24 Top Things to Do in Canggu, Bali [+ Map]

Canggu feels a bit like Marmite these days - you either love it or you hate it! And while we get why it's not everyone's favourite (yes, the traffic is bad!), we're big fans of its lively vibe, great food, and mix of beach life and buzz. That's why it's been our main base in Bali for the last four years.

There may not be many cultural landmarks, but there are plenty of fun things to do in Canggu. From hanging out at laid-back cafes and learning to surf to partying at world-class beach clubs, it’s less about ticking off attractions and more about embracing beach town life.

After years of experiencing everything there possibly is to do in Canggu, here are all of our favourite experiences and activities. Hopefully you enjoy it as much as we do!

Map of Canggu

Things To Do in Canggu

1. Watch the sunset on Batu Bolong Beach

Whenever we're in Canggu, the one thing we try to do every single day is watch the sunset on the beach with a coconut (or Bintang). It's the perfect way to end each day, and Canggu’s west coast location has given us some of the most incredible sunsets we’ve ever seen!

Batu Bolong is the Cangu's busiest beach, lined with local beach bars and hundreds of beanbags scattered across the sand. By sunset, the beach is packed with people, and most seats are taken. It's a fantastic spot to people-watch, with dog walkers, yoga sessions, surfers, and plenty of photoshoots.

Times Beach Warung and Seaweed Resto are two of our favourite spots, but there are loads of bars to pick from. We always try to arrive at least 30 minutes before sunset to get a good spot and enjoy the final moments of daylight before the sky transforms into those deep, fiery colours.

There are many other beaches in Canggu that are great for watching the sunset too, including Pererenan Beach, Echo Beach, Berawa Beach, and Seseh Beach.

2. Hang out at Canggu's world-class beach clubs

Canggu is home to several of Bali's top beach clubs. The coastline is packed with modern venues featuring huge ocean-facing infinity pools, lots of seating, and direct beach access.

Canggu's beach clubs all offer something a little different. Some are more laid-back and perfect for leisurely days basking in the Bali sunshine, while others are much livelier and better known for their big evening parties.

These are a few of our favourite beach clubs in Canggu:

3. Enjoy Canggu's legendary brunch scene

Canggu is the foodie capital of Bali. And we have no shame in saying one of our favourite things to do here is eat! There are hundreds of fantastic restaurants in Canggu serving every cuisine you can imagine, from local Indonesian warungs to Italian pizzerias, Lebanese, Georgian, Indian, and more.

And while there's so much great food here, no visit to Canggu would be complete without enjoying the area's legendary brunch scene. These are a few of our favourite brunch cafes in Canggu:

4. Take a surf lesson

Canggu first made its name as a top surf destination, long before it was a hotspot for expats and digital nomads in Bali. Along the coastline, there are numerous surf breaks for both beginners and experienced surfers.

Batu Bolong Beach is the best spot for beginners, with many surf schools offering lessons for all abilities. If you're good at bartering, you can turn up and find an instructor on the spot. But we recommend booking a lesson in advance so you can check reviews and make sure you don't get scammed.

The only downside to surfing on Batu Bolong Beach is that it can get pretty busy in the water. During my class, there were hundreds of people taking lessons in the same place. I even ended up crashing into another surfer while trying to catch a wave (we were both okay!).

More advanced surfers tend to move up towards Echo Beach, where the waves are more powerful, and there's more room to manoeuvre.

5. Make new friends at Sa'Mesa Dinner Club

Sa'Mesa is a social Italian dinner club in Canggu. Taking inspiration from big Italian-style family dinners, everyone sits together around two large tables and eats communally. We all shared 20 delicious dishes, including focaccia, grilled veggies, pasta, risotto, meatballs, seafood, and more.

But it’s the atmosphere that really made Sa'Mesa one of our favourite experiences in Canggu. The free-flow limoncello and many cocktails helped keep conversations flowing with new friends. By the end of dinner, we all ended up dancing on the tables to throwback hits, before heading out partying together.

We'd recommend visiting solo or in a small group to really make the most of the experience and allow yourself to meet some new people. And if you have the choice, choose the indoor table - we really appreciated the air-con!

Sa'Mesa runs dinners every night of the week. Make sure to book at least a few days in advance, as each session is limited and quickly fills up. It's not the cheapest dinner, but it was definitely worth it for the overall experience!

6. Enjoy a big night out on Batu Bolong

Canggu might have a laid-back vibe during the day, with its bohemian beach clubs, chilled-out cafes, and surf scene, but evenings here are very different.

Batu Bolong is the hub of Canggu's nightlife scene. The main street is lined with countless bars and clubs where you can party into the early hours. Here are some of our favourites:

7. Feel rejuvenated at a recovery centre

As well as being a nightlife hub, Canggu is also one of the best areas of Bali for fitness and wellness fanatics, with countless modern gyms, luxury spas, and high-end recovery centres.

While we're not huge gym-goers ourselves (at least compared to some people in Canggu), we do enjoy making the most of the many wellness facilities. Who doesn't love an afternoon jumping between the pool, sauna, and ice baths to feel refreshed and recharged!?

These are some of the top recovery centres in Canggu:

8. Check out Canggu's Sunday markets

On any given day, Canggu has more than its fair share of places to go shopping, from boutique shops to tourist markets. However, one of our favourite Sunday morning activities is to check out the pop-up weekend markets.

9. Try local craft beers at Black Sands Brewery

If we're in Canggu on a Friday night, this is where you'll find us! Black Sands is a popular brewery with a modern taproom and huge beer garden. They mostly stock their own craft beers made in Bali - my go-to is their Island Brewing Pale Ale.

Their spacious beer garden has plenty of long tables that are great for big groups. If you want a smaller private table, it's best to book in advance. Or you can join a shared table and make some new friends, like we often do.

Black Sands is the place to be on Fridays in Canggu, when everyone descends on the brewery to let loose after a busy week. There are special happy hour deals and a live DJ who has everyone up dancing until midnight.

We really like the food here too. It’s not the cheapest, but it is delicious. And it goes well with a few draft beers. We'd recommend the burgers, wings, and pasta. But save room for dessert because their hot chip cookie with gelato is a must-try!

10. Spend the day at Nuanu Creative City

Just 30 minutes up the coast from Canggu is one of Bali's newest and most unusual attractions, Nuanu Creative City. The huge cultural park and resort blends art, culture, technology, and wellness into a "creative ecosystem" where people can live, play, create, and connect.

Still not sure what it actually is? You're not alone. We've visited several times already and still find it hard to pin down. But that seems like the entire point! The best way to define it is with the type of attractions you can find at Nuanu:

Nuanu also has several hotels, restaurants, cafes, and even an international school on-site. There's a small entrance fee to enter the futuristic city, or the entrance is free if you have tickets to one of the paid experiences.

11. Get messy at Wild Art

Wild Art Bali is one of the more unusual activities in Canggu. The craft centre offers rule-free painting sessions where you can get as messy and creative as you want! We booked with friends, and it was definitely one of the most fun things we've done in a while.

During our session, we put on full-body suits and goggles, then were ushered into a paint-covered room and handed a blank canvas, paint pots, and unconventional tools like water guns, balloons, syringes, and darts.

The staff encouraged us to go wild... throwing, splattering, and squirting paint onto the canvas (and each other). The results weren’t exactly masterpieces, but the experience was silly, fun, and surprisingly cathartic.

Wild Art sessions are great for kids of all ages, but it's also a fun experience for adults. We loved it, and there was even a bachelorette party in the room next door to us, having a fantastic time too!

12. Watch a movie under the stars

Canggu might not have any big cineplexes showing the latest blockbusters, but you can catch a classic movie on an open-air screen under the stars. Even better, right? Add a comfy beanbag, some snacks, and a fresh coconut into the mix, and it's the perfect chilled evening in Canggu.

Below are some of the movie nights we know about in Canggu, but schedules can change, so double-check before turning up.

13. Get your heart racing on the G-Swing

Bali is an island that's known for its swings. However, the G-Swing in Canggu isn’t your typical dreamy Instagram swing overlooking the rice terraces. It's an exhilarating thrill ride in which you’re strapped into an open capsule and launched 40m into the air, reaching speeds of 100km/h.

We'll be honest, we're far too scared to ride the swing ourselves. But we've seen people being catapulted into the air countless times while passing by. It looks absolutely terrifying! If you're an adrenaline-seeker looking for something fun to do in Canggu, we dare you to give it a go!

14. Join a Canggu beach clean up

One of the ways we like to give back to Bali is by joining beach clean-ups. They're always a great way to make some new friends and help keep Bali's beaches free from trash, so everyone can enjoy them!

There are many beach clean-up events in Canggu. Trash Hero runs a clean-up every Sunday on Batu Bolong Beach at 4:30pm (meet at Old Man's Beach Bar). You don't need to sign up or pay anything to join... just show up!

We also recently joined a Rubbish Rave on Pererenan Beach, a fun new monthly initiative in Canggu that combines a silent disco with a beach clean. Join the WhatsApp chat here for upcoming events and to book a free place.

15. Treat yourself to a massage or beauty treatment

Among the crowds and traffic of busy Batu Bolong, Canggu is also home to some of Bali's best spas, massage parlours, and beauty salons.

If you haven't tried a Balinese massage, it's a calming, relaxing full-body experience rooted in traditional healing practices. Costing as little as 140,000 IDR ⓘ an hour, Emily usually goes for one at least once or twice a week!

You can also enjoy many other treatments, including body scrubs, facials, hair baths, manicures, pedicures, waxing, and more. These are a few of the best spas in Canggu:

16. Go souvenir shopping at Love Anchor

Love Anchor is a large market in Canggu full of independent and artisan vendors. It's a good spot to pick up souvenirs, including clothes, jewellery, and homeware. Open every day until 9pm, you can even head here for some evening shopping after a day at the beach!

The products aren’t the cheapest in Canggu (still affordable though!), but it's a convenient spot to find everything in one place. The vendors are also a little less aggressive with their sales techniques here than elsewhere, which we do prefer.

We always try to haggle on price, and usually manage to get them down to 50% of the original asking price (they start high on purpose). In our experience, many stalls now accept card payments, although a minimum spend may apply.

17. Try pottery throwing at Mrs Potter

Mrs Potter is a lovely little ceramics studio that offers small-group pottery classes for beginners. We joined one of their "spin and throw" classes, where we learned how to use a pottery wheel to turn lumps of clay into mugs, vases, bowls, or anything else we could think of.

It took us a while to get the hang of the wheel (Emily's clay was flying everywhere to start with!), but once we did, it was such a fun and creative hands-on experience. And yes, we had our real-life "Ghost" moment!

The class included unlimited clay, so we could make as many items as we wanted. At the end, we could pick our favourites to get fired and coloured (extra fee). Being limited on space, we only ended up taking away a small vase.

18. Make your own perfume at Our Projects

Our Projects has two modern stores in Canggu that are known for their homemade fragrances and beauty products. They also now offer hands-on perfume masterclasses where you can create your very own signature scent to take home.

In a class, you'll learn about the art of fragrance-making, from understanding scent notes and fragrance families to mastering the art of blending. You then get to try creating your own perfume using the store's huge variety of luxurious scents.

Classes run 2-3 times daily and cost 850,000 IDR ⓘ per person, including a 50ml bottle of your new scent to take home. It's not just for women - plenty of men go too.

19. Go coffee tasting at Blacklist Coffee Roasters

Indonesia is one of the world’s leading coffee producers, and Bali is especially known for its coffee production in the Kintamani and Munduk regions, where high-altitude volcanic soil and a cool climate create ideal conditions for growing high-quality Arabica beans.

But even if you can't make it to a coffee plantation in North Bali, you can still try local coffee from Bali and Indonesia right here in Canggu, with a tasting at Blacklist Coffee Roasters.

During the one-hour tasting, we tried five coffees from four origins, with the option to have each hot or iced. Our guide, Amik, helped us identify the different flavour profiles of each and pick our favourites (so we know what to ask for next time!).

The tasting was a great experience and helped us learn more about coffee. Although even as hardcore coffee drinkers, it was a lot of caffeine to handle in one go! We were both pretty jittery by the end. Maybe don't do an afternoon session if you want any chance of sleeping.

20. Take a yoga class

Bali is a haven for yogis, with countless beautiful yoga studios all across the island. The deeply rooted Hindu culture provides a highly spiritual atmosphere that resonates perfectly with yoga practice.

Whilst Ubud is at the heart of Bali’s yoga scene, Canggu is another great place to practice, thanks to the huge number of expats and digital nomads based here.

There are many yoga studios in Canggu offering a range of classes, including yin, hatha, vinyasa, power yoga, and even aerial yoga. Here are a few yoga studios we like:

21. Discover Canggu's hidden street art

Did you know that Canggu has a hidden street art scene? We didn't either for a long time! But if you head up to Jalan Raya Canggu (the main road) and look for the ALLCAPS store, then head down this alley, you'll discover a large industrial area with some amazing street art.

The walls here are covered in stunning murals, with everything from colourful Balinese mythology to life-like portraits by local artists. It's free to explore the street art area. Just be respectful of locals working in the workshops. Some lovely local ladies pointed out all the best pieces for us.

22. Play a game of padel

Other than surfing and yoga, another of the most popular sports in Canggu is padel. This combines elements of tennis and squash. It’s played on a court similar to tennis, only the ball is allowed to bounce off the glass walls surrounding the court.

Padel has become super popular in Canggu, especially among the local expat and nomad crowd. Countless new padel courts have been built over the last couple of years. We resisted playing for a long time, but we finally got swayed by friends, and now we're addicted too!

Here are some of the top padel courts in Canggu:

It’s best to play as a group of four as it’s traditionally a doubles game. Although we've seen people playing with just two people before and you can always ask the staff to join in if you have an odd number.

23. Enjoy a clifftop drink at The Beach Love

When we feel like escaping the chaos of central Canggu to enjoy a peaceful afternoon by the ocean, we head just 30 minutes up the coast to Beach Love, or "Pantai Cinta."

This colourful clifftop bar sits above quiet Kedungu Beach, with plenty of bean bags scattered across the clifftop and panoramic ocean views. The large bar has a more laid-back and rustic charm than the tourist-packed beach bars of Batu Bolong.

The menu has simple Western dishes such as burgers, quesadillas, and chicken wings. There's a minimum spend based on the number of people and where you sit. On our last visit, it was 250,000 IDR ⓘ for 4 people.

The last stretch of road to reach Beach Love is quite narrow and bumpy. It can be a challenge to navigate after dark, so we wouldn't recommend staying too long after sunset. The bar is close to the famous Tanah Lot Temple (more below), so you can easily combine the two into one trip.

24. Visit Tanah Lot temple

One of the few cultural attractions close to Canggu, Tanah Lot is an important Hindu temple perched on a rock formation in the sea. The temple has religious significance and is an important pilgrimage site for Balinese Hindus.

It’s a beautiful temple and a stunning spot to visit around sunset. At low tide, you can walk right up to the temple and receive a blessing for a small donation. However, you can’t go inside the main area as a tourist.

With that said, you might wonder why this iconic temple is so low on our list. Well, Tanah Lot's popularity has led to the complex around it becoming overrun with tourist traps and street sellers in recent years. We think it's become a little over-commercialised, taking away some of its spiritual appeal.

In our opinion, there are many other temples in Bali that are equally, if not more, beautiful and much less touristy.

Where To Stay in Canggu

How To Get Around in Canggu

Canggu is made up of a large, spread-out area, especially when you count Berawa and Pererenan. Some streets are walkable, like busy Batu Bolong. But getting between different areas on foot can be challenging.

We use a scooter to get around in Canggu. We use Bikago for scooter and motorbike rental in Canggu - their bikes are always in great shape, and the service is fantastic. We share our full experience using them here.

If you'd rather not drive yourself, Grab and Gojek are both widely available in Canggu. These are online taxi apps (similar to Uber) that give the option for a car taxi or scooter/motorbike taxi.

We always pick scooter taxis as these can use Canggu's smaller roads (known as shortcuts), which significantly reduces journey times compared to cars, which need to take the longer routes and can get stuck in traffic for ages!

Where To Eat in Canggu

Summing up our favourite places to eat in Canggu is pretty much impossible in one tiny section. The neighbourhood has SO many fantastic cafes and restaurants, so narrowing down the best of the best is a challenge to say the least. But if we HAD to pick, here are a few must-visits...

Or check out our individual foodie guides to Canggu: