Diamond Beach; Photo by Anton Rymarev on Unsplash

Nusa Penida: Bali's Most Beautiful Destination 🌴

Bali, Indonesia is one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen! I found myself constantly in awe of the incredible raw beauty - clear waters, lush & vibrant jungles, abundant wildlife populations and many volcanoes. Additionally, the Balinese locals were some of the nicest people we’ve ever met.

Visiting Nusa Penida, one of Bali's top destinations, exceeds expectations; no matter how many pictures you see and stories you hear, actually being there among its beaches and villages will take your breath away. There's so much to do from hiking and admiring viewpoints, to snorkeling and swimming with manta rays. There are windy roads leading through rice fields, steep drives up mountain terrain and sharp cliffsides contrasted by water so blue you'd think it was colored with dye.

Something you need to know before you go is that Nusa Penida is pretty large. The main attractions are spread out across the island, making day trips a bit difficult without a solid, structured plan. We arrived at 7:20 AM and left the following day on the last fastboat at 5:00 PM. Depending on what you’d like to do on the island, I would recommend staying for at least one night - we wish we'd stayed for two.

How to Get to Nusa Penida from Bali

Tours

Some full-day tours of Nusa Penida include transfer from Bali. This is also a great way to get around on the island and see the highlights without worries. Some are rare, private boats to the island, while most tours will get you there via public fastboat or ferry.

Fastboat vs Ferry

Getting to Nusa Penida from Bali on your own is straightforward, with the most popular departure point being Sanur (ideal if you're staying in Canggu, Kuta, or Denpasar). For those in east Bali, opt for ports like Padang Bai or Kusamba for the shortest rides. Expect to pay 50,000–300,000 IDR (~$3–20 USD) one-way; book through your accommodation, online (via 12Go.Asia or Bali Ferries), or directly through the boat companies websites.

Your choice depends on location, budget, time, and gear. Want to bring your own vehicle? Take the RoRo ferry from Padang Bai (departs ~10 AM & 2 PM daily except Sundays at 10 AM only; buy tickets on-site). All boats arrive at either Buyuk Harbour (Sampalan) or Banjar Nyuh — both on the island’s north coast.

We lived in east Bali for a month at Village of Angels — a quiet beachfront resort in the Karangasem regency with a view of Nusa Penida. This less-touristy side of Bali puts you closest to the island, so fastboats from Kusamba (we used Gangga Express) took just 20 minutes to Buyuk Harbour and were filled mostly with locals.

How to Get Around on Nusa Penida

Nusa Penida has very rugged terrain on the roads leading to main attraction - rocky, bumpy, potholes - making independent exploration pretty challenging unless you're a confident motorbike driver.

(L) Scenic Views of a volcano on Bali, seen from Nusa Penida (R) The Nusa Penida roads

Public transport is nonexistent, and rideshares like Grab or Gojek don't operate here. Your main options are to rent a motorbike (the budget favorite), hire a private driver with a car, or book an online day tour of the island. Self-driving cars aren't available due to local regulations, so all car options include a driver. Book drivers or tours via your accommodation, websites like GetYourGuide, or at the main road at the harbors (Buyuk or Banjar Nyuh).

Tips for Getting Around:

• Preparation: Carry lots of cash (rentals/tips/fuel/entry fees) - there's hardly any ATMS on the island and many places don't accept card; download offline maps (Google Maps works sporadically).
• Safety & Timing: Wear a helmet (mandatory), avoid riding after dark, and start early to beat crowds and heat
• My Advice: If you're not renting a motorbike, booking a tour (in advance) is the best way to see the island. Private tour guides will curate a personalized itinerary with island highlights & take you on an adventure via car, boat, or a combo of both!

Top Things to do on Nusa Penida Island

Angels Billabong & Broken Beach

Broken Beach

On the western coast of Nusa Penida is Broken Beach and Angels Billabong, two unmissable gems just a 5-minute walk apart. Look for the weathered sign at the cliffs edge marking the short, steep path down; it's an easy and scenic descent via carved stone steps.

Angels Billabong greets you first: an infinity pool etched into the rugged cliffs where crystal-clear emerald waters spill over the edge into the Indian Ocean below. Circle left around the pool for the best views; the vibrant hues contrast against the dark, serrated stone, offering plenty of cool photo spots you can’t miss. Swimming is possible at low tide but risky due to sudden swells — listen to warnings and enter at your own risk. We didn't go in and were perfectly happy to just admire the views instead.

Angels Billabong

Continue down the path to arrive at Broken Beach: an insane natural wonder where relentless waves have sculpted a massive, circular rock enclosure. A hidden turquoise lagoon is trapped inside towering black limestone cliffs, framed by a dramatic arch that lets the ocean surge in.

The path along the arch looks very narrow in photos, but up close it's surprisingly wide and stable. Still, always listen to local warnings: if waves are pounding or tides are high, skip it to avoid slipping or rogue swells. The most beautiful photo spot is directly across from the arch anyway - if you're on a tour, your guide will orchestrate a photoshoot here, posing you for Insta-worthy shots and getting drone videos from every angle. It's so entertaining to watch!

While you can't enter the enclosure, you can join a private boat tour to get close, which I'm sure would be amazing. Grab a fresh coconut from one of the nearby warungs for 20,000–30,000 IDR (~$1.30–$2 USD) and sip it with a view before heading to your next attraction. To get back to the parking lot, walk the same way you came.

Broken Beach Views

Diamond Beach & Atuh Beach

Tucked away on the eastern tip of Nusa Penida is Diamond Beach & Atuh Beach. They share an entry fee and clifftop parking lot - you'll get a wristband or paper ticket as your all-day pass. Past the lot you'll reach a single, wide dirt/gravel trail that hugs the cliff edge. Both beaches share this path - the first major fork is on your right, where after ~50m is the stairs to Diamond Beach. Continue straight/left path past the Diamond fork (~2–3 minutes more) and you'll reach the stairs to Atuh Beach.

Diamond Beach

Photos by Justyna Kaźmierczak (L), & Polina Kuzovkova on Unsplash

Diamond Beach is where powdery white sands meet crystal-clear turquoise waters, all framed by towering limestone cliffs. The beach earns its name from the diamond-shaped rock formations scattered offshore. To get to the bottom you'll find a steep, 600+ step concrete staircase that zigzags down the cliff face. It'll take 10-15 min to walk down and longer back up - definitely a bit of a workout but not too bad if you're in decent physical shape. At the bottom you'll find the photo-perfect wooden swing strung between palm trees and a large cresent stretch of clean soft sand. While the water looks enticing, swimming is a hard no (officially prohibited; there's rip currents and sudden swells).

Atuh Beach

Atuh Beach, 5-min from Diamond Beach, has calm & shallow bays at low tide that make it one of the few safe(ish) spots for swimming and more family friendly. There's a shorter, easier staircase — about 300 steps, 5–7 minutes, with sturdy railings. It has a laid-back, local vibe and 5 warungs with food & umbrella/lounger rentals (~100,000 IDR ($6.50 USD)/day). You'll find basic toilets (5,000 IDR), outdoor showers and changing areas behind warungs.

Photo by Matthew De Zen on Unsplash

While it's swimmable at low tide — shallow, warm, and clear enough to spot small fish — never swim alone or past the reef line. Stick to the protected bay & avoid the strong undertow near the far right side by the cliffs. You can rent a snorkel set (50,000 IDR) from a warung - the offshore rock islands and coral gardens are one of Nusa Penida’s hidden gems for casual snorkelers.

From the beach, you’ll spot 3–4 dramatic limestone karsts rising from the sea, 50–200 meters offshore. They act as natural breakwaters, calming the waves inside the bay (thus creating the protected swimming zone). Between the beach and the rocks lies a shallow reef flat (1–4 meters deep at low tide) packed with patchy but vibrant coral that are surprisingly healthy for Nusa Penida’s rough coast.

Tip: For photos, climb the small hill to the left of the warungs for a panoramic shot of the entire cove where the cliffs glow orange at sunset!

Thousand Islands Viewpoint & Rumah Pohon Treehouse

5-10 minutes north of Diamond & Atuh beaches is the Thousand Islands Viewpoint; a panorama of small islands (the Pulau Seribu/Thousand Islands cluster) that looks like a dragon's spine. From the small lot, a short, rocky 5-minute trail leads to the edge where you'll have a vibrant view of the island cluster and Diamond beach.

Photo by Johnny Africa on Unsplash

Amongst the viewpoint area is the Instagram-famous Rumah Pohon Treehouse - a rustic wooden platform perched in a massive tree. I recommend admiring it from afar but skipping the hassle - posed photos or a timed session (2–3 minutes) on the platforms cost an extra 50,000–75,000 IDR (~$3.20–$4.85 USD), and lines can stretch long in peak hours. Not worth it in my opinion. The surrounding overlooks deliver just as much 'wow'!

Kelingking Beach

On the west coast of the island, Kelingking is Nusa Penidas crown jewel. A massive limestone cliff juts out like a T-Rex silhouette, overlooking a hidden cove with vibrant turquoise waves and the softest white sand I've ever felt. From the clifftop viewpoint the panorama is postcard-perfect, truly embodying that raw, untamed Bali vibe that draws crowds all day long.

Kelingking Beach Views

There are 2 important things to know about Kelingking Beach - 1) keep your things close so the monkeys don't steal them because if they can, they will, and 2) getting down to the beach is challenging and dangerous, but SO worth it if you're up for it.

It was very crowded at the top of the mountain by the viewpoint, but not many people were at the bottom on the beach... for a reason. It is insanely steep and difficult, so the climb down is not for everyone, but if you come prepared it's worth every leg-shaking step. Nearly a straight drop down the mountain, the path is made of little ‘steps’ carved into the cliffside with not-very-trustworthy-but-your-life-depends-on-them-so-you-trust-them-anyway wooden 'railings'. It's physically taxing so you have to be in good shape to do this. If you can't or don't want too, just admire the beautiful views from the top. It was so scary and incredible at the same time - one of the best adventures you can find on Nusa Penida!

Kelingking Beach

Safety Tips:

• Wear good anti-slip sneakers
• Have a light mini backpack so your hands are free
• Test the wooden rails or ropes before putting any weight on them
• Do NOT attempt to climb down if the area is wet
• Do not swim at the beach - there are rip currents

It took around 30-45 minutes to reach the bottom. The water is extremely warm for dipping your toes in, and the sand is the softest my feet have ever felt. There's a large cave and a lot of tree cover so you can take a break from the hot Indonesian sun. There's a vendor selling some cold drinks (water & coconuts) at the bottom, but it’s a bit pricy since it's the only option if you want a drink (supply and demand!). It's got to be very hard for them to get all of those supplies to the bottom (now that I think about it, how do they even do that?).

We were about to leave Kelingking, very short on time to make the last ferry off the island, when things took a little turn... [This is a personal story, you can skip if you'd like!]

We were trying to start our motorbike; the key went into the hole, but would not turn to start. We were messing with it, trying to figure out why, when we accidentally locked the keyhole - now we couldn’t even put the key in at all. We texted the man we rented the bike from and he said to either ask a local to help or bring it to the nearest mechanic. Locals were asked, but it led nowhere. Worried we would miss our boat and be stuck on the island for the night we began to stress. Not that this would be the worst thing in the world, since Nusa Penida is so incredible.

We were about to start physically pushing it to a mechanic when my boyfriend remembered something - we have two sets of keys. We drove on one motorbike to the boat harbour on Bali, and rented another bike when we arrived on Nusa Penida. Two sets of keys, and of course, the one we spent 30 minutes trying to use was indeed the key to the bike we left on Bali. He searched his pockets, found the second key, and got the key hole to unlock and the bike to start.

Our relief didn't last too long, since once we put Buyuk Harbour into the GPS, we realized not only was it 45 minutes away, but his phone was on 5% and mine was dead. Good thing we were prepared with a portable charger...which was also dead. Oh, and then we needed gas that we were almost out of, but luckily some children were selling it out of a can on the side of a road, so that worked out just fine. Somehow, I managed to memorize the last 20 minutes of directions while on the back of the bike as he drove, and we made it to the boat ON TIME. I still don't know how! The whole situation, while stressful, was hilarious.

The lesson that came from this - make sure you separate your motorbike keys, keep your portable charger and phones FULLY charged, and maybe don't wait until the last minute when you have somewhere to be, even if you're having so much fun that you convice yourself you can!

Other Top Attractions on Nusa Penida

As I mentioned, Nusa Penida is a big island with a lot of once-in-a-lifetime sights to see. Stay at least one night to see & do as much as possible! If you have more time, here are some other top things to do on the island:

• Gamat Bay - quieter snorkeling with "natural aquarium" vibes
• Manta Point - snorkel with huge, magestic Manta Rays
• Peguyangan Waterfall (Guyangan) - a blue cliffside staircase descends to natural pools and a small waterfall spilling into the sea
• Tembeling Beach & Forest - lush jungle trek to a freshwater pool and secluded seaside spot; swim in the natural spring or relax by the waves
• Goa Giri Putri Cave Temple - sacred Hindu-Buddhist cave with shrines, often used for purification ceremonies

Map of Top Things to do on Nusa Penida

Interactive Nusa Penida map – zoom in to explore Kelingking, Diamond Beach, and more! Click on marked spots for details.

Save this guide for your next visit to Nusa Penida, of the most beautiful islands in Indonesia. I hope you enjoy your time! If you're looking for fun adventures on Bali, visit my blog post for the BEST waterfall itinerary in Ubud. 🌴