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Sanur

Relaxed coastal charm (South Bali)

About Sanur

Sanur is Bali's original tourist area, offering a more relaxed and mature alternative to the busier south. Its paved beachfront path is perfect for cycling, and the calm, shallow waters make it ideal for families. It's also the gateway to Nusa Penida.

Best for: Families, retirees & those seeking tranquility

  • Beachfront promenade
  • Calm waters
  • Traditional markets
  • Ferry to Nusa Penida

Sanur at a glance

  • Beach: Good (3/5). Reef-protected beaches with calm, shallow water; very low at low tide.
  • Nightlife: Fair (2/5). Relaxed pubs, live music and beachfront bars; quiet by 11 pm.
  • Prices: $$ · Moderate. Moderate: good-value restaurants and plenty of mid-range hotels.
  • To the airport: 16 km · 20–35 min. By road to Bali airport (DPS), in usual traffic.
  • Climate: Hot & humid · coast

Ratings

  • Calm-water swimming: Very good (4/5)
  • Surfing: Fair (2/5)
  • Diving & snorkeling: Good (3/5)
  • Sunsets: Poor (1/5)
  • Restaurants & cafés: Good (3/5)
  • Culture & temples: Good (3/5)
  • Nature & landscapes: Poor (1/5)
  • Yoga & wellness: Good (3/5)
  • Family-friendly: Excellent (5/5)
  • Peace & quiet: Very good (4/5)
  • Remote work: Good (3/5)
  • Walkability: Excellent (5/5)

Rated from 0 (none) to 5 (excellent), compared with Bali's other areas.

Resorts in Sanur

Sights in Sanur

  • Museum Le Mayeur (museum). Museum Le Mayeur is the beachfront home of the Belgian painter Adrien-Jean Le Mayeur, who settled in Sanur in the 1930s and married the Legong dancer Ni Pollok, his main model. The carved wooden house and its garden hold dozens of his paintings of Balinese life. It sits on the beach path in north Sanur, and an hour is enough to see it.
  • Pura Sakenan (temple). Pura Sakenan is an old Hindu temple on the northwest shore of Serangan Island, linked in tradition with the priests Mpu Kuturan and Dang Hyang Nirartha. Its walled courtyards of stone shrines draw thousands of worshippers for the temple festival on Kuningan day. It is a short drive south of Sanur across the causeway to Serangan, and visitors wear a sarong and sash.
  • Bajra Sandhi Monument (landmark). The Bajra Sandhi Monument is a tall stone memorial to the struggles of the Balinese people, shaped like the bell a Hindu priest rings at prayer and opened in 2003. Inside, a ring of dioramas tells the history of Bali from prehistoric times to independence, and a spiral stair climbs to a viewing deck. It stands in the large public park at Renon in Denpasar, about 15 minutes' drive west of Sanur.
  • AeroXSpace Adventure (play & adventure). AeroXSpace Adventure is a space-themed indoor adventure park on the Ngurah Rai bypass at Sidakarya, between Sanur and the airport, opened in August 2024. Its air-conditioned hall of about 3,500 square metres holds some 25 attractions on several levels: trampolines, climbing walls, drop slides, a ropes course, a zipline and a coaster that rides above it all, with a space of its own for toddlers.
  • Lapangan Puputan Badung (park). Lapangan Puputan Badung is the main square of Denpasar, a shady park of about three and a half hectares around a monument built in 1997 to the puputan of 1906, when the Badung court chose death over surrender to the Dutch. A free children's playground, a skate park, giant chess boards and paths fill it, and Museum Bali stands across the road on its east side.
  • Turtle Conservation and Education Center (wildlife). The Turtle Conservation and Education Center on Serangan island, a short drive south of Sanur, was set up in 2006 to protect the green, hawksbill and olive ridley turtles of Bali's coasts. Eggs rescued from unsafe beaches hatch in its hatchery, turtles hurt by boat propellers recover in its pools, and thousands of hatchlings a year are released into the sea. Staff show visitors round.

Beaches in Sanur

  • Sanur Beach (beach). Sanur Beach runs for several kilometers down the east coast of south Bali, with a reef offshore that keeps the water calm and shallow. A paved beach path, busy with walkers and cyclists, links hotels, cafes and the harbor where boats leave for the Nusa islands. The beach faces east, so early morning is the time for the sunrise.
  • Mertasari Beach (beach). Mertasari Beach is a wide stretch of pale sand at the southern end of Sanur, on the paved beachfront path that walkers and cyclists follow north along the coast. The offshore reef keeps the water calm and shallow, and in the windy dry season it is a popular kitesurfing spot, with kite schools on the beach. In July and August, kite festivals here fill the sky with giant traditional Balinese kites.

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