Atuh Beach on Nusa Penida or Pantai Atuh as it’s known in Bahasa, is one of the most epic beaches in Nusa Penida, Bali. It’s a rough drive and a short hike down to the beach but it’s an incredible little bay, making it worth the effort! Some of the photos in this post were taken at high tide and others at low tide. You will notice the difference.
Atuh Beach on Nusa Penida
Atuh Beach is a hidden paradise located on the eastern tip of Nusa Penida, an island off the southeast coast of Bali, Indonesia. Renowned for its serene beauty and secluded location, Atuh Beach features a crescent-shaped stretch of white sand beach encircled by towering, rugged cliffs. The beach is accessible by a steep staircase cut into the cliffside, and the breathtaking view from the top is nothing short of mesmerizing. Read on to find out about a cheeky little cliff jump and our climb of the arch.
One of the best ways to visit many of the best Nusa Penida beaches in one day is on this Ultimate Nusa Penida Day Trip Tour from Bali or you can rent a car on Nusa Penida with private driver.
BEST NUSA PENIDA TOURS!
These are the four most popular Nusa Penida Tours. I’ve done all four and they are AWESOME!
How to get to Atuh Beach on Nusa Penida
Like many spots on Nusa Penida, the roads to Atuh Beach are unforgiving. Loose gravel and potholes are the enemies as you try and navigate your way to this epic beach. We zipped along in the dim morning light, hoping to reach Atuh Beach in time for sunrise. One of the guys with us slid out on the gravel and did some minor damage to his knee. Always grab a helmet on Nusa Penida, the roads are improving very quickly but are still dangerous!
If you aren’t confident in driving, you can rent a car on Nusa Penida with private driver, which is a good option to visit multiple spots safely in a day with a group of friends.
The drive to Atuh Beach is quite scenic and best accessed by motorbike or Moped. The Google Maps location will take you to the left side of the bay. There are access stairs on both the left and the right but both times I have entered from the left. There is no parking fee on this side, while there is a 10,000 (1 USD) fee on the other side.
If you do park on the left-hand side you will have a great view down into the arch, whereas the right-hand side gives you great views but not of the iconic Atuh Beach arch. I hope that all makes sense as you plan your trip but follow the map below and you will arrive left, hike down to the beach and can then hike up and be on the right-hand side of the beach!!
A motorbike costs a little bit more than on Bali mainland. We got ours for 70,000 rupiah per day with a full tank of gas. It wasn’t deal of the year but don’t expect to haggle down to 40,000 rupiah like you might manage on the streets of Canggu or Kuta.
Atuh Beach Map Location
I’ve pinned the location of Atuh Beach on the map of Nusa Penida below, so you can see where it is in relation to your accommodation on the island.
SWIM WITH MANTA RAYS ON NUSA PENIDA!
Atuh Beach: What to Expect
Atuh Beach on Nusa Penida is the type of place that takes your breath away at first glance. From the top of the stairs, the view is already pretty insane. The arch that runs along the rock formation out in the water, the huge sheer drop-off of the cliffs and the amphitheater-like white sandy beach at the base of it all is a sight to behold.
The hike down the stairs takes only ten minutes but is quite steep, which you will realize on the way back up. The density of the trees and vines hide the view from you for most of the short hike. At times a break in the foliage gives you a small window into Atuh Beach.
On the sandy shores of Atuh Beach are a number of small vendors who sell coconuts, nasi goreng, and other snacks and beers. The prices aren’t too expensive considering the location and the effort to get the goods down to the beach. I had a nasi goreng (rice and vegetables) for $2 USD.
Atuh Beach Cliff Jumping
We find the cliff jumps wherever we go. This is one of the more epic scenes we have ever jumped from. A few of the boys swam out to the arch and started checking the depths around the arch.
There were a few points that were about 3m deep. Not incredibly safe but good enough for a small jump. We scaled the arch and even just standing up the top was one of my favorite highlights of my trip on Nusa Penida. We found lots of cliff jumps across Bali and documented them in this guide.
After lengthy discussions, we sent a few backflips and jumps from the middle tier. It was at least 10 meters. I only encourage you to try if you personally do a depth check and are comfortable jumping. This isn’t a safe one I recommend! If you want a safer jump head across to Nusa Ceningan for the Blue Lagoon cliff jump.
BEST CAMERA FOR BALI
The GoPro Hero11 is the BEST camera for traveling around Bali and Indonesia.
- Waterproof for snorkeling, island-hopping, hiking and beach days.
- Built-in stabilization for filming your travels and adventure activities
- 5.3K video and 27MP Photo to capture awesome memories of friends and family
Atuh Beach Viewpoint
Once you are down on the beach you can hike up the right-hand stairs as I mentioned earlier. Now you can look back down on to Diamond Beach from the other side. Additionally, you can head away from the beach up the hill and enjoy an epic view down towards the Thousand Islands viewpoint. Be prepared to pay 10,000 rupiahs to enter this area even if you don’t park your moped there.
TOP 3 PLACES TO STAY ON NUSA PENIDA
I’ve written a massive, detailed guide about the Best Places To Stay on Nusa Penida….BUT If you just want me three favorites right now, here they are!
BEST NUSA PENIDA DAY TOURS
If you are staying in Bali.. take a day trip on a speedboat to explore the highlights of Nusa Penida. It takes just 35 minutes to get from Bali to Nusa Penida by speed boat. Yep, in just one day you can snorkel with Manta rays and visit lots of the best beaches and viewpoints.
Manta Ray Snorkeling Tour
Manta Ray Nusa Penida Tour (from Bali): Snorkeling with Manta Rays is a once-in-a-lifetime experience and one of the best wildlife encounters I’ve had in my life. The Manta Rays are majestic and very friendly. With a wingspan of 5m, these gentle giants cruise around you while you snorkel amongst them. The Nusa Penida Manta Ray Snorkel Tour includes pick up and drop off from your hotel in Bali and all transport and tickets included.
Nusa Penida Highlights Tour
Nusa Penida Highlights Tour: Get picked-up from your Bali hotel, take a 35-minute fast boat to Nusa Penida and then visit the most popular viewpoints, beaches and snorkel spots on the island. This small Nusa Penida Highlights Tour group tour is the most highly reviewed day trip for Nusa Penida Island. You’ll visit all the most popular spots and can request certain viewpoints on your itinerary. Places you will visit are sites like the ones listed below:
- Angel’s Billabong
- Kelingking T-Rex Beach
- Broken Beach
- Rumah Pohon Treehouse
- Snorkeling at Crystal Bay
- Thousand Island Viewpoint
MORE NUSA ISLANDS BLOG POSTS
There are a ton of epic things to do on Nusa Penida, but I also wrote detailed guides for all of the adventurous things to do on Nusa Lembongan, Nusa Ceningan. You can explore more of my guides by clicking one of the links below.
