Echo Beach is a great place to enjoy a laid-back vibe and some of the best surfing and sunsets in Canggu.
It’s an area of natural beauty and within walking distance of many luxury villas, hotels, and guest houses.
It’s the perfect location for those seeking to improve their surfing at the local surf schools for a reasonable price and those looking for a good spot located a little further from the busiest parts of Canggu.
Our guide will teach you everything you need to know about Echo Beach in Bali.
Where Is Echo Beach, Bali?
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Echo Beach is in the West of Bali. It’s roughly 35 kilometres to the Northwest of Kuta and Seminyak and about 14 kilometres West of Denpasar.
The beach is at the end of Jalan Pantai Batu Mejan and, in fact, it was called Batu Mejan Beach until somebody decided that it was easier to call it Echo Beach and that became commonly accepted.
If you’re landing at the Ngurah Rai International Airport (and unless you arrive by boat to Bali, it’s the only way to get to Bali) then you will need to drive for about 45 minutes (depending on the traffic) to get to Echo Beach.
How To Get To Echo Beach, Bali
If you’re coming from the airport then the best way to get to Echo Beach is to get a hotel transfer.
These can usually be arranged easily through your hotel and the Canggu Beach area is usually low or no cost as an incentive to stay in the hotel.
If you opt for this method then you will be met off the plane in Bali by someone holding up a card with your name on it, and then you and your luggage will be loaded in a van and taken directly to your hotel/villa/guest house and then you can walk to the beach from there.
What’s The Entrance Fee To Echo Beach, Bali?
There is no entrance fee to Echo Beach and anyone, who tells you that there is, is scamming you.
You may be required to pay for parking near the beach but most people walk from nearby accommodation and thus, don’t need to worry about this.
When Is The Best Time To Visit Echo Beach Bali?
The best time to visit Echo Beach is going to be during the dry season which runs from March to October. It’s less likely to rain which means you can spend more time on the sand or in the surf.
It’s also a little cooler due to an onshore breeze at this time of year.
However, it’s fine to come during the rainy or wet season too. It’s a little warmer (mainly because it’s more humid) but it’s not going to rain all day, every day during your visit.
In fact, Bali sees nearly 9 hours a day of sunshine throughout the wet season and as long as you have decent accommodations, it’s easy to wait out the hour or two of rain you might see on a typical day.
It can rain at night too, but most people will be in their villa or room at night and it won’t matter too much.
What Should You Take to Echo Beach, Bali?
You don’t need a huge amount of stuff when you visit the beach here but you might appreciate some or all of the following:
A camera – for sunsets
A surfboard – if you want to surf
A tripod – because long exposures are better
A power bank – to recharge your phone after a day in the sun
A rain jacket – just in case
A quick dry towel – super handy
A dry bag and/or a day bag – to keep your stuff in
Sunscreen – to stay safe
What Can You Expect At Echo Beach, Bali?
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Echo Beach is not the most hectic spot in Bali but there are still plenty of things to do rather than spending the day by the pool at your villa.
Black Sand Beach
The sands here are black and if you’ve never seen black sand on a beach before it’s kind of fascinating to behold. It’s caused by the local volcanoes erupting and spewing out black stone which is then broken down, over time, by the sea and pulped into sand.
Surfing Lessons
There are some decent surf schools on the beach and if you’re looking to improve from being an intermediate surfer to an advanced surfer, this is a good place to learn. However, it’s a bad place to be a beginner as the waves can be dangerous. You can also rent surf equipment cheaply at the surf schools.
The Echo Beach Reef Break
This break offers a left-hand wave that comes in front of the local restaurants on the beach. It rushes in hard to a shallow reef and it’s flat-out dangerous to newbies, even skilled surfers a going to find it a challenge.
Sand Bar Surf Spot
This breaks in both directions and can be faster and heavier than the first spot. However, there’s no reef but sand here, so it is a safer place.
Echo Beach River Mouth Surf Spot
This right-hand wave break is the only place that a beginner might feel safe as it runs all the way to a sand bar.
Sunbathing
Source: visitbali.id/
This quiet beach is an excellent place for sunbathing and you can easily rent a sunbed or sun lounger nearby. However, please make sure to use sunscreen, sunglasses and a sunhat as appropriate. The sun is very strong here in Bali and there’s nothing worse than sunburn or heat stroke to ruin a holiday.
Beach Vendors
The beach vendors aren’t quite as pushy here as in some of the bigger tourist areas of Bali and they sell some pretty tasty snacks. Don’t be afraid to turn down anything that they offer or just ignore them if they start hassling you.
Sunsets At The Local Warungs
Sadly there are no longer any local warungs on the beach but there are a couple of restaurants not too far away, where you can enjoy the sunset and a cold Bintang or cocktail or two.
Jacks Bar & Restaurant has an excellent salad bar and it’s very good value. If you want plenty of salad for a fixed price, you can’t beat a salad bar and there aren’t many of them in this location or anywhere in Bali for that matter.
Jempinis Beach Bar is a great place to stop and quench your thirst before a nice sunset on the beach. They also do some great seafood.
Beach BBQs
While many sites talk about beach BBQs at Echo Beach, sadly, these are no longer available as the local warungs were recently demolished. You can get food in the nearby area, just no BBQs on the beach.
Where To Stay Near Echo Beach, Bali
There are plenty of nice places to spend the night in this location and whether you want a villa with a pool view or a cheap property with a pool or just a budget bed, you can easily find it around Echo Beach.
Echo Beach Villa & Apartment – one of the nice things about this Canggu Beach accommodation complex is that they provide guests with free bikes to get around on. Of course, that doesn’t mean you will want to ride in the Balinese traffic but it does give you the option. This villa is close to many local restaurants and has free Wi-Fi in all rooms.
Theanna Eco Villa & Spa – just a 6-minute drive away you can enjoy one of the most luxurious spots in Canggu. The location offers an excellent spa and a free shuttle service to other places in the area. It also has free bikes if you want them. If you want an amazing villa and you don’t mind paying luxury villa prices – you can’t go wrong.
Frii Hotel – you can get a pool view or a sea view from the rooms here and it’s just a short walk from the beaches in Canggu. All rooms have air conditioning and flat-screen TVs.
The Bed by The Sea – this is a very affordable property because it’s a shared villa. The rooms are spacious and it can accommodate a reasonable number of guests. There’s free Wi-Fi throughout the property and a nice pool too. We’d be happy to spend the night at this villa.
The Hideout Hostel – this site is located in Pererenan but it’s one of the cheapest places to stay in Canggu. Each room has its own coffee machine and there’s an excellent communal pool and garden space.
Is There A Real Place Called Echo Beach?
Yes, in fact, it’s more than one real place. There is an Echo Beach in Ontario, Canada, an Echo Beach in Zanzibar in Tanzania, an Echo Beach in Pennsylvania, an Echo Beach in Idaho and our own Echo Beach in Bali, Indonesia.
Is Echo Beach In Canggu?
Yes, Echo Beach, Bali is in Canggu Village. It is not to be mistaken for Canggu Beach which spans both Echo Beach and Batu Bolong Beach.
Batu Bolong is the more trendy of the two beaches that form Canggu Beach as it has become a locus for European tourists recently.
However, both Echo Beach and Batu Bolong Beach attract their fair share of surfers seeking a great surf break.
Is Echo Beach Good For Beginners?
We’re going to assume that this question is about surfing and sadly, Echo Beach is not a good beach to learn to surf on.
In fact, Echo Beach has a reef break which can produce both left-hand and right-hand breaks and they can be very powerful. The reef is also quite dangerous if you’re not careful.
Thus, it’s best to leave Echo Beach to the intermediate and advanced surfers and learn to surf somewhere a little more beginner-friendly. Check out our article on the best surf spots on the island here.
However, if your question was about swimming, unfortunately, it’s not a great beach for easy swimming and it’s certainly not the right place for a quiet family swim.
The majority of people who come to Echo Beach are there because it’s a lovely place to enjoy the sunset, the accommodation nearby is relatively cheap rent compared to much of Canggu and people who love awesome seafood on the beach.
Final Thoughts On Echo Beach
Source: digitaltravelcouple.com/
Echo Beach is located in Canggu in Bali and it’s a popular beach that rarely gets too busy.
Surfers love the challenging waves here and it’s one of the best beaches for intermediate and advanced surfing lessons but it’s not great for beginners.
There are some good restaurants around the site and you can chill here to your heart’s content.
It may not be the beach from the song but as beaches go, it’s a fine place to spend a day or two and watch the world go by.
