Bukit Peninsula Surf Guide

Surfing in Bukit Peninsula: Surf Overview

The Bukit Peninsula is the southern most point of Bali, consisting of a large peninsula that is attached to the rest of Bali with a narrow piece of land where the airport is. For the purpose of this guide we have included just the west and south coast of the Bukit Peninsula into this region and have put the east coast of the peninsula in the East Bali region because both coasts perform best is opposing seasons.

Uluwatu, the namesake break of Bali, is found on the southwestern most tip of this peninsula and was first surfed in the 70’s. A lot has changed since then and the Bukit peninsula is growing rapidly.

The Bukit Peninsula is a lot quieter than Kuta, Seminyak and Canggu. With a lot more space, and a more rural feel. But that does seem to be changing quickly, as various hotels and night clubs start to line the cliffs.

Bukit Pensinsula Waves

Exposed to the large southern ocean swells, the Bukit is a swell magnet, sucking in all available swell. Coral reef breaks encircle the peninsula with only 2 sand bottom beach breaks, one at Dreamlands and the other a beginner spot at Jimbaran.

Due to its unique geography, waves can be found in almost any swell conditions and any wind direction, although the waves on the West Coast are the most famous (see: Uluwatu), the waves on the eastern coast (Nusa Dua) are outlined in the East Coast region for ease of explanation with the seasons.

Surfing Ability For Bukit Peninsula

There are spots for all abilities and surfing styles to be found on the Bukit, with Beginner favourites such as Dreamland and Padang-Padang Rights offering great conditions to learn to surf on smaller swells, as well as lessons and boards available for hire.

As the swell gets bigger Padang-Padang Rights becomes the go-to spot for intermediate surfers as Uluwatu, Impossibles, Bingin and Balangan become advanced only spots, and the surf schools will typically take their students further north to a more friendly beach near Kuta or Jimbaran.

Advanced surfers will relish in the options available to them here, with most waves offering powerful walls, thick barrels and challenging sections on their day.

Caution: Many overconfident surfers have been rescued because they underestimated the current at Uluwatu and they’ve been washed all the way down the coast to Padang-Padang with the cliff full of spectator surfers who made the decision to have a beer and wait for more manageable conditions. Please be aware of your ability, if you are unsure get an experienced guide to show you the ropes.

Surf Equipment For Surfing In Bukit Peninsula

Performance boards are the standard for the reefs around Uluwatu, with the exception of Padang-Padang Rights and Dreamland where longboarders and the odd fish can be found.

There are some great board stores on the hill in Ungasan, the main town that you will pass through before the turn off to Balangan. There are also and ever growing number of surf shops in the Uluwatu area that will provide anything you urgently need.

Surfing Seasons In Bukit Peninsula

Optimal season here is from April – October, the dry season, when there are big swells and the trade winds blow offshore daily.

Being coastal and higher up on the cliffs, the temperature can be very moderate and those who handle the heat well might find a sweatshirt or jumper handy for evening outings.

How To Get To Bukit Peninsula

The journey from the airport south to Uluwatu is around 45 minutes depending on traffic. The road will head out through Jimbaran and up the hill through Ungasan in the center of the peninsula, before heading back out to the coast. The majority of beaches around the Bukit are accessed by driving all the way back to Ungasan, and then back to the coast, and there are few connecting roads between.

For this reason, although Bingin, Dreamland and Balangan are technically right next to each other, the journey between them can often take 30 minutes or more, and walking is not recommended as the roads are narrow and there are no footpaths.

How Much Is Bukit Peninsula?

Average costs run slightly higher on the Bukit due to the distance goods must travel from Denpasar, and the lower resident population, although there is still a general distribution of options available.

Transport including taxis and scooter rental may be higher than that found in Kuta. Most taxis booked from the peninsula will be local drivers rather than official taxis and you can expect taxi fares to be at least 200k-300k from the airport.

There are a number of new restaurants popping up and in the past few years a handful of retail stores have opened, predominantly in the boutique space, but the range of services available have grown rapidly over the past few years and now offers a great range of activities for both surfing and non-surfing travellers.