Atuh Beach in Nusa Penida: Everything You Need to Know about Visiting!
If you are headed to Nusa Penida and looking for a good beach to relax at, Atuh Beach is a great option. Located just near Diamond Beach, it provides beautiful cliff views, but is easier to climb down to than Diamond beach. Here is everything you need to know about visiting Atuh Beach!
Work on Monday Travels is supported by readers and, at no cost to you, may earn commission when you book or purchase using our links. Full disclosure found here.
About Atuh Beach
Atuh Beach is a beautiful light-brown sand beach located on the East side of Nusa Penida just past Diamond Beach. Though not as popular as some of the other beaches, Atuh Beach a good beach for swimming, which can be hard to come across due to the intense currents on Nusa Penida island.
Where is Atuh beach Located?
Again, Atuh Beach is located on the Southeast side of Nusa Penida, about an hour drive from the ferry ports on the northern side of Nusa Penida. Conveniently, it is located RIGHT beside Diamond Beach and very close to other popular sites such as the insta-famous treed house,Rumah Pohon, and Thousand Islands viewpoint.
How to Get to the Beach
You can get to Atuh Beach by driving yourself, by taking a day tour or hiring a driver. These are really your options for getting to most things on Nusa Penida. Taxis really are few and far between and they aren’t cheap when you find them.
Rent a motorbike: If you are planning to rent a car or motorbike while on the island, driving yourself is the cheapest way to get there. However, if you haven’t heard it before, know that the roads on Nusa Penida are WINDING, narrow and at times steep. A lot of the roads are now paved, but the road conditions really are pretty crazy on Nusa Penida. Therefore, if you opt to rent a scooter or car on Nusa Penida, be sure to be CAUTIOUS and pay attention!
Day Tour: If you like the ease of getting around without driving, a day tour may be better for you. There are loads of day tours that take you to the hotspots of Nusa Penida. Just be sure to choose a tour of East Nusa Penida that visits Diamond Beach and Atuh Beach. This is also a good option if you are coming from Bali, as they meet you in Sanur and help with the transfer from Bali to Nusa Penida.
Hire a driver: If you don’t want to drive yourself or be in a group you can hire a private driver. Hiring a driver can give you a little more freedom to see what you want compared to a pre-determined day tour and is reasonably priced per day.
Parking at Atuh Beach
There are two entrances to Atuh Beach, but only one parking lot. If you are putting the location into your GPS, it is best to put “Diamond and Atuh car park” because Google Maps tends to want to take you to the more east side of Atuh Beach, which does not have parking.
Parking at Atuh Beach costs about 10,000 IDR which equates to less than a $1 USD. Be sure to have cash for this.
| Top Hotels Near Atuh Beach |
|---|
| Sun Colada Villas and Spa– 100 feet from Atuh Beach Golden Geruda Cottages– 0.5 miles from Atuh Bach You and We House– 2.5 miles from Atuh Beach |
Diamond Beach vs Atuh Beach
Why choose Atuh Beach over Diamond Beach? Though Diamond Beach is well-known for its beautiful cliffs and white sand beaches, it is steep and difficult to get to. I’ve heard many people say they’ve turned around before making it all the way down. Auth Beach also requires a climb down stairs to get to it. However, the stairs are paved and better maintained than those at Diamond Beach,
Diamond Beach wins in the cliffside-view department, but that doesn’t mean Atuh Beach isn’t beautiful, because it is! It also has a pretty, mountainous and jutted rock backdrop and the water is a beautiful shade of turquoise. It’s cliffs are just not as towering or the white-stone color that is so well-known for Nusa Penida.
Fitness Level Required to Navigate the Stairs
Though the climb is pretty steep, the height of the steps is the most challenging part of the climb. Some step heights nearly came to my waist, which can be difficult for us short-legged travelers. The number of stairs really isn’t terrible; the climb back up from the beach only takes about 10-15 minutes.
With that being said, everyone with us, those that work out regularly and those that never do, made it up and down the stairs just fine!
Do know, though, that there aren’t many places to hold on to. There are no consistent handrails, but there are intermittent ropes you can use to pull yourself up and steady yourself on the way down.
Amenities Available at Atuh Beach
Restroom: There is a restroom located at the beach, but it is very simple. Expect a hole in the floor type restroom, but it will definitely do in a pinch.
Food and drinks: There are also stands that sell a few options of food and beverages. You can get fresh coconuts and noodles as well as beer.
Chairs and Umbrellas: There are also chairs and umbrellas set up at the beach, but you will have to pay a small fee to rent them. Bring cash for food and rentals.
Tide Changes to Be Prepared for
Atuh Beach experiences a big change at high tide and low tide. At high tide, it’ll look like your typical photos, but at the lowest tide there will be a lot of exposed rocks. This makes you walk through rocks to get to the water, but there can also be tide pools which can be cool. But its definitely not going to look like your typical beach.
The tide times change a lot from day-to-day, so I recommend looking up the tide schedules before visiting!
Click here to see updated tide charts!
A Few Things to Note
You should know that there is a good chance there will be trash on the beach. Atuh Beach gets pretty large waves, and, unfortunately, those waves bring in trash from the sea. Also know that the huts to buy food and drinks are pretty simple huts. Just go to the beach with expectations of pretty simple amenities and an open mind and know that the beach and the views will be worth climbing to.
Looking for Other Things to do on Nusa Penida?
Two of our favorite things we did while on the island of Nusa Penida were climbing to Peguyangan Waterfall and motorbiking to Tembeling Beach. Both were super fun and pretty unique experiences! Click below for all the details!