places have them at beach clubs, while some cafes don't. Those used to European standards will find it harder, but then Bali might not be what they need. We didn't get to the northern beaches; they are said to be mostly volcanic with black sand.
Major settlements are crowded, as is generally the case everywhere in Asia, but especially tight in Ubud and Canggu. The road is two-lane, and sidewalks, if present, are for one person, with usually a moped parked or moving on the second. 😅 Somehow, people still manage to vacation with children here. It doesn't seem quite the place for them, at least not with very small babies, but we did observe such resilient people. There were no parks or squares, or rather, there was one, but it was no less crowded than everywhere else. I think with such an influx of people, in 5-7 years, it will become very difficult to vacation on the island.

We went to this beach today. On the plus side, there are almost no people. There's plenty of natural shade, so you can save on sunbeds. The waves are not big. Lots of fish (you can snorkel with a mask). Cons: Entry fee is 20,000 + 5,000 for the bike. The descent and especially the ascent is not close, but there is a shuttle. Pantai Gunung Payung

I still think Jimbaran Beach is undeservingly overlooked. We walked from one end to the other and back today. We periodically swam, hung out in warungs, and drank mango smoothies.
From the southern part, we reached the fish market, looked at the seafood, and went back. As I mentioned this morning, we swam both at high tide and low tide. There were no people around.

Here is my experience with beaches:

This one is closest to Ubud

https://maps.app.goo.gl/Zo2kPQBE2tryoUPBA?g_st=com.google.maps.preview.copy

This one has a calm wave

https://maps.app.goo.gl/s3qoAKf12TtiZarY8?g_st=com.google.maps.preview.copy

Here you can surf and find beautiful beaches

https://maps.app.goo.gl/9aL49b7SDoDQeB7y6?g_st=com.google.maps.preview.copy

https://maps.app.goo.gl/TQt1pHiqZLUKCfgJ9?g_st=com.google.maps.preview.copy

https://maps.app.goo.gl/JMn9HyVDmT5HUcXF8?g_st=com.google.maps.preview.copy

https://maps.app.goo.gl/SkqFX12uFRLYNemR6?g_st=com.google.maps.preview.copy

And along the entire western coast from Jerman Beach to La Brisa Bali, there are continuous beaches and beach clubs for almost 15 km

I was just at Bias Tugel Beach. The sand is beautiful, indeed. White. But the ocean has plastic, and the waves are big. On the way home, I stopped at Pantai Segara Kusamba. It's wonderful here. Black sand. Despite the many boats and fishermen, the beach and ocean are clean. The waves are calm. The water is beautiful. You want to swim here. And there's a lovely view of Nusa Penida.

On the beaches of Canggu, Kuta, and Seminyak, the waves are large, making swimming difficult but ideal for surfing. The sunsets are stunning, and the beach is sandy. 🌅

Bukit has many sandy beaches, with Melasti being one of the most beautiful, and the waves are usually smaller.

In Nusa Dua, swimming is possible too. 🌊🏊‍♀

The calmest waves are on the northern coast, for example in Amed ⛰🌊

There are beautiful sunrises 🌄, snorkeling, and diving available 🏊‍♀🤿


There are the Gili Islands with excellent snorkeling and cozy beaches overlooking the mountains of Lombok. I recommend Gili Air. 🏝

By the way, for those who might be interested, the nearest beach to Ubud is Keramas (about 35 minutes away).
There's a surf spot there; it's written right at the turn. I'm not into surfing, though, so I don't know how good the spot is.

There's never anyone there, and the waves are usually big. It's more of a wild place. Not touristic at all. But people do surf.

Consider the beaches of Uluwatu. Personally, we like Dreamland the most.
Sometimes swimming there is impossible due to high waves. But it's very beautiful. Both the view from above and just for a walk. In recent days, the water was calm in the evening at high tide. The sunsets are very beautiful now.
The beach itself is big, quite clean, with beautiful water and white sand.
Padang Padang is best for swimming (among Uluwatu beaches). It's better to go there at high tide. Be careful with the currents.
Bingin is a beach with a cool atmosphere, especially after 4 PM, and during low tide, rock pools form. For me personally, it's more of a low tide beach. At full low tide, you can walk from Bingin to Dreamland.
Many people really like Melasti Beach. The road there is beautiful and the surrounding cliffs are impressive. You can feel the power of the ocean there. Look them up online, maybe you'll find something you like. I recommend ordering a bike taxi, as driving from Jimbaran to Uluwatu is very difficult.

Here is a list of free beaches (parking is still paid):

1. Kuta Beach
2. Muaya Jimbaran Beach
3. Jimbaran Beach
4. Sanur Beach
5. Beaches from Seminyak to Canggu.

We explored some beaches on Bukit and I'd like to share my impressions.
The first one we visited was Padang-Padang. I didn’t like it, the water entry is inconvenient with many rocks, requiring special footwear to avoid injury. The water was murky, and the sand along the waterline had seaweed and trash. Extremely crowded after 3 PM with tours and many similar-dressed girls (school?), Chinese tourists. The descent and ascent to the beach are by stairs, which was tiring in the heat, although my husband managed it quite energetically. Expenses: car parking 5,000 Rupiah, entrance tickets 10,000 Rupiah per person, we didn't rent an umbrella, sitting in the shade of the rocks instead. Perhaps an umbrella would have increased the expenses)). Worth visiting once to compare with other options.
All photos were taken in the first half of the day before the mass influx of tourists.
The second and subsequently most frequently visited beach was in Jimbaran.
We explored seafood restaurants in Jimbaran and settled on Pandan Sari Cafe. Reasons: delicious food, they accommodate requests (spiciness, no sauce, etc.), and remember clients, which is nice. On subsequent visits, they already prepared according to your taste. Prices are low compared to nearby restaurants. Every evening, they host a group of Chinese tourists, so no leftovers, everything is eaten)))
During the day, we were provided with sunbeds and an umbrella FOR FREE, unlike neighboring establishments that charge 100,000 Rupiah for 2 loungers. And the friendly, welcoming staff completes the picture. Highly recommended!
Regarding the beach, it should not be visited if there was heavy rain the day before. The entire shore will be covered with trash, seaweed, coconuts, and logs. In a day, the tide will clean the beach - and voila! - beauty again. Fortunately, there are no ascents or descents. If you park the car in the square opposite the restaurants, the fee is 5,000 Rupiah. But you can use a large free parking lot across the street, just about 50 meters extra to walk.
The third, also a favorite, is Nikko Beach. It's in Nusa Dua between the territories of two hotels. We called it the monkeys' beach because there are friendly macaques living near the parking, especially after being treated to bananas)) Parking opposite the temple is free. The stairs down to the left of the temple are quite steep. My legs ached after the climb, but I’m not an athlete)) At the bottom to the right of the stairs is the hotel territory with beautiful grottoes. You can stop there, but be prepared that hotel staff might ask you to leave. To the left of the stairs, there is a field with trash left by locals (!!!) who come here on weekends. Then a small warung and three umbrellas with loungers, costing the same 100,000 Rupiah for two. Further along the beach, there is a closed (not functioning) warung, next to which are loungers and a canopy that we used for free)) Please, those who find this resting place, don't leave trash, take it with you in a bag. The beach is sandy, but the sand is coarse, like beads. Your feet sink into it. The ocean entry is quite steep, getting deep quickly. The beach is bounded by a coral reef, so there are no waves, but there are always leaves floating in the water, not sure where they come from. Exactly palm leaves, not seaweed. Also, there is a strong current, you enter the water at one place and exit 50-100 meters to the left. If you swim against the current, you'll always be opposite the same point on the beach)))
And lastly from our explorations, Balangan. We visited it once. The road to the beach is winding, fine for bikes, but I was nervous in a car, with many sharp turns and inclines-descents. A small descent to the beach, quite steep without stairs. There's no real parking, everyone parks wherever there's space. The beach is favored by surfers, quite a number of them there. The swimming and sunbathing area is at the very end of the beach. An umbrella and two loungers cost the traditional 100,000 Rupiah. The water entry is inconvenient with many rocks and a strong wave. We didn't like it((

I wish everyone a pleasant holiday, and I'll be glad if my story is helpful to someone :)