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Green Bowl Beach (Pantai Batu Pageh) is a dreamy white sand beach on the southern coast of the Bukit Peninsula in Bali.
Once a secret spot known only to surfers, the cat is out of the bag and people are heading there in search of a secluded beach experience.
We went in hunt of this little slice of paradise for ourselves. In this guide, we’ll give our honest review and explain how you can find it too.
Green Bowl Beach | |
|---|---|
Location | Ungasan, Bukit Peninsula, Badung Regency |
Ease of Access | Moderate - 320 concrete steps, takes about 6 minutes |
Sand Type | White sand |
Beach Admission Cost | 5,000 IDR |
Parking Charge | Scooter: 2,000 IDR |
Grab/Gojek | Yes - drop-off and pick-up at entrance gate |
Crowding | Low |
Facilities at Beach | Warungs, toilets, and showers (all in parking area) |
Good for Swimming? | Yes - best at mid-tide, exposed corals at low-tide |
Good for Surfing? | Yes - for pros only |
Good for Snorkelling? | No |
Good for Watersports? | No |
Quick Review
If you’re looking for a quiet and secluded beach close to Uluwatu, Green Bowl Beach is worth visiting.
Expect beautiful golden sand, picturesque turquoise waters, and just a handful of other people. It’s a far cry from the more popular and built up beaches of Pandawa and Melasti which sit on either side of it.
The path from the parking area down to the beach has a well-maintained concrete staircase - perhaps due to the important shrine here. But be prepared for a steep descent down 320 steps, and an even more challenging walk back up - at least it's mostly in the shade!
Still a hidden gem, Green Bowl tends to stay fairly quiet throughout the day. There were less than a dozen people there during our visit. Its most iconic feature is the huge limestone cave to the back of the beach that’s perfect for sheltering when the midday sun gets too intense.
Two warungs sit in the parking area, where you can grab something to eat and use their free toilets and showers. Some ladies also sell coconuts down at the beach, but we were put off by their persistent and rude sales tactics.
The beach is just 50m long and barely exists at high tide, so it’s only worth visiting when the tide is out. If you want to swim, aim for mid-tide when there’s still a sandy bottom. At low tide, the corals become exposed which can cut your feet if you don't have water shoes.
If you’re looking for other secluded beaches along this stretch of coast, we prefer Nuggalan Beach (our favourite but quite difficult to reach) and Gunung Payung (a quiet beach with decent amenities and kayaking).
How To Get There
Green Bowl Beach is located on the southern coast of Bali’s Bukit Peninsula, at the end of the road called Jalan Pantai Green Bowl.
Here’s a Google Maps pin for the parking area at Green Bowl Beach.
On the way in, you must stop at the entrance barrier to pay both the entry fee and parking charge.
From the parking area, you’ll need to descend 320 steps to reach the beach, which took us around 6 minutes.
The long concrete staircase is relatively new and in great shape, so it’s not the worst journey. Anyone with moderate fitness and mobility could make it.
The path is well-shaded by the cliff and trees, which you’ll be grateful for on the way back up.
A word of warning, there are monkeys in this area so don’t leave anything loose on your scooter and keep a watchful eye on your belongings at all times.
Can You Get Online Taxis?
Yes, online taxis such as Grab and Gojek can drop off and pick up at the entry barrier which is very close to the parking area.
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Visitor Information
How Much Does it Cost?
You must pay both an entry fee per person and a parking charge per vehicle.
Entry Fees | |
|---|---|
Visitors | 5,000 IDR |
Wedding Photography | 350,000 IDR |
Parking Charge | |
|---|---|
Scooter/Motorbike | 2,000 IDR |
Car | 5,000 IDR |
Bus/Truck | 10,000 IDR |
What Are the Crowds Like?
Green Bowl is a secluded beach with few crowds. This is one of the things that make it so special.
When we visited, there were less than a dozen people on the beach, about half of whom were surfers.
Swimming at Green Bowl Beach
You can swim at Green Bowl Beach with gentle waves and clear water.
At low tide, the corals become exposed which can cut your feet and hands, whereas at high tide, there is little beach left. This is why we recommend visiting at mid-tide for the perfect balance.
Is It Good for Sunset?
Green Bowl beach faces southeast, so it’s not a great spot to watch the sunset.
But, like most beaches in Bali, you can still enjoy watching the sky turn beautiful firey colours around sunset, even if you don’t get a direct view of the sun dipping beyond the horizon.
If you do choose to watch the sunset here, the best spot is near the parking area, not down at the beach. You’ll also forego having to climb back up the steps in the dark afterward.
Is it Good for Surfing or Water Sports?
Green Bowl is a popular surf spot among experienced surfers.
The waves are strong, fast, reliable, and big! They can range in size from head high to double overhead. It breaks to the right which is great for goofy-footers.
You can also expect some strong currents and hidden rocks. This makes the waters at Green Bowl fairly tricky to navigate. Only experienced surfers should attempt the waves here.
Despite how great the surf is, Green Bowl is still relatively quiet. We visited on a good surf day and still only saw a handful of surfers. Perhaps because you have to carry your board down the 320 steps to reach the beach.
Green Bowl Beach Amenities
Cafes, Restaurants, & Beach Clubs
There are two small warungs (local Balinese restaurants) next to the parking area, Warung Ibu Made and Warung Anis.
These warungs sell drinks, snacks, and cheap simple dishes such as nasi goreng and french fries. The owners are friendly and they have great reviews (although we didn’t eat here ourselves).
There’s nowhere to buy food and drink down at the beach itself other than a couple of rather persistent ladies selling coconuts. They were quite overbearing and rude, and charged twice as much as the warungs near the parking area, so we personally chose not to buy from them.
There is no beach club at Green Bowl Beach.
Other Amenities
There are no toilets down at the beach, but there are free outdoor showers and Asian squat toilets to the left of Warung Ibu Made in the parking area.
The beach cave provides adequate shade from the sun, which is lucky because there are no sunbeds or umbrellas for rent here. Remember to bring a beach towel as the sand can get hot.
More About Green Bowl Beach
Back in the 90s, a businessman named Sigit Harjojudanto (the son of a former Indonesian president) built a resort on the cliff above Green Bowl Beach. This was the Bali Cliff Resort and it was one of the earliest resorts in Bali.
They even had an elevator for guests to get down to Green Bowl Beach. This was very unique back then, long before Sundays and Karma Beach Club.
For a while, Green Bowl was a little busier, the resort even held Kecak dances in the cave on the beach. But its popularity was short-lived as the resort and elevator were abandoned in the early 2000s and the beach became a hidden gem once more.
The abandoned resort is still at the top of the cliff (behind the two warungs), but it is guarded by security personnel so you cannot visit.
The large sea cave down at Green Bowl Beach isn't the only famous cave here. There’s a second bat cave further up the cliff which contains a shrine (Pura Batu Pageh). Locals come here to perform the melukat water purification ceremony.
We didn’t visit the bat cave as we didn’t know it existed at the time, but here is the Google Maps pin if you want to hunt it out.