Beaches In Amed, Bali: 8 WONDERFUL Options
A Guide To The Best Beaches In Amed
After spending 14 months travelling across Asia—including two full weeks exploring the beaches in Amed, Bali—I can confidently say this area offers some of Bali’s most spectacular coastlines.
While the island has no shortage of beautiful beaches, Amed’s striking black sand shores and the dramatic backdrop of Mount Agung create an unforgettable view.
Having explored countless beaches throughout Southeast Asia, I loved Amed’s perfect balance of traditional fishing village charm and excellent snorkelling spots.
The long stretch of coastline features several distinct beaches, each with its own unique character.
In this guide, I’ll share my firsthand experience of Amed’s best beaches, along with practical tips to help you plan your visit.
From prime snorkelling spots to picturesque sunset views, this comprehensive guide will help you make the most of your time in this beautiful corner of Bali.
If you are planning a trip to Amed, check out the 15 Best Things To Do In Amed, my guide to Lahangan Sweet and 12 BEST Hotels in Amed Bali
Thank you, let’s begin!
Map Of The Best Beaches In Amed
Pantai Amed
Amed Beach, also known as Pantai Amed, is uniquely beautiful in my opinion.
A little over 2 kilometres in length, Panati Amed is a place where you can appreciate all the beauty of northern Bali.
In the morning, you experience an amazing sunrise or sunset, especially when walking back west along the beach.
The sand here is black due to the volcanic eruption that took place in 1963, which has drastically changed the environment.
Believe it or not, even as recently as 2017, the entire town had to be evacuated due to another eruption.
The beach offers plenty of open space to set up for a day of lounging and swimming in the pristine waters.
Although underwater visibility isn’t as clear as Gili Trawangan or Jimbaran Beach due to the dark volcanic rocks, you can still find excellent snorkelling spots with beautiful fish in the deeper waters.
Not to mention all the great restaurants and bars found along the beach, which have some magnificent fresh fish.
Tours are easy to find here.
When we stayed on Amed Beach, many guides would ask us every day if we needed a jukung and guide, so there were always options to plan your trip.
In my opinion, Panati Amed is the best beach in Amed!
Where To Stay At Amed Beach?
I recommend staying somewhere close to Amed Beach.
You could stay further west or east along the coast from Amed Beach, but when we visited, we felt like everything was there.
Numerous dive centres, plenty of coffee shops and great restaurants, as well as a great gym.
We were only a short walk from the Amed Salt Centre, too.
Pantai Batu Halus
A sotnes throw from Lipah Beach you will find a small yet peaceful beach of Pantai Batu Halus.
The beach is only 300 meters in length yet it has Wayan Snorkeling Amed where you can book scuba diving excursions or you can eat close to the beach at Bukit Segara Restaurant with grand sea views.
Here, the black sandy and rocky beach is a nice place to come for a shorter time to relax. You can even choose to stay at some marvellous villas and private accommodations right by the sea.
Compared to Pantai Amed, the atmosphere here is quieter due to having fewer visitors.
Where To Stay At Pantai Batu Halus
Waenis Sunset View Hotel and Restaurant, Amed, Bali
Puri Wirata Dive Resort and Spa Amed
Pantai Jemeluk
Another great beach in Amed is Pantai Jemeluk aka Jemeluk Beach.
What makes this beach so special is the crystal clear water and, ultimately, the underwater temple.
Although it took us a while to find it, the sight was incredible when we finally spotted the temple.
Interestingly, it had been covered in underwater growth, with colourful fish darting in and out of its stone structure.
Additionally, I was not surprised to find many MANY people swimming, snorkelling or scuba diving here.
Visitors travel from across Bali and around the world to enjoy water activities near the temple.
I had found an abundance of fish here, which was incredible, and I have to admit it was one of the best underwater experiences I had during my 14 months of travel in Asia.
The beach has as expected, black sand and is normally full of jukungs which you will see from the moment you get to the beach.
Once you wrap up your time at Pantai Jemeluk, I recommend you visit Sunset Point Amed Bali.
A 350-meter walk, you will find yourself at the best viewpoint along the coast of Amed in my view.
There is an affinity pool, and when we visited, we watched the sun go down with some chill music and a couple of cocktails.
Where To Stay At Pantai Jemeluk
COCONUT BEACH BUNGALOWs & WARUNG
Lipah Beach
Located between Amed Beach and Japanese Shipwreck Beach is Lipah Beach.
As you have probably guessed already, you will only find black volcanic sand and no golden soft sand.
My personal favourite thing about Lipah Beach is the factthat you can reach the Coral Garden from here.
The Coral Garden is a large underwater area that many people visit either on a tour or by themselves.
We found some turtles when we visited and some incredibly beautiful fish. I felt like I was going to run into Nemo at any moment—which we actually did!
Please note that we did spot some underwater snakes, so have caution when exploring the seabed.
Additionally, the current can be strong here, so before swimming out to the Coral Garden, make sure you know which way the current is flowing and exercise plenty of caution, especially if you’re not experienced in the water.
Where To Stay At Lipah Beach
Ibus Beach
About 300 metres north of the Japanese Shipwreck site is Ibus Beach.
Many visitors and locals consider Ibus Beach the best beach in Amed. While I do not agree with this myself, I can see why people like it.
You can actually reach the Japanese Shipwreck in a 4-minute walk from Ibus Beach. So when you have had enough lazing around, you go into full explore mode and go in search of the underwater wreck.
You can enjoy some Italian food too, as Trattoria Amed is close to the beach and offers beautiful ocean panoramas.
There are also some great snorkelling opportunities at Ibus Beach because the water can be transparent at times and you can see all the amazing colourful fish.
Keep in mind that compared to Pantai Amed or Pantai Jemeluk, this place will feel a world apart in terms of the number of people.
A much smaller beach by comparison, it has nice, soft, golden sand.
It’s hard to believe that a 20-minute drive north makes you feel like you’re 1,000 miles away in terms of beach scenery.
Where To Stay At Ibus Beach
Stairway To Heaven Bungalows and Restaurant
Lean Beach and Bintang Beach
So it may be a little confusing but some people say that Lean Beach and Bintang Beach are the same thing.
This beach is straight and totals close to 550 meters is filled with Jukungs all waiting to explore the ocean in front of them.
Located between Selang Beach and Lipah Beach, you can hit these two beaches consecutively or even walk them all together.
Some people say it is the same beach but technically they are split with an estuary which flows down from the mountain and for that reason. Locals have explained that it is named after the town of Lean.
If you want to get an amazing view down onto the beach, coupled with tremendous sea views, I recommend you stop by Reki Bar & Resto for a coconut and soak in the views.
Don’t expect there to be showers or much else on the beach. It’s a little bear apart from the restaurants and hotels close by.
Despite its simplicity, it’s a beautiful beach that’s well worth visiting.
It’s a little less black-sanded than Amed Beach so you can see the changes in the landscape the further east you go along the coast.
Safe to say, the beaches in Amed are fun and offer a completely different experience compared to those in the south.
Where To Stay At Lean Bach
Selang Beach
Had there been no cliff edge that pokes out into the ocean Selang Beach would also be part of Lean and Bintang Beach. But it does not!
Thankfully, we have another little beach which feels more private.
Selang Beach is only about 250 meters in length, and while it has many Jukungs all over it when not in use, there are some other things to keep an eye out for.
You can use Nadia Amed Tour & Snorkelling to go out and explore the amazing diving locations in Amed or you can simply swim in the transparent water.
Again, the sand here is now starting to turn more golden and the further you travel along the coast, the more this will happen.
Amed’s beaches are very dark and rocky, while Selang Beach has a more typical beach appearance and texture.
It’s fascinating how you can explore such diverse beaches all within close proximity to each other.
Where To Stay At Selang Beach
Japanese Shipwreck Beach
One of the best Amed Beaches is the Japanese Shipwreck Beach.
About a twenty-minute drive along the superb Amed coast, you will arrive at this beach.
The main attraction here is the incredible experience of swimming around an old sunken vessel near the shoreline.
I have to warn you that even though it’s a beach, you need to get it clear in your head that it’s not the most comfortable beach to lie on.
In fact, I wouldn’t even bother putting a towel down. The beach itself has many large rocks the size of a football, and lying here is really uncomfortable.
Additionally, there are plenty of those narrow small jukungs dotting along the beach, which you find throughout all the beaches in Amed.
I recommend you take a seat at the bar and move between it and the water.
Amed’s beaches are black-sanded or extremely rocky, so don’t have any illusions, it’s not the postcard beach image you may have in your head that one would usually associate with South-East Asia.
All of this considered, it’s still one of the best places in Amed to swim and the journey there is scenic.
Where To Stay At Japanese Shipwreck Beach
Where Is Amed?
Amed is found on Bali’s northeastern coast in the Abang District in the Karangasem Regency.
The seven villages include Amed, Jemeluk, Bunutan, Selang, Banyuning, and Aas. Most of these villages have some of the most amazing beaches in Amed.
Amed is famous for having amazing, beautiful black sand and snorkelling opportunities. T
he coastline runs for about 14 kilometres and there is also an abundance of coffee shops, restaurants and even gyms.
I have eaten some of the most amazing seafood in Amed.
How To Get Around Amed?
You can get around Amed most easily on a scooter, bicycle or motorbike.
If you do not ride motorbikes, you can get a taxi to take you around for the day, though it can be expensive.
When we were in Amed, we used Grab only once because many drivers would accept our ride request but then either not show up or wait for us to cancel.
I believe they did this to frustrate us into booking a more expensive ride since short trips are less profitable for drivers.
This was both understandable but frustrating as a traveller in Amed.
Read more about how to get from Ubud to Amed in my post.
Travel Insurance For Bali
When we visited Bali we we took part in many water activities such as snorkelling and scuba diving.
While it is heaps of fun, things can go wrong. It’s best not to leave your country without comprehensive travel insurance, in my opinion.
We use Safety Wing.
When we visited Almaty, Kazakhstan, Guada needed an emergency operation in the early hours of the morning. In fairness to Safety Wing, they stepped up.
They chased us for paperwork and had Guada fully reimbursed within a number of weeks. It was flawless.
The good things about Safety Wing are that snorkelling is covered with the basic plan as of today and you can get an adventure sports add-on, so when you dive in Amed’s wonderful waters, you know you’re in good hands.
Terms and conditions apply of course.
Final Thoughts On The Beaches In Amed
I visited some of the best beaches in Amed, and I am the first to admit it has some unusual beaches to explore.
The black sand and bumpy beaches make for a unique experience that you won’t find anywhere else in Bali’s south.
For me, my favourite had to be Amed Beach. It is so long and perfect for walking, especially when the sun is setting.
Additionally, swimming there is a treat. The water barely moves an inch but while visibility is better at Pantai Jemeluk, you won’t find as many people cramped together in such a big open beach.
Furthermore, you can get easy access to some of the best seafood on the island along Amed Beach.
If you enjoyed reading, then check out my posts about How To Get To Amed, Bali, Tirta Gangga Water Palace and Amed Bali Snorkeling – What You Can Expect
Thanks for reading,
James
FAQs
Is Amed Beach Worth Visiting?
Amed is honestly worth a visit even if you only have a few days. The black sanded beach makes for an unusual change to those in the south of the island. The underwater snorkelling and scuba diving were epic and really made me appreciate Bali’s northern coast and diversity.
Which Area Has The Best Beaches In Bali?
While Amed has some wonderfully black-sanded beaches Kuta is spoiled for some amazing beaches as well as southern Bali. Places like Jimbaran, and Melasti, Bali’s most southerly point have amazing beaches too. My personal favourites were Amed Beach, Padang Padang Beach and Jimbaran Beach.
How Many Days Do You Need In Amed?
I recommend spending 3-5 days to fully appreciate Amed’s beaches and explore its amazing underwater world of temples and tropical fish. Though we stayed for two weeks, you could experience the main attractions in just a few days. The ideal length of your stay will depend on what you want to see and how much time you have available.
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