By Blaise Jaeger · Updated November 12, 2026

Sanur is the calm side of Bali: a small, family-friendly beach town on the southeast coast, with a long seafront path, traditional fishing boats on the sand and sunrises over Mount Agung. I’ve lived in Bali since 2020, in Seminyak, but I’ve been coming to Sanur since 2015, mostly to catch the fast boat to Nusa Penida, where I run a dive center. Over the years I’ve also stayed in its hotels, eaten in its restaurants and watched its harbor change completely. This guide is what I’d tell a friend who asks me whether Sanur is for them.

Is Sanur Worth Visiting?

Yes, if you want a relaxed beach holiday rather than nightlife. The sea is calm, protected by a reef, the beach is sandy and the seafront path runs for several kilometers, so it’s easy to explore on foot or by bike. It’s also the departure point for the fast boats to Nusa Penida and Nusa Lembongan, so many travelers spend a night or two here before or after the islands.

What Sanur doesn’t have is a real town center. There’s no old quarter to wander around: the life of Sanur is the beach, the path along it and the main road behind it, Jalan Danau Tamblingan, lined with restaurants, spas and small shops.

Sanur or Seminyak?

This is the question I get most often, and as a Seminyak resident I’ll be honest. Sanur is a small, family-friendly seaside resort, and I think it must be very pleasant to live there with children or dogs: the promenade along the beach is really well designed and lovely to walk or cycle. But I prefer Seminyak, because there’s more going on, more options to go out in the evening for dinner or a drink, and a slightly younger crowd.

You want	Choose
Calm sea, families, walks along the beach	Sanur
Sunrise over Mount Agung	Sanur
An early fast boat to Nusa Penida	Sanur
Restaurants, bars and nightlife	Seminyak
Sunset, beach clubs and surf	Seminyak

If you’re hesitating, read my Seminyak travel guide too: the two are about 30 minutes apart without traffic, and many people split their stay.

Sanur Beach

Sanur Beach faces east, so this is the place for sunrise, not sunset. On clear mornings, Mount Agung rises above the sea and the jukungs, the traditional outrigger fishing boats, rest on the sand. The water is shallow and calm inside the reef, good for children, but at low tide it can be too shallow to swim, and in places the bottom is covered with seagrass.

The best thing to do here is simply walk or cycle the beachfront path, which links Sanur’s beaches, from Matahari Terbit and Sindhu in the north to Semawang and Mertasari in the south, passing hotels, warungs and beach bars. With its steady winds, Sanur is also a kitesurfing spot, especially in the dry season. Don’t come for surfing or snorkeling, though: there are no real waves on the beach, and the bottom is mostly sand.

Kite Season and the Bali Kite Festival

From around April to October, when the wind blows, the sky above Sanur fills with kites. Late in the afternoon, teams launch huge traditional kites from the beaches, and you can watch dozens of them at once. I took these photos one evening in April, just walking on the beach at sunset.

The highlight of the season is the Bali Kite Festival, held in July and August on the beaches of Padang Galak, just north of Sanur, and Mertasari, in the south. Village teams, the banjar, compete with giant traditional kites that can reach about 10 meters across, with tails up to 100 meters long: the fish-shaped bebean, the leaf-shaped pecukan and the janggan, with its very long tail. It takes dozens of people to launch a single kite. Exact dates depend on the wind and are only announced a few weeks ahead.

Art in Sanur

Museum Le Mayeur

Right on the beach in northern Sanur, the Museum Le Mayeur is the former house of the Belgian painter Adrien-Jean Le Mayeur, who arrived in Bali in 1932 and married the famous Legong dancer Ni Pollok, the muse of most of his paintings. The house was donated to the Indonesian state in 1957. It’s small and the paintings have suffered from the humidity, but the traditional house and garden by the sea are worth a short visit.

Ari Bayuaji’s Weaving the Ocean

One of my best memories in Sanur is the studio of the Indonesian artist Ari Bayuaji, which I visited in April 2022. His project, Weaving the Ocean, starts on the beaches and in the mangroves of Sanur, where he collects discarded plastic ropes. They are untangled, then rewoven by hand on traditional looms into tapestries and artworks. His pieces have been shown in Sanur, at the Coral Triangle Center, and in galleries abroad.

Made Wijaya’s House

Sanur was also the home of Made Wijaya, the Australian-born landscape designer who created hundreds of tropical gardens in Asia, and whose first major project was the redesign of the old Bali Hyatt in Sanur. His former house and garden, Bebek Cottages, is not open to the public.

Sanur Harbour and the Fast Boats to Nusa Penida

For me, Sanur is above all the harbor. I’ve been taking the fast boat from here to Nusa Penida since 2015, and I’ve watched the departure point change completely.

Until 2022, there was no pier: passengers waded into the sea with their bags, sometimes up to the knees, to climb onto the boats anchored off the beach. At busy times, hundreds of people waited on the sand.

The new Sanur Harbour was inaugurated in November 2022, with a breakwater, floating pontoons and a terminal decorated with a huge golden dragon. Boarding is now dry, from the pontoons, and the harbor has become a place in itself, with cafés, shops and a promenade where people come for the sunset over Mount Agung.

Fast boats leave for Nusa Penida from early morning to late afternoon, and the crossing takes about 30 to 45 minutes. Each company has its own counter, timetable and prices, and screens in the terminal show the departures. I explain everything about the crossing, the companies and the timetables in my guide to getting to Nusa Penida from Bali.

Where to Eat and Drink in Sanur

Sanur’s restaurants are more relaxed than Seminyak’s, and many are right on the beach or on Jalan Danau Tamblingan and Jalan Danau Poso. These are the places I’ve tried.

Tandjung Sari

Tandjung Sari is one of Sanur’s oldest hotels, a traditional Balinese property opening onto the beach. I’ve only been for dinner, but the Indonesian food there is very good.

Sunday Brunch at the Hyatt Regency

The Sunday brunch at the Hyatt Regency Bali is really very good. When I used to go, it was a huge buffet with a wide choice of dishes, including a babi guling, the Balinese roast suckling pig. It’s now served à la carte at your table at Pizzaria, the hotel’s beachfront restaurant, from noon to 3 PM: you order as many dishes as you like, for about 590,000 IDR++ per person with soft drinks.

Andaz Bali

I’ve been to the Andaz for breakfast, a generous à la carte spread served in a garden setting, and for a sunset drink on a daybed on the beach, at its beach club.

Tree Bar

Tree Bar, the beach bar of the Maya Sanur, has a beautiful view of the beach, but I found the food rather ordinary. Come for a drink.

Parisi

Parisi is a very good French restaurant, on the other side of the bypass in Sanur Kauh.

Barbarossa

Barbarossa, on Jalan Danau Poso, is an Italian restaurant with good pizzas.

Lava Gastrobar & Grill

Lava, on Jalan Danau Poso, is a modern grill and cocktail bar, where the meat is finished at the table. It was really very good, but a little expensive.

From Here

From Here, also on Jalan Danau Poso, is a large, stylish café-restaurant open from breakfast to dinner. The Italian food was good: pizza, pasta and a chicken parmigiana.

Thailicious

Thailicious, near Sindhu Beach, serves good Thai food.

Sanur Segar and Shotgun Social

For a cheap, quick lunch, Warung Sanur Segar is a tiny Indonesian-Mexican taco shop: I always order the chicken pesto wrap. Nearby, on Jalan Pantai Sindhu, Shotgun Social is a big, lively family restaurant with a playground.

Where to Stay in Sanur

Sanur’s best hotels are on the beach, along the seafront path, with the quietest ones in the south. These are the ones I know.

InterContinental Bali Sanur Resort

The former Fairmont Sanur Beach, now an InterContinental, is a resort of suites and villas with private pools, and a beautiful infinity pool facing the sea. Check prices on Booking.com

Maya Sanur Resort & Spa

The Maya Sanur is a modern resort right on the beach, with a pool at the water’s edge and the Tree Bar. Check prices on Booking.com

Karmagali Boutique Suites

Away from the beach, Karmagali is a small boutique hotel of suites and private villas, with a long, narrow pool surrounded by greenery. Check prices on Booking.com

Akaya Bali

The Akaya Bali is a small hotel on Sanur’s main road that also houses the All 4 Diving dive center, handy if you want to dive in Bali. I stayed in one of its rooms in December 2020. Check prices on Booking.com

Getting to and Around Sanur

Sanur is about 30 minutes from the airport and from Seminyak without traffic, but traffic in south Bali is heavy, so allow more at peak times. Grab and Gojek work well (I explain prices and options in my guide to getting around Bali), and within Sanur, the beachfront path is the nicest way to get around, on foot or by bike.

I’ve also taken the red Trans Metro Dewata public buses, which serve Sanur and Denpasar: they’re air-conditioned, cheap and a good alternative to sitting in a taxi in the traffic.

Read More About Bali

Frequently Asked Questions About Sanur

Is Sanur worth visiting?

Yes, for a calm, family-friendly beach holiday, sunrises over Mount Agung and easy access to Nusa Penida. If you’re looking for nightlife, Seminyak is a better choice.

Is Sanur or Seminyak better?

Sanur is quieter and better for families, walks and an early boat to the islands. Seminyak has more restaurants, bars, beach clubs and nightlife, with a younger crowd. I live in Seminyak, but I understand why families choose Sanur.

Can you swim at Sanur Beach?

Yes, the water is calm and protected by the reef, which makes it good for children. At low tide, though, it can be too shallow to swim.

Can you surf or snorkel in Sanur?

Not really: there are no real waves on the beach, and the bottom is mostly sand. Sanur is, however, a good spot for kitesurfing.

When is the Bali Kite Festival?

It’s held in July and August on the beaches of Padang Galak and Mertasari, in and around Sanur. The exact dates depend on the wind and are announced a few weeks ahead.

How do I get from Sanur Harbour to Nusa Penida?

Fast boats leave from the pontoons of Sanur Harbour from early morning to late afternoon, and the crossing takes about 30 to 45 minutes. Since the new harbor opened in 2022, you no longer have to wade into the sea to board.

Is Sanur good for families?

Yes, it’s probably the most family-friendly area in Bali: calm water, a long car-free path along the beach, and restaurants with playgrounds, like Shotgun Social.

How far is Sanur from the airport?

About 30 minutes without traffic, but allow more at peak times.