Suluban Beach (aka. Blue Point Beach): Our Review & Visitor Guide

Suluban Beach is a not-so-secret beach in Uluwatu known for its dramatic setting at the bottom of a cliff that requires passing through a cave to reach it.

We’ve visited this beach several times and in this review and visitors guide, we’ll share our honest opinion and some tips for getting there.

A Beach of Many Names

For the most part, the names Suluban Beach, Uluwatu Beach, Hidden Beach, and Blue Point Beach are all used interchangeably to refer to the same beach area.

Technically, the first beach at the bottom of the steps is Uluwatu Beach (Pantai Uluwatu). Only after navigating through the passageway under the cliffs are you at Suluban Beach (Pantai Suluban), aka Hidden Beach.

To further confuse things, Blue Point Beach (Pantai Blue Point), sometimes shortened to Blue Beach, is the nickname of both Suluban Beach and Uluwatu Beach. The name comes from the Blue Point Resort which sits on the cliff above the two beaches.

How To Get There

The best way to reach Suluban Beach is by parking at the top of the cliff near Single Fins Beach Club and following the steps that lead down to the beach.

You’ll have to descend 100 steps that zig-zag down the cliff. This took us around 7 minutes.

The route is dotted with amazing viewpoints and several restaurants and bars where you can grab a drink and admire the view.

When you reach the bottom of the steps, you’ll find yourself in a large cave sandwiched between the cliffs. This is Uluwatu Beach.

When the tide is out, there's some room to relax at Uluwatu Beach under the shade of the cliffs. It's also a popular surf spot. But it's not the main attraction.

From the large cave, follow the passageway to the left that passes under the cliffs to reach Suluban Beach.

It's quite a low passageway, so you'll have to duck to get through and might need to climb over some rocks too. After a minute or so, you'll exit onto a beautiful untouched beach.

We find the passageway fairly easy and have seen people of all ages going through it, but you might have some difficulty if your mobility is poor.

Make sure to wear flip-flops or go barefoot for this passageway as the tide washes into the caves and gets your feet wet.

Alternative Route: You can also park at the end of Suluban Street (Google Maps pin) and follow this path down to the beach. However, we don't advise this route as it has twice as many steps (we've counted them!) and is home to mischievous monkeys that might steal your belongings. You'll still need to pass under the cave at the end so there's no benefit.

Can You Get Online Taxis?

Yes, you can get online taxis such as Grab or Gojek to Suluban Beach. They can drop you off in the parking area, however, you’ll need to walk back to the main road when getting picked up. This is an additional 5-minute uphill walk.

Visitor Information

How Much Does it Cost?

There’s no charge to visit Suluban Beach other than the parking charge, which you pay on the way to Single Fins.

What Are the Crowds Like?

In our experience, Uluwatu Beach can get very busy, especially during peak times, but the more hidden Suluban Beach only gets moderately busy.

Many people make it as far as Uluwatu Beach but don’t continue onto Suluban, either because they don’t want to climb through the passageway beneath the cliff or they simply don’t know it exists.

Suluban is a fairly small beach, so it can start to feel busy with just a dozen or so people. It’s not a secluded spot to escape the crowds. But it’s also nowhere near as overpacked as neighbouring Padang Padang.

On a couple of occasions, we’ve seen big tour groups arrive at these beaches (usually groups of friendly Indonesians who find the tourists more interesting than the beach), but they don’t stick around for long.

Swimming at Suluban Beach

Uluwatu Beach and Suluban Beach are okay for swimming with clear water and gentle waves due to the tide breaking quite far out. However, you'll need to be careful of the sharp reef in some areas which can cut your feet.

If you want a better swim spot, we recommend heading down to the south coast of the Bukit Peninsula where Melasti and Pandawa are some of the best in Bali.

Is It Good for Sunset?

Suluban Beach faces west so it makes a great sunset spot, but only if low tide coincides with sunset on that particular day (check tide times here).

Regardless of the tide, we prefer watching the sunset from one of the venues on the cliffs above the beach.

Single Fins Beach Club is a renowned sunset spot in Uluwatu with lots of seating that directly overlooks the ocean. However, it can get very busy so you have to arrive early to secure a good seat.

Rather than fighting for a good spot, we like to watch the sunset from the Italian restaurant beneath Single Fins called La Terrazza. It’s much quieter and you can enjoy delicious Italian food and affordable wine while you watch the sun dip below the horizon.

Is it Good for Surfing or Water Sports?

Yes, the surf breaks around Suluban Beach and Uluwatu Beach were some of the earliest discovered in Bali, with big, powerful waves that are great for intermediate or pro-level surfers. There are shops you can rent a board from on the route down to the beach.

There's a wide reef so there are five different breaks here. From closest to furthest away, these are Racetrack, The Peak, Outside Corner, Temples, and The Bombie.

While they all break left, each has different optimum tide conditions so do your research first - this guide is excellent.

Suluban Beach Amenities

Cafes, Restaurants & Shops

The cliffs above Suluban Beach are filled with restaurants and warungs where you can buy food and drink. Here are a few we recommend:

Toilets & Showers

There are no toilets at the beach itself, but public toilets and showers can be found on the path leading to Suluban Beach from Suluban Street (here is a Google Maps pin). These Asian squat toilets cost 5,000 IDR and the showers cost 10,000 IDR.

However, they are not the best-maintained facilities so a better option would be to purchase something at one of the restaurants or beach clubs to use their facilities instead.

Sunbeds

There are no sunbeds down at Suluban Beach, but the surrounding cliffs and caves provide plenty of places you can enjoy some shade from the sun.

Beach Clubs